SOCIOLOGY
families + households
, FUNCTIONALIST MARXIST FEMINIST
George Murdock: Louis Althusser: Liberal feminists:
Universal nuclear family ISA - ensures obedience and conformity amongst Liberal feminists focus on striving for legal equality
4 functions: sexual, economic, reproduction, the working class between the scars. The family has long been a clear
socialisation Parents socialise their children into acceptable source of inequality liberal feminists argue that
alternative family types: behaviors that is created by the ruling class, most of those battles for legal equality have been
The Nayar - The Kibbuts - The Communes - Same This is policed through institutions such as: won, however there is clearly still inequality
sex families - Foster - Lone parent families education, police etc between the sexes.
Talcott Parsons: Engles: Radical feminists:
1 - Secondary socialisation The family has evolved due to the private ownership Radical feminists not believe that changing the law
2 - Stabilisation of adult personalities ‘Sexual of property. will ever be enough, on its own, to and the
division of labour’ The need for heirs to pass down property is needed
oppression and subjugation of women. They argue
to control the development of monogamous
that men will always oppress women and the family
relationship
is a vehicle for that oppression
Patrilineal inheritance - In order to ensure a child's
father, monogamous relationships are formed to
protect claims on their property
Pre-industrial society - Classic extended family Zaretsky: Marxist feminists:
In an industrial society - Privatised nuclear family An interesting variation on Parsons' warm bath Marxist feminists argue that families help to
theory, Zaretsky argued that family life gave preserve both capitalism and patriarchy, and that
proletarian men something they could control and a
the two work hand in hand. They point out that the
space where they could be the "boss. You can
tolerate the powerlessness and frustration of being capitalist system gets the benefit of unpaid female
exploited at work because they could take out their work as their workforce (and the next generation)
stress and frustrations. are fed, looked after and kept happy to ensure they
keep working hard and making profits for the
bosses.
Criticisms: Criticisms: Criticisms:
- Out of date - Assumes the passive acceptance of capitalism - Women do not have the same role in all families
- Downplay conflict - Ignores positive aspects of the family - Greater equality in contemporary society
- Ignores exploitation of women - Little evidence the ‘promiscuous horde’ existed - Some may prefer fulfilment of the traditional roles
before inheritance and monogamy - Too negative about the role of the family
families + households
, FUNCTIONALIST MARXIST FEMINIST
George Murdock: Louis Althusser: Liberal feminists:
Universal nuclear family ISA - ensures obedience and conformity amongst Liberal feminists focus on striving for legal equality
4 functions: sexual, economic, reproduction, the working class between the scars. The family has long been a clear
socialisation Parents socialise their children into acceptable source of inequality liberal feminists argue that
alternative family types: behaviors that is created by the ruling class, most of those battles for legal equality have been
The Nayar - The Kibbuts - The Communes - Same This is policed through institutions such as: won, however there is clearly still inequality
sex families - Foster - Lone parent families education, police etc between the sexes.
Talcott Parsons: Engles: Radical feminists:
1 - Secondary socialisation The family has evolved due to the private ownership Radical feminists not believe that changing the law
2 - Stabilisation of adult personalities ‘Sexual of property. will ever be enough, on its own, to and the
division of labour’ The need for heirs to pass down property is needed
oppression and subjugation of women. They argue
to control the development of monogamous
that men will always oppress women and the family
relationship
is a vehicle for that oppression
Patrilineal inheritance - In order to ensure a child's
father, monogamous relationships are formed to
protect claims on their property
Pre-industrial society - Classic extended family Zaretsky: Marxist feminists:
In an industrial society - Privatised nuclear family An interesting variation on Parsons' warm bath Marxist feminists argue that families help to
theory, Zaretsky argued that family life gave preserve both capitalism and patriarchy, and that
proletarian men something they could control and a
the two work hand in hand. They point out that the
space where they could be the "boss. You can
tolerate the powerlessness and frustration of being capitalist system gets the benefit of unpaid female
exploited at work because they could take out their work as their workforce (and the next generation)
stress and frustrations. are fed, looked after and kept happy to ensure they
keep working hard and making profits for the
bosses.
Criticisms: Criticisms: Criticisms:
- Out of date - Assumes the passive acceptance of capitalism - Women do not have the same role in all families
- Downplay conflict - Ignores positive aspects of the family - Greater equality in contemporary society
- Ignores exploitation of women - Little evidence the ‘promiscuous horde’ existed - Some may prefer fulfilment of the traditional roles
before inheritance and monogamy - Too negative about the role of the family
