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Summary sociology paper 2 exam response plans
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Sociology essay plans – paper 2:EVALUATE:
Explanations of the family
Marxism:
Intro –
The Marxist perspective on the family, as developed by thinkers like
Engels and later Marxists sociologists, views the family as a tool for the
perpetuation of capitalism. This explanation has been both influential and
controversial
P1 – ideological functions:
The Marxist perspective asserts that the family socialises children to
accept hierarchy, and inequality, making them obedient workers who view
the capitalist exploitation as natural and unchangeable. Seen as the
family acts as a unit that transmits capitalist ideology. Marxist Louis
Althusser arguing that the family is an ideological state apparatus that
socialises children to accept hierarchy and inequality as natural and
inevitable. This internalisation of norms makes individuals more compliant
workers under capitalist systems.
Opposingly, functionalist Murdock proposes different essential functions of
the family, these being that of sexual regulation, reproduction,
socialisation, and economic support. Like Marxists, Murdock asserts that
the nuclear family is best suited to performing functions, as shaped by
social institutions. However, this functionalist view is criticised for its
overly harmonious depiction of the family, and for ignoring family
diversity. Marxists counter that these functions primarily serve the needs
of capitalism rather than the individuals within the family.
P2 – family as a refudge:
While Zaretsky’s ‘Haven’ argues that the family provides an illusory haven
from capitalisms exploitation. This is as the family provides an emotional
refuge for workers, offering an illusion of personal fulfilment and stability.
However, this haven is ultimately a façade that that masks the family’s
role in perpetuating capitalist exploitation, as it primary depends on
women’s unpaid domestic labour.
As argued by Marxist feminists, capitalism is the root cause for oppression
of women. Women’s roles in free domestic labour and absorbing male
anger serve to perpetuate both capitalism and patriarchy. The advocate
for a socialist revolution that would abolish both capitalism and the
traditional family structure, which they see as inherently oppressive.
P3 – inheritance of property:
According to Friedrich Engels, the monogamous nuclear family arose with
the advent of private property. Introducing a capitalist society where men
, need to ensure the legitimacy of their heirs to pass down their property.
This shift is entrenched in patriarchal norms, subordinating women to
ensure paternity certainty and maintain property within the male line.
Opposingly, the personal life perspective takes a bottom-up approach,
focusing on the meanings and experiences of individual family members,
rather than overreaching societal structures. This perspective sees the
family as having complex relationships, rather than existing for purpose of
familial inheritance, as seen in the donor-conceived study by Nordqvist
and Smart, which highlights family structures existing beyond biological
ties, emphasising the importance of social bonds and individual meanings.
However, while PLP provides valuable insights into personal relationships,
it is sometimes criticised for being too broad and for underplaying the
significance of traditional familial bonds.
P4 – family as consumers:
The family is also a key economic unit under capitalism, contributing to
the system by being a primary consumer market. This being seen within
mechanisms, such as ‘keeping up with the Joneses,’ media influence, as
well as pester power, families are driven to purchase goods, thereby
sustaining capitalist economies.
The view of the family being a unit of consumption being supported by
Parsons, who argues that as society industrialises, the family loses some
of its traditional functions to other institutions, becoming primarily a unit
of consumption, rather than production.
Feminism:
Intro –
The feminist perspective on the family critically examines how the family,
as an institution, perpetuates gender inequalities. Feminist theories argue
the family is a site of women’s oppression, serving to maintain patriarchal
structures.
P1 – liberal:
Liberal feminists, being those advocating for legal reforms and equal
opportunities, argue that women’s oppression in the family is gradually
being overcome through legislative changes and evolving social attitudes.
The Sex Discrimination act of 1975 is an example of such progress. They
posit that we are moving towards greater equality.
However, Marxists and radical feminists criticise this view for being overly
optimistic and insufficiently radical. Marxists feminists argue that liberal
reforms do not address the underlying capitalist structures that exploit
women’s labour. While, Radical feminists, like Germaine Greer, assert that
patriarchy is deeply entrenched and requires more profound societal
changes, such as the abolition of the nuclear family and the establishment
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