Family Theories

• Murdock (functionalist) Nuclear family

  Traditional family, heterosexual couple with two or more children.

  -Common residence

  -Economic cooperation

  -Reproduction
• Modern definition of the family

  -Relationship based on marriage, civil partnership or cohabitation, with or without children.

  -Lone parent with child/children.
• Marriage- key concepts

  Monogamy- having one partner.

  Serial monogamy- series of remarriage.

  Polygamy- more than one partner.

  Polygyny- one husband 2+ wives.

  Polyandry- one wife 2+ husbands.
• Murdock (functionalist) Theory of the family


  -Sees the nuclear family as the universal ‘cornerstone’ of society.

  -Says that the nuclear family is beneficial to perform the 4 necessary functions.

  -Reproduction

  -Sexual stabilisation

  -Economic support

  -Education
• Murdock (functionalist) Reproduction


  -Having children is beneficial to keep society going and gives couples a reason to stay together aswell as ensuring physical survival.
• Murdock (functionalist) Sexual stabilisation 


  -Marital sex allows an emotional bond to be formed creating a stable relationship.

  -Keeps a limit on broken marriages and children born out of wedlock.

  -Keeps social chaos to a minimum, no ‘free for all’.
• Murdock (functionalist) Economic support


  -Parents providing their children with economic support teaches children to adapt to becoming productive workers in the future, therefore keeping the economy going.
• Murdock (functionalist) Education 


  -Occurs during the primary socialisation done by the family.

  -Culture of learning needs to be transmitted through generations.
• Ways of modern reproduction

  -IVF for same sex couples

  -Surrogacy

  -Adoption

  -Reconstituted families
• Modern sexual stabilisation

  -Open relationships are now more common.

  -Globalisation has created a fast paced society, it is no longer the norm to stay with one person forever due to the introduction of dating apps and social media rising people’s expectations.
• Modern economics

  -Introduction of the Welfare state and benefits.

  -Changing roles of women meaning they no longer have to be financially dependent on men.
• Modern education

  -Children are now more influenced by other institutions such as the media rather than families.
• Parsons (functionalist) Two functions


  Primary socialisation- the idea that we are taught a shared set of norms and values that we absorb and accept which structures our personality (value consensus).

  Stabilisation of adult personalities- relieves stress of modern day living and allows you to go to work the next day feeling refreshed (warm bath theory- family acts as a safe haven).
• Parsons (functionalist) Functional fit theory


  -He says the nuclear family has evolved historically to fit todays social structure and economy.

  -Pre-industrial and post-industrial society.
• Parsons (functionalist) Pre- industrial society


  -Extended family

  -Ascribed status

  -Unit of production

  -Focused on agricultural work such as farming, fishing and cotton picking.

  -Dependent on local resources and the maximum humans can provide.
• Parsons (functionalist) Post-industrial society 


  -Nuclear family

  -Achieved status

  -Unit of consumption

  -Technological advancements help it to fit modern day needs.
• Parsons (functionalist) Geographically mobile workforce


  -Ability to move up and down the country for jobs.

  -Industries can pop up anywhere at any time.

  -Nuclear families are easier to move as they are smaller and more compact , better fitting to modern day needs.
• Parsons (functionalist) Socially mobile workforce


  -The ability to move up and down the social strata.

  -Ability to move up the hierarchal ladder by achieved status.
• Who is Charles Murray?

  New right theorist closely linked to traditional right wing ideology.

  -Neo-liberalist
• What is the New right?


  -Belief in traditional morality and are anti-change.

  -Belief that the capitalist system is the best way of running society (every man for themselves).

  -Minimal government interference, no belief in the welfare state or NHS.
• Murray (new right) Underclass


  -He argues that people have become over dependent on the state as they are lazy and have no desire to work.

  -The welfare state creates a dependency culture within society as benefits act as a perverse incentive.
• The nuclear family under attack

  -Women are encouraged to abandon their responsibilities for paid work.

  -Marriage has been undermined by divorce being made more accessible and cheaper.

  -Too many families are becoming dependent on the welfare state.
• The cycle of deprivation

  -The idea that the poor breed the poor.

  -The welfare state creates a poverty trap in which people become dependent upon state benefits.

  -Born into poverty->Deprived childhood->Poor results in education->No qualifications->Low paid job->Passed onto children.
• Murray (new right) Critical family types

  Lone parent- children lack a role model, typically male as 90% of lone parent families are female headed.

  Same sex- lack of role model, typically male but in case of absent mother no one to fulfil nurturing role.

  Cohabiting couple- increased chance of male leaving as no security, increase in babies born out of wedlock.
• Marx perspective (conflict theory)


  -Able to seek the negative in and are critical of all other theories.

  Key concepts- capitalism, bourgeoisie and proletariat.

  -Wanted a communist society.
• Engles (marxist) Inheritance of wealth


  -He argued that the monogamous nuclear family only began to rise in popularity due to the industrial revolution as it was encouraged in order to protect any wealth or property accumulated.

  -This would ensure that their fortunes would be inherited by direct descendants.
• Zaretsky (marxist) Ideological functions

  -He argues that a shared set of norms and values that advocate the view that the capitalist system is organised in a fair and just way are taught within primary socialisation.

  -Obedience

  -Respecting authority figures

  -Punctuality

  -These create docile and obedient workers, further feeding into the bourgeoisies wealth.
• Zaretsky (marxist) Cult of private life

  Direct criticism of Parsons Stabilisation of adult personalities.

  -He argues that the family is sinister as it’s real purpose is to help workers tolerate their treatment within the workplace as they obtain authority within their private domain and feel like the ‘king of the castle’, while being exploited at work.
• Zaretsky (marxist) Unit of consumption 


  -He argues that the family is the main component of capitalism as consumerism creates their wealth.

  -The idea of ‘keeping up with the Jones’’ where families are in constant competition for the latest goods.

  -‘Pester power’ is where adverts promoting goods are targeted at kids.

  -Consumerism and materialism act as distractions from the organisation of the capitalist system.
• Evaluation of Zaretsky (marxist)

  -Some working class parents resist the ruling class ideology and teach their children the norms and values that are the product of working class culture and empower their children with knowledge of capitalist exploitation.
• Feminist perspective

  -They believe everything in society is made to benefit men in some way.

  -Women suffer great inequality.

  -Belief that the nuclear family is the tool of female oppression.
• Liberal feminist perspective

  March of progress view- we are on the way to gender equality.

  -Desire equal rights for both men and women.
• Marxist feminist perspective 


  -The idea that society is patriarchal and capitalist.

  -Economic inequality between genders is beneficial towards both men and the bourgeoisie.
• Radical feminist perspective 


  -They believe in the idea of political lesbianism and the abolishment of all men.

  -Belief that men are the root cause of the problem and that they use physical and financial power to dominate and control women, as men are biologically stronger than women.
• Oakley (feminist) Canalisation and manipulation 


  Canalisation- giving children gender specific goods reinforcing stereotypes and expectations (pink and dolls for girls, blue and superheros for boys).

  Manipulation- use of gender specific language (pretty girl and strong boy).
• Somerville (feminist) March of progress view

  Evaluation of Oakley.

  -She believes that the nuclear family is no longer the same patriarchal institution it was back in the day.

  -Introduction of government policies that have benefitted women have caused changes in both men and women’s behaviour.

  -Equal pay act

  -Sex discrimination act

  -Divorce reform act
• Sue Sharpe (feminist) ’Like a girl’ study


  -Studied a group of school girls in the 70’s

  -At this point in time they wanted love, marriage and a family.

  -When Sharpe went back to interview them again 20 years later she had found a change in the girls aspirations.

  -Their views had shifted and they now strived towards gaining an education , getting qualifications and finding paid work.
• Benston (marxist feminist) Reproduction of the labour force


  There are three reasons the nuclear family benefits the upper class and oppresses women.

  -Women produce the next labour force- unpaid domestic labour.

  -Women’s unpaid housework.

  -Women's tolerance of their husband’s frustration towards work.
• Benston (marxist feminist) Women are a reserve army of labour

  -Women are made into low paid and low skilled workers to benefit capitalism.

  -They can act as a backup labour force in times of economic boom.
• Ansley (marxist feminist) Women are takers of shit


  -She says that women are left to soak up their husbands frustration when they come home from work due to their exploitation and lack of authority within the workplace.

  -They make up for this by directing their built up anger onto their wives.