Education

• Functionalism


  The family is a vital organ maintaining the body of society
• Functions of the family according to Functionalism


  • Sexual
  • Reproduction
  • Socialization
  • Economic
• Parsons' functions of the family


  • Social socialization
  • Stabilization of adult personalities
• Marxism


  The family performs essential functions for society which benefit the bourgeoisie and the economy but disadvantage the proletariat
• Marxist functions of the family


  • Inheritance of wealth
  • Cushioning effect
  • Unit of consumption
• Feminism


  The family has harmful effects on women due to gender inequality
• Feminist perspectives on the family


  • Liberal feminism - culture and norms reinforced by family
  • Marxist feminism - exploitation of women central to capitalism
  • Radical feminism - family is a patriarchal institution
• Post-modernism


  People have more choice in relationships and families, leading to more diversity
• Post-modern family trends


  • Pure relationships
  • Cohabitation
  • Serial monogamy
  • Single mothers
  • Lone parent families
  • Divorce extended families
• Sociology of personal life


  The family is not in decline, it is just more diverse and complex than before
• Functionalism sees the family as good because it helps society function more efficiently
• New Right policies undermine the self-reliance of the family, leading to an 'underclass'
• Marxist policies provide ideological legitimation of capitalism
• Liberal feminism led to greater gender equality
• Radical feminism sees gender inequalities as needing more than just policy changes
• Family policies by government

  • 1918-1990 Conservative reforms - reduce state control, increase personal responsibility
  • 1997-2010 New Labour - support diverse family types, provide financial/practical support
  • 2010-2015 Coalition - reduce family breakdown, get people into work
• Other important family policies


  • 1967 Contraceptive pill legalized
  • 1975 Paid maternity leave
  • 1970 Equal Pay Act
• Family diversity


  Differences in families arising from culture, life course, organization, and generation
• Causes of family diversity


  • Changing patterns (more divorce, cohabitation)
  • Increasing wealth and technology
  • Changing gender roles
  • Social policies
• Parsons' functional fit theory


  The family changes its functions to suit the needs of society as it changes
• Murray's new right view

  The nuclear family is under threat due to social policies that change family processes
• Post-modernist view


  Family diversity is a new norm, with more freedom to shape families to individual needs
• Chester's neo-conventional family


  Couples are dual earners with more equal, democratic roles
• Reasons for changing gender roles


  • More women in work
  • Paternity leave
  • Feminism
  • Technology reducing housework
• Women still do more housework than men even in dual-career families
• Becoming a mother


  Negatively impacts job prospects
• Women's 'triple shift'


  Little time for leisure, leading to depression and loneliness
• Perspectives on causes of domestic violence


  • Radical feminism - marriage legitimizes violence
  • New Right - only in dysfunctional families
  • Post-modernist - emotional intensity and isolation of families
  • Marxist feminism - result of social inequalities
• Women are provoked by challenges to their authority so with the increase they feel like they have more of a role in the family and have more confidence to stand up for their husbands which traditionally men do not like
• Many men still have a very traditional view that they are the man of the house and should not be challenged
• The new right domestic abuse view is that domestic violence only occurs in dysfunctional family but they've focused it more on the actual working class families
• Postmodernist Giddens saw domestic violence as caused by emotional intensity of family life and the increasing isolation of nuclear families
• Marxist feminists like Wilkinson saw domestic violence as a result of stress caused by social inequalities due to capitalism and the demands of work
• Causes of trends in marriage, cohabitation and divorce include changing roles of women, secularization, legal changes, and economic/postmodern reasons
• Positive impacts of these family changes include greater gender equality and the family still being very important for child development
• The total fertility rate has decreased from 1900 to 2012 due to increased availability of contraception, more women in education, and reduced infant mortality
• The decrease in fertility rate leads to a reduction in the labor force, an increasing dependency ratio, and impacts on capitalism
• The growth of the beanpole family and voluntary childlessness also impact the dependency ratio and workforce
• The decrease in full-time mothers impacts the development and education of children
• Childhood as a social construction


  Children have a different social status to adults, are dressed differently, and have their own products and sections in stores