sociologists views on the family

• Functionalist view on the functions of the family


  • Murdock (1949) - Society is based on a value consensus, identifies 4 main functions: Sex drive satisfaction, Reproduction, Socialisation of the young, Economic needs
  • Parsons (1955) - Biological differences, husbands have instrumental role and wives have expressive role, division of labour based on biological differences
  • Young and Wilmott (1962) - Men take more share in domestic tasks and wives are becoming wage earners
• The New Right view on the family


  • Murray (1989) - Children need a male and female role model for correct socialisation, single parent families cost too much in welfare benefits, men should be the breadwinner and women the homemakers, against cohabitation and divorce, believe marriage is the right way
  • Dependency culture, family role is being undermined because the state is making people depend on it: Housing Benefit, Child Benefit, Unemployment
  • Divorce is too easy, single parent families get more benefits, group all single parent families together and criticise them without acknowledging the fact many nuclear families fail to socialise their children properly
  • Feminists argue the NR holds sexist views on women and women are working more since families cannot survive on single male wages, if welfare benefits were cut for single parent families it is the children who would suffer, see the nuclear family as perfect, neglect to see real reasons for poverty
• Marxist view on the family


  • Engels (1884) & Condry (2007): Oppression of poorer families, the nuclear family promotes inheritance, Zaretsky's - Family structure creates demands for goods, 'False Needs'
  • Functions of the Family Help maintain CAPITALISM: Inheritance of property (primogeniture - eldest son), Ideological Function: family socialises members to accept their place, Family is the unit of consumption: advertisements target children 'pester power'
  • Family is controlled and regulated by state institutions and professionals, Marxists assume that the nuclear family is dominant in capitalist society → ignore wide variety, Feminists argue class and capitalism emphasises → gender inequalities are more present
• Liberal Feminist view on the family


  • Sommerville: Gradual Progress, optimistic view on the family, focus on increased equality between men and women and the fact many relationships view the two partners as equal, emergence of the 'new man' who will take on active roles in the household with housework and childcare
• Marxist Feminist view on the family


  • Ansley (1972): Capitalism is the main source of women's oppression, not patriarchy, women serve capitalism in these ways: look after men who work for the bosses, men take out their frustration of work out on wives and children, women give birth to the next generation of workers, women are used as a reserve army of labour
• Radical Feminist view on the family


  • Greer - The Female Eunuch 1970: Men benefit more from family life than women, men do very little compared to women in terms of housework, marriage is a prison, men use violence against women if they don't get their way, support family diversity (gay families & single parent) - disagree that nuclear is the right way, support divorce since it allows women to be free from marriages, ignores other conflict, ignores March Of Progress
• Difference Feminist view on the family


  • Black Feminism: Most white feminists group all women together and forget about ethnic differences, African-Caribbean women are more likely to be single parents than white or Asian women, Asian women may experience more patriarchy in their family compared to white women and have to do more housework and childcare, arranged marriages can be an issue
• Personal Life View on the family


  • Nordquist - Fictive Kin - Chosen families, reject modern theories, increased family diversity, family members are passive and manipulated, family relationships are not just based on blood ties & marriage ties, people now have platonic relationships