sociological perspectives

• functionalists

  • murdock
  • parsons
• marxists

  • engels
  • zaretsky
  • Althusser
• feminists

  • Ansley
  • Greer
  • Oakley
  • duncombe and marsden
• murdock 


  4 functions of the family

  education

  economic

  sexual

  reproduction
• parsons - warm bath theory 


  idea that when man comes home from work, family must be there to help him de-stress, stabilise adult personality
• parsons

  1. primary socialisation
  2. stabilisation of adult personalities - warm bath theory
  3. functional fit theory
• parsons - primary socialisation


  family teaches children norms and values of society and values associated with the family
• parsons - functional fit theory 


  the functions that the family performs depends on the kind of society it is in

  industrial society - nuclear family - more geographically mobile

  pre-industrial society- extended family
• zaretsky


  family is unit of consumption

  pre-industrial - unit of production

  industrial - unit of consumption

  reinforces need for labour - family benefits capitalism
• engels 


  • inheritance of property
  • monogamy became essential due to ownership or private property
  • men needed legitimate heirs
  • women an instrument for production of children
  • promiscuous horde - before capitalism polygamy more common
  • polygamy -> monogamy
• zaretsky - safe haven - ideological function 


  • family performs ideological function by pretending to provide safe haven from capitalism - similar to parsons warm bath
  • however argues this is just an illusion
  • there is an illusion that the family is a private space, separate from economics and capitalism.
  • Ansley - women takers of shit
• Ansley


  marxist feminist

  women are takers of shit

  women soak up all mens frustrations with capitalism/work
• Greer 


  radical feminist

  argues for political lesbianism - idea that heterosexual relationships are oppressive as involves sleeping with the enemy

  argues for creation of matrilocal families instead
• somerville


  liberal feminist

  women position has improved

  access to divorce, job opportunities, choice to marry