Paper 2 Families and Households

• Functionalism = Parsons (family functions) - 1951


  Expressive role (women) - warmth, emotional support

  Instrumental role (men) - Financial support

  Warm bath theory = women destress men'

  Structurally isolated' due to geographical mobility, higher social mobility, wealth and welfare state, meritocracy, economic and status diff, stronger bonds between partners
• Functionalism = Murdock (family functions)


  4 functions : Economic (man provides, women domestic), sex regulation (regulate urges), education (socialisation), reproduction (Reproduce children)
• Marxism = Engels (family structure)


  Monogamous nuclear family necessary to pass on wealth and property to heirs.
• Feminists = Sommerville

  Radical feminists fail to deal with patriarchal structures
• Feminists = Greer

  Generalisations not backed up by evidence.
• Feminists = David Morgan


  Generalisations not backed up by evidence.
• Post Modernist = Lyotard (1984) and Baudrillard (2001)


  Society is rapidly changing and full of uncertainties
• Post Modernism = David Morgan


  'Pointless' to talk about family as it is constantly changing, you can't generalise.
• Individualism = Hart - 1976


  Divorce = reaction to frustration of working women
• Individualism = Giddens


  'Pure relationship' - relationships based on choice and equality
• Individualism = Stacey


  Greater freedom of choice benefit women
• Individualism = Levin - 2004

  Life course is compulsory Strong social norms mean there is a 'proper way to live
• Individualism = Allan and Crow - 2001


  There was a standard life course up to the 1960s
• Individualism = Sue Sharpe


  Conducted interviews with young girls in 70s and 90s

  70s = Family+marry

  90s = Career
• Individualism = Lewis - 2001


  No such thing as typical family
• Individualism = Giddens and Beck


  Traditional social structures lost influence over decisions. Been freed from traditional roles and structures

  More family diversity, choices based on meanings.

  Due to contraception and feminism
• Individualism = Smart - 2007

  Individualisation exaggerates extent of family decline, personal lives and family ties involve strong bonds
• Individualism = Chambers - 2012


  Not all aspects of tradition have declined, still cereal packet family.
• New Right = Murray - 1989


  Welfare state and dependency created underclass, undermines personal responsibility and lone women have children they can't afford.
• New Right = Murray and Marsland - 1989


  More lone parents = Dependency culture

  'Yob' culture, benefit fraud, drug abuse
• Ethnicity = Mackie charles - 2008


  Extended family is all but extinct
• Ethnicity = Wilmott- 1998


  'Dispersed extended family' meaning that relatives are geographically separated, but maintain contact
• Ethnicity = Chamberlain - 1999


  Caribbean families have 'multiple nuclear families'.
• Ethnicity = Mirza - 1997

  Black families - Matriarchal families due to more independence
• Ethnicity = Reynolds - 2010


  Black families - Stats are misleading as many 'lone parents' are in stable relationships - not cohabiting
• Ethnicity = Ballard - 1982


  Extended family provided important support among Asian migrants in 1950-60
• Ethnicity = Berthoud

  Mixed marriages are widely accepted among Caribbeans
• Same sex = Allen and Crow

  Same sex households are commonplace
• Same sex = Week et al - 1999

  Same sex couples see households as 'chosen families'

  Negotiate tasks
• Young and Wilmott - 1973


  Family life gradually improving, more democratic
• Finch and Mason - 1993

  Over 90% had given and received financial help and 1/2 cared for a sick relative. More females than males
• Cheal - 2002

  'Systematic set of rules' exists for deciding who has the greatest obligation to assist. Spouse, daughter, daughter in law then son.
• Bott - 1957

  Segregated conjugal roles (separated roles) and joint conjugal roles (shared roles)
• Gershuny and Laurie - 2000

  By 1995, 70% of couples said they had an equal say in decisions, but there was a significant trend that women who were high earning were more likely to have a say
• Kan et al - 2011

  Men's contribution to housework is masculine + non-routine
• Elston - 1980

  Even when working women are expected to take major responsibility for housework, look after ill children and childcare arrangements.
• Harkness - 2005

  Found that working mothers with children put twice as many hours into housework as their partners
• Ann oakley - 1974


  Young + Wilmott are unconvincing, 72% of men claimed to help with housework, could mean 1 a week. No convincing evidence.
• Taylor - Gooby - 2000

  Family isn't symmetrical because he found mothers though they should stay at home + watch kids.
• Edgell - 1980

  Women sole responsibility for decision making only in unimportant things : home decor, clothes, domestic spending.