Family - all sociologists

• Murdock - functionalism


  functions of family:

  stable satisfaction of the sex drive - 1 partner, prevents social disruption

  reproduction of next generation - without it society would not continue

  socialisation of the young - introduction to society's norms + values

  meeting its members economic needs e.g. food, shelter
• Critique: Murdock - functionalism

  Universalism - argue functions can be performed by non-nuclear family structures as well

  Feminism - see the family as oppressing women and serving the needs of men

  Marxism - argues family meets the needs of capitalism, not the family members or society
• Parsons - functionalism


  'functional fit' - functions + structure of family in society

  nuclear family = dominant/'fit' for industrial society:

  - geographically mobile work force - nuclear family, easier to move for work than extended family

  - socially mobile work force - son achieves higher status + pay than father = tension - when son moves out to start own nuclear family = loss of tension

  modern nuclear family = 2 essential functions:

  - primary socialisation of child = equip with society values

  - stabilisation of adult personalities = relax at home, ready to return to work, functional for economy
• Critique: Parsons - functionalism


  Young + Willmott - argue nuclear family before industrial period, not extended family
• Engles - Marxism


  Private property:

  Monogamy - essential due to private property - men need paternal role to ensure legitimate heirs inherit from them

  calls rise of monogamous nuclear family 'world historical defeat of the female sex' - women's sexuality under male control + instrument for producing children

  overthrowing capitalism = women's liberation + classless society = collective ownership = no need for private property inheritance = no need for patriarchal households
• Criticism: Engles - Marxism

  Functionalists argue meritocracy, not private property being passed down

  Murdock = monogamy = stabilisation of the sex drive not 'world historical defeat of the female sex
• Zaretsky - Marxism


  Unit of consumption + ideological control

  family = unit of consumption = economic function

  family competition through consumption - encouraged to buy latest products to be 'fashionable' - 'Keeping up with the Joneses'

  targeted advertising to children - 'pester-power' - children ask for products from their parents

  ensures families spend money + create profit

  
  

  ideological control - children socialised into idea of hierarchy being inevitable - prepares for capitalist working society
• Critique: Zaretsky - Marxism

  Murdock - family meets economic needs, capitalism = tool to provide for children

  Oakley - targeted advertising reinforces socially constructed gender roles

  
  

  functionalists argue socialisation = social order not ideological control
• Sommerville - feminism

  Liberal feminism:

  don't believe full gender equality has been achieved but argue there has been progress

  studies suggest men are doing more domestic labour

  policies = equalness in relationships e.g. paternity + maternity leave
• Critique: Sommerville - feminism

  Other feminists (Marxist + radical) argue radical changes are needed, not policies

  argue liberal feminism fail to challenge underlying causes of women's oppression
• Greer - feminism


  Radical feminism:

  argue family + marriage = key institution in patriarchal society

  men benefit from women's unpaid domestic labour

  argue to abolish family, need separatism + political lesbianism

  Greer argues for matrilocal households
• Criticism: Greer - feminism

  Somerville argues heterosexual attraction makes separatism unlikely

  liberal feminists argue radical feminists ignore how women's position has improved e.g. better divorce access
• Ansley - feminism

  Marxist feminism:

  main cause of women's oppression = capitalism

  women reproduce labour force -socialising next generation of workers + unpaid domestic labour
• Critique: Ansley - feminism


  There was women's oppression in the family before capitalism

  Parsons - disagrees with 'takers of shit' - stabilisation of adult personalities/warm bath theory
• Ahmed - feminism


  Difference feminism:

  different women = different experiences of family

  e.g.

  white feminists regard family negatively - neglects women's oppression

  Black feminists view family positively - source of support against racism
• Criticism: Ahmed - feminism

  Other feminists argue different feminism ignores women sharing experiences

  - e.g. risk of domestic violence + low pay
• Smart - personal life


  Alternative definitions of family:

  more relationships than traditional family

  - relationships with friends

  - fictive kin (e.g. parent's bestfriend = 'auntie')

  - gay + lesbian chosen family

  - relationships with dead relatives

  - relationships with pets
• Criticism: Smart - personal life

  Too broad of a view

  - ignores what is special about blood/marriage relationships

  New Right - disagree - favour traditional nuclear family
• Norqvist + Smart - personal life


  Donor-concieved children:

  what counts as family when child shares genetic link with stranger and not with partner?

  Importantce of social relationship over genetic

  - mum in terms of time + effort put in

  Difficult feelings for non-genetic parent if they get compared to their child's looks

  Knowing the donor

  - who counts as family? are they uncle? or are they irrelevant?

  Lesbian relationships

  - 2nd/other mother
• One child policy, China - policy


  1966 - Mao introduced birth control propaganda - country had just recovered from famine

  1980-2015 - One child policy - wanted to bring population to a sustainable level
• Problems with One child policy, China

  Sibling less individuals will affect economy - family run businesses, less working force, less initiative young minds

  Rural, older Chinese relatives rely on others for money - creates struggle for children

  Military effected - only children, don't want to leave parents

  Boys>girls - girls adoption, aborted etc - lack of women - almost 50% of 30-39 year old men are not married
• Population growth policy, Romania - policy


  Communist Romanian politics

  Restricts contraception and abortion

  lowered legal age of marriage

  increase in infertility treatment centers

  higher taxes for unmarried and childless
• Problems with Population growth policy, Romania


  Morally wrong - restricts human rights

  People are made to feel less than/in lower class if they are childless or for not wanting children
• UK family policies - policy


  1969 Divorce Act

  - increase in single parent and step-family households

  - undermined traditional nuclear family

  2013 Paternity Act

  - greater equality between men and women

  - undermines traditional gender roles

  2002 Adoption Act

  - increase in same sex parent families

  - undermines traditional nuclear family
• Fletcher - policy, functionalist


  Welfare state:

  argues welfare state supports families + helps perform functions

  e.g.

  - NHS - families can look after its members

  - School system - parents can have free childcare and work to provide
• Critiques: Fletcher - policy, functionalist

  Assumes all family members benefit equally

  Feminists argue policies benefit men more

  Marxists argue policies can reverse progress made e.g. cutting welfare benefits to poor families
• Donzelot - policy, functionalist


  policy = form of state power + control over families

  uses Foucault's concept of surveillance - power diffused through society

  'policing families' - doctors, social workers use their knowledge to control families - turn them into a case to be dealt with
• Critique: Donzelot - policy, functionalist

  Marxists - argue social policies benefit capitalist ruling class, (not the state)

  Feminists - argue social policies benefit men (not the state)
• Murray - policy, New Right

  Welfare state:

  welfare benefits undermine conventional nuclear family and encourage dysfunctional family types

  welfare benefits reward irresponsible behaviour:

  - fathers see state will maintain their children, so they abandon parental responsibilities

  - growth of lone-parent families encouraged by benefits = more boys grow up with lack of paternal authority = rise in crime rate among young males

  welfare state = dependency culture, individuals become dependent on state to support family rather than self-reliance
• Almond - policy, New Right


  Marriage policies:

  Laws make divorce easier - undermine marriage being a life long commitment

  civil partnerships and marriage for same sex couples sends message that state no longer sees heterosexual marriage as superior

  unmarried co-habitants (partners) increased rights (e.g. adoption) begin to make it too similar marriage
• Drew - policy, feminist


  Gender regimes (policies):

  Familistic - policies based on man being bread winner and woman as carer e.g. Greece, lack of childcare funding = families as reliant on women

  Individualistic - policies based on gender equality e.g. equality policies, childcare provision, paternity leave

  Drew argues EU countries are moving towards individualistic gender regimes, however funding is an issue

  - childcare costs money, sometimes state can't afford to make changes e.g. Greece
• Land - policy, feminist


  Patriarchal 'norm' is reflected in policy

  Policy reinforces this 'norm' and restricts other families

  Other families disadvantaged due to not being represented in policy
• Tankard and Paluck - policy, feminist

  Laws shape our perceived norms

  USA - surveyed people repeatedly from March-June 2015

  Findings:

  - after Supreme Court decision legalised gay marriage, increase in people thinking American's will support gay marriage

  - but, nobodies own opinions changed
• Leonard - policy, feminist

  Certain policies - benefit and support women but also reinforce patriarchal expectations

  Maternity leave:

  - prevents women being fired during maternity leave

  - supports women in the workplace

  - reinforces patriarchal expectations of women caring for children
• Harper - demography, birth rates

  Reasons for declining birth rates:

  change in women's positions

  - access to education and more career opportunities

  - more career focused than on children

  Infant mortality decline

  - improved healthcare

  - less likely to have more children as less die
• Phillipson - demography, death rates


  Ageism (aging population):

  Reasons for ageism:

  - live in a society of structured dependency

  - older people are not valued as they don't produce value

  - they are dependent on the rest of the population
• Hunt - demography, death rates, postmodernist


  Socially constructed, ageism (death rates):

  postmodernists argue 'stages of life' are socially constructed

  terms are put on different ages - not related to biology

  countries have different ideas of adulthood - e.g. drinking age UK = 18, USA = 21

  Body = moldable object: anti-aging products, Botox
• Ehrenreich and Hochschild - demography, migration


  Feminisation of migration:

  Care, domestic and sex work in western countries is increasingly done by women from poor countries

  - result of western women and men less willing to perform domestic labour

  global transfer of women's emotional labour

  - migrant nannies provide care for employer's children while their own are in their home country

  migrant women enter western countries as 'mail order' brides

  - reflects gendered and racialised stereotypes
• Eriksen - demography, migration


  Transnational identities:

  globalisation = diverse migration patterns - back and forth movement

  - less likely to see themselves as one culture

  - e.g. Chinses migrants in Rome found Mandarin more useful than Italian due to global connections

  Assimilation:

  - aimed to encourage immigrants to adopty culture of host country

  - due to transnational identities, they are unwilling to let go of home culture

  Multiculturalism:

  - accepts migrants wish to retain cultural identity

  - Eriksen says there is shallow vs deep diversity

  - education policies celebrate shallow - samosas and saris rather than children from migrant backgrounds facing racism
• Pilcher - childhood


  Separateness:

  - defines childhood by separateness

  - when self-sufficient and no longer dependent on parents = end of childhood