THEORIES OF FAMILY
FUNCTIONALISM
MURDOCK - stable satisfaction of the sex drive, reproduction of next gen of workers,
socialisation of the young, meeting its members economic needs.
Eval- Nuclear F no longer universal, Feminists/Marx say ignores oppressive.
PARSONS - A geographically/socially mobile workforce, loss of functions, warm bath,
instrumental/expressive roles
Eval - Willmott and Young - always been NF and now symmetrical. Extended not
disappeared.
Oakley - gender roles socially constructed not biologically.
Eval func - Assumes all families perform essential function, stats show NF is most popular,
ignores conflict/dark side.
NEW RIGHT - MURRAY
Critical of the welfare system, creates a dependency culture and growing underclass.
Easy to abandon families.
Want the NF, reject single parent families - boys raised by single mothers have rise in
criminality and educational failure
Decline in NF threatens societal values.
MARXISM
ENGELS- Maintains the class gap by ensuring wealth stays in families (Mode of production,
primitive communism, promiscuous horde, inheritance of property, child's paternity, a world
historical defeat for women, revolution).
ZARETSKY- IDEOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS - Socialising children into accepting hierarchy
and that inequality is inevitable. Apparent safe haven is an illusion - domestic servitude of
women
ZARETSKY- A UNIT OF CONSUMPTION - Keeping up with the Joneses, pester power,
peer pressure (Happy meal stat).
Eval - Assume NF is dominant– ignore diversity
Feminist- NF serves the interests of men, not capitalism.
Marxists see family as a safety valve. LEACH - Overloaded electrical circuit.
LIBERAL FEMINISM
Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Equal Pay Act 1970.
JENNY SOMMERVILE- Can show men the door because of improved social position.
Feminists fail to acknowledge March of Progress.
Eval - Lack drive to change.
MARXIST FEM
Women reproduce the labour force, women absorb anger (ANSLEY- takers of shit), women
are a reserve army of labour.
Eval- Blame cap not men, Too extreme and ignore progress, Ignore black women.
, RADICAL FEM
Men are the enemy, DWORKIN- Marriage developed from rape as a practise, GREER-
matrilocal households, separatism, political lesbianism.
Eval - Fail to recognise MoP, Separatism won’t work.
DIFFERENCE FEM
Cannot generalise about a woman's experience. Eval - Neglect fact women share the same
experiences.
BLACK FEM
Challenged white centric view, RENI EDDO-LODGE - Black women have been forgotten.
Family can be supportive for double whammy.
OVERALL EVAL - PERSONAL LIFE PERSPECTIVE
Criticise that assume NF is dominant and we are passive puppets.
Beyond ties of blood and marriage.
NORDQVIST AND SMART - Emphasises meanings that individuals give to family meanings
and relationships. Donor conceived, same-sex couples.
Eval - Doesn’t impose traditional sociological definitions of family.
Too broad a view - ignore what is special about blood and marriage.
