aqa a level sociology family and households key sociologists and studies.
each topic in the aqa spec is covered: theories, couples, childhood, demogaphy, changing family patterns, family diversity and social policy.
16 pages showing each key sociologist per topic and explaining their concepts i...
Murdock The family has 4 functions
functionalist
- Economic
- Sexual
- Reproductive
- Educational (socialisation)
The family is universal, and the nuclear family is the most beneficial family type.
Parsons Family has two irreducible functions
functionalist
- Primary socialisation
- Stabilisation of adults personalities
Warm bath theory
● The family acts as a comfort, giving its members emotional support. When a man came home from a hard
day at work, he could relax into his family like a warm bath and it would take away the stress and refresh him
for the next day's work.
Functional fit theory
● The family will fit the needs of society in which it is found.
E.g the move from the extended family to the nuclear family after the industrial revolution
Instrumental role- paid work (men)
Expressive role- emotional work, care at home (women)
Young & Willmott Argued that the preindustrial family was nuclear not extended.
march of progress
The nuclear family emerged in the 1900s rather than the industrial revolution (parsons) as a result of social changes
such as higher living standards and changing norms. The extended family didn’t disappear; it's simply more
prominent in certain cultures and societies.
- The hardships of the preindustrial family gave birth to a rise of mum centred families that focused on ties
between mothers & their married daughters who depended on each other for emotional and physical
wellbeing. It's more practical to keep ties.
,Laslett Study in 1972
Found families were almost always nuclear, therefore the idea there was a previous extended family (parsons) is
incorrect.
The idea of an extended family was rare as due to late childbearring and low life expectancy grandparents were
unlikely to be alive after childbirth.
Anderson Study in 1980
The exchange theory - maintaining family ties had more benefits that greatly outweigh the cost. At the time death,
sickness and poverty was prominent so people took all the help they could get from family,
Engels 3 main functions of the family
marxist
1. Inheritance of property - as family evolves property is passed down. In a classless society “primitive
communism” can be practised.
2. Ideological functions- children learn that hierarchy, inequality and exploitation is inevitable. Social
reproduction.
3. Unit of consumption- capitalism exploits the labour of its workers, advertisers/media creates the idea of
“pester power” and conscious consumption.
Zaretsky Institutions maintain class inequality and capitalism.
marxist
The family offers a “haven” that is apart from the harsh world of capitalism. However this creates a sense of false
class consciousness, that distracts the exploited into accepting their fate.
This links to (parsons) warm bath theory.
Criticisms of marxist view
- Functionalists argue marxists ignore the benefits of the family
- They assume it's the nuclear family.
- Feminists would argue they ignore how capitalism favours men.
Ansley Women absorb the anger that would otherwise be directed at capitalism. Ansley argues women's male partners are
Marxist feminist
inevitably frustrated by the exploitation they experience at work and women are the victims of this, including domestic
violence
- “Women are the takers of mens shit”
, - Women are a cheap reserve army of labour
- Women take on the triple shift and are seen solely for reproducing a new workforce.
Dobash and dobash Used unstructured interviews to understand domestic violence
- Underdog sociology
They used qualitative research to get niche understanding of specific situations using empathetic understanding
(verstehen)
COUPLES
Bott Domestic division of labour
Segregated conjugal roles- separate roles (often gendered), and separate leisure time.
Joint conjugal roles- couples have an equal division of labour and share talks, childcare and leisure time.
Young & Willmott Symmetrical family
march of progress
- The family is becoming more democratic and equal, and now the family is symmetrical as there is an equal
division of labour among couples
This is due to things such as the changes of position of women, new technology (labour saving devices) and
geographical/social mobility.
Parsons Instrumental role- paid work (men)
functionalist
Expressive role- emotional work, care at home (women)
Parsons argued that this division of labour is “natural and based on biological differences”. There is a clear division of
labour that is needed to fit society.
Oakley Sociology of housework
feminist
- The nuclear family is “archaic” and now family is more diverse
- Young & Willmott's findings were exaggerated as only 15% of men have participated in housework and 25%
had a high level of childcare.
Betty Freidan- the feminine mystique influenced mainstream feminism.
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