Perspectives – Sociologists
1949 Murdock 4 Functions – primary socialisation, teaching
sex/gender roles, reproduction, economic security.
1955 Parsons Functional Fit Theory, 2 types of society, Structural
Differentiation, Warm Bath-Stabilisation of Adult
Personalities, Organic Analogy,
expressive/instrumental roles. Functional
prerequisites. Value consensus.
1967 Leach & Cooper Nuclear family supresses individuality as it teaches
blind obedience.
1972 Laslett Most families are nuclear. Short life expectancy
1972 Fran Ansley (R) Women are ‘takers of shit’ who absorb men’s anger
from alienating work.
1973 Willmott & Young 3 stages of family development – pre-industrial,
early industrial, privatised nuclear.
1980 Anderson Exchange Theory
1982 Edholm Nuclear family not universal. Family is a social unit
shaped by cultural norms, not natural unit.
1990 Charles Murray Underclass created by single mothers. Deviant,
delinquent boys without a father figure. Welfare
states provides handouts which encourage
dependency. Nuclear families should receive help,
only non-detrimental families to society.
1990 Stacey Families are varied and flexible. People can move
from one family structure to another, not stuck.
There will never be one dominant family type.
1996 O’Brien & Jones Less diversity than Stacey said. Most people only
experience 1-2 types.
Engels Inheritance of Private Property
Zaretsky Ideological functions – Cushioning Effect, teaching
capitalist ideology, reproduce labour force.
Althusser Generating profits for the bourgeoisie. Unit of
consumption/pester power/keeping up with
Joneses.
2010 Henderson et al Concept of Surveillance. State keeping an eye on
Foucault you to make sure you conform to social norms. 2011
Netmums survey. Ideological state apparatus.
Germaine Greer (R) Matrilocal households where groups of women live
together.
Delphy & Leonard (L) Men ‘help’ with roles but women are still mainly
responsible.
Sommerville Radical feminists fail to see the improvements made
to women’s experience of the family. Separatism is
unattainable due to heterosexual attraction.
1949 Murdock 4 Functions – primary socialisation, teaching
sex/gender roles, reproduction, economic security.
1955 Parsons Functional Fit Theory, 2 types of society, Structural
Differentiation, Warm Bath-Stabilisation of Adult
Personalities, Organic Analogy,
expressive/instrumental roles. Functional
prerequisites. Value consensus.
1967 Leach & Cooper Nuclear family supresses individuality as it teaches
blind obedience.
1972 Laslett Most families are nuclear. Short life expectancy
1972 Fran Ansley (R) Women are ‘takers of shit’ who absorb men’s anger
from alienating work.
1973 Willmott & Young 3 stages of family development – pre-industrial,
early industrial, privatised nuclear.
1980 Anderson Exchange Theory
1982 Edholm Nuclear family not universal. Family is a social unit
shaped by cultural norms, not natural unit.
1990 Charles Murray Underclass created by single mothers. Deviant,
delinquent boys without a father figure. Welfare
states provides handouts which encourage
dependency. Nuclear families should receive help,
only non-detrimental families to society.
1990 Stacey Families are varied and flexible. People can move
from one family structure to another, not stuck.
There will never be one dominant family type.
1996 O’Brien & Jones Less diversity than Stacey said. Most people only
experience 1-2 types.
Engels Inheritance of Private Property
Zaretsky Ideological functions – Cushioning Effect, teaching
capitalist ideology, reproduce labour force.
Althusser Generating profits for the bourgeoisie. Unit of
consumption/pester power/keeping up with
Joneses.
2010 Henderson et al Concept of Surveillance. State keeping an eye on
Foucault you to make sure you conform to social norms. 2011
Netmums survey. Ideological state apparatus.
Germaine Greer (R) Matrilocal households where groups of women live
together.
Delphy & Leonard (L) Men ‘help’ with roles but women are still mainly
responsible.
Sommerville Radical feminists fail to see the improvements made
to women’s experience of the family. Separatism is
unattainable due to heterosexual attraction.
