Sociologists

• Parsons - functionalist

  Family perform 2 vital functions in society:

  primary socialisation

  stabilisation of adult personality
• Parsons - criticisms


  functionalist accounts seen as:

  outdated

  unrealistic

  sexist
• Zaretsky - Marxist

  Family was a unit of production

  nuclear family serves interests of capitalism
• Zaretsky - criticisms

  Marxists ignore family diversity

  feminists argue :

  marxists work with traditional nuclear family

  e.g. Male breadwinner + female housewife
• Delphy and Leonard - radical feminists

  Argue family is patriarchal

  economic exploitation- men benefit from unpaid work of women

  family is based on hierarchy
• Delphy + Leonard - criticisms

  Don’t consider egalitarian families