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summary sheets of full topics helpful for key information/ theories/ theorists needed for the top marks
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Functionalism: Feminism: changes in family patterns:
Murdock: 4 functions of the family- Liberal feminism: marriage, divorce, cohabitation:
The nuclear family is universal and best suited for Positive view → inequalities can be first marriages are declining, and more people are
society’s needs. fixed within current system + remarried.
Sexual- stable satisfaction of sex with the same improvements have been made. decline in marriage → less tradition / dependency.
partner gender socialisation: divorce is increasing as its easier to have one →
Economic- provides economic needs for members children learn expected behaviour → women are more financially stable.
(food/ shelter) justifies and reproduces gender division. there are more civil marriage and less church
Socialisation/ education- norms and values (primary women are seen as more caring. marriages.
socialisation) legal barriers: marital breakdown + divorce:
Reproduction- produce next generation. discrimination is built into the law→ alternatives to divorce:
Ao3- rose tinted perspective on the family. women are paid less + discrimination is legal separation- court separates financial + legal
Parsons: Functional fit perspective- the workplace making women more affairs but remain married.
Family structure changes shape due to the needs of dependent on men. empty shell marriages- staying together in name only
society. improvements: → no longer in love + often will end in separation.
Pre-industrial society- extended family was dominate Sharpe: changes I socialisation- desertion- leaning one another but still being legally
(farm work) priorities have changed → more focused married.
Modern society- nuclear family dominates on employment than family. divorce has become easier, so these are less popular.
(geographical/ social mobility) changes in the law: divorce:
Structural differentiation- family loses their functions more opportunities + better protection legal ending of a marriage→ peaked in 1993.
(education + healthcare) they are now taken over by of women 65% of divorces come from women.
other specialist institutions. Ao3 (liberal feminist) causes of divorce:
Stabilisation of adult personalities (warm bath) difference- changes aren’t occurring for changes in law:
couples provide balance to stress and strains of life all women → there are still major issues 1949: legal aid act- provided financial help to those
(emotional support) in the family for women (DV) going through a divorce (removed in 2013)
Primary socialisation-norms and values doesn’t assess root cause of inequality. 1969: divorce reform act- ‘irretrievable breakdown of
Ao3(overall)- family doesn’t serve the interest of Marxist feminist: marriage’ → no longer need someone guilty to have a
everyone (Marx- ruling class) (fem- patriarchy) patriarchy stems from capitalism. divorce.
Outdated Benston: reserve army of labour- 1984: marital + family proceedings act- only need to
women fill low paid temporary jobs → be married a year to divorce
Marxism: hired and fired when needed. 2014: same sex marriage- became legalised + had the
Engles: Inheritance of property- women socialise children into capitalist same divorce rights
The nuclear family came about to serve ideology- changes in attitudes + secularisation:
economic base. next generation wage saves. in the past divorce was stigmatised → church didn’t
Primitive communism + promiscuous unpaid domestic labour: agree with it.
horde- in the past we lived in a free housework → ruling class profits Mitchell+ goody: social approval- society has become
communist society where there were no Ansley: takers of shit- more accepting of divorce → more couples now use
restrictions/ expectations on sexual women are safety vales for men’s this as a solution.
relationships. frustration from the workplace. secularisation- less than half of marriages are
Emergence of nuclear family- people explains capitalism + DV. religious.
started to have more than the minimum Ao3- fails to recognise improvements. increased financial dependence of women-
(forces of production) men took control radical feminists: women can now seek a divorce more easily because-
of production + the nuclear family highly critical of society + family→ men women now are in an economic position to have a
ensured effect transmission of are the enemy. divorce- women today do more paid work (67% in
inheritance / private property. Delphy + Leonard: domestic + care 2013)
Zaretsky: Functions for capitalism- work better laws- equal pay + sex discrimination act
Ideological conditioning of children- women still for both providing more aspirations + success in education
norms and values benefit the ruling emotional and sexual wellbeing → men more welfare benefits available.
class. do not perform this for women + men feminists: women do paid work + domestic work →
Psychological outlet- family benefits make all the financial decisions. this is creating more conflict for divorce.
ruling class → women take the stress on exploit their wives even if they love Hochschild: women feel valued at work + not at
men, so they perform better at work, them. home→ creates conflict.
this helps economic base. Dobash + Dobash: male domination- radical feminists: women are now dis-satisfied with
Economic function- family= unit of this cam extends to domestic violence. marriage.
consumption 1 in 8 women suffer→ this reinforces changing expectation or marriage + family
Capitalism exploits workers by selling male power. ‘Ideology of romantic love’ puts high expectation on
goods for more then what they pay the Purdy: women’s disadvantages due to love.
workers (profit) → the family consumes childcare- Allan + crow: when marriage doesn’t live up to
the goods (Pesta power) creates limits for women in their expectation women file divorce.
Ao3 (overall)- they assume the nuclear opportunity in employment →glass functionalists: couples no longer expect empty shell
family is dominant in society. ceiling. marriage → divorce and remarry.
Functionalist- ignore positive functions/ she suggests a baby strike to resolve marriage isn’t being rejected however has higher
feminism- ignores patriarchal benefits + this. expectations.
inequalities. Geer: political lesbianism- loss of function of family:
personal life perspective all heterosexual relationships are Dennis: family loses its functions and couples only
(interactionalism/ modernity): oppressive→ sleeping with the enemy. stay together for love.
sociology of personal life- difference feminism: isolated nuclear family:
a bottom-up approach → family is women’s experiences cannot be creates more tension = more divorce
defined though our actions and what generalised →this is essentialism- demographic changes:
we define it to be. reducing a women’s experience. longer people live the more time there is for a
blood beyond marriage- class, race sexuality all plays a part in the divorce.
family isn’t just black+ white → family is oppression experienced. postmodernism:
defined by whys members do for us. Ao3- all women still run a rick of the beck + Giddens: pure relationship→ less stable when
this draws attention to intimate same factors E.g. low pay or domestic stratification isn’t met→ more divorce.
relationships that may not be violence.
considered family→ e.g. friends/ fictive
kin/ gay or lesbian (chosen family)/
dead relatives/ pets.
although this doesn’t ignore the
improve of blood + relationships
Norquist + smart: donor children-
some parents though social
relationships were more important than
genetics.
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