Family Functionalism & Nuclear Family

Theories of the Family: Functionalism

• Functionalism is a macro, structural theory stating society shapes individuals' behavior.
• It is a consensus theory, arguing society is based on value consensus.
• Institutions, such as family and education, are interrelated and interdependent.
• Effective family socialization ensures children know how to behave and achieve, contributing positively to the economy.
• The family performs positive functions benefiting individuals and society, preparing children to integrate into adult society.
• For society to run efficiently, the family must perform its functions.

Traditional Nuclear Family Ideal

• This two-generation family includes two parents and their dependent children.
• The adults in the family need to be heterosexual; a man and a woman.
• Marriage of the parents provides greater stability for children and makes them less likely to split
• The husband has the instrumental role as the breadwinner, the wife has the expressive role as the housewife.
• The traditional gender roles are natural and complementary.

Murdock's Four Essential Functions

• Provides teaching of children about sex only within marriage between a man and a woman, sexual satisfaction is only applicable when married
• For reproduction, there is the giving birth to the next generation to ensure the continuation of society
• Primary socialization involves the teaching of children the shared norms and values of society
• For economic stability, one part of the family is responsible for providing food and shelter to family members.

Evaluation of Functionalism

• Murdock is criticized for claiming the traditional nuclear family is the only effective structure, ignoring family diversity.
• Murdock's view is outdated and irrelevant to understanding 21st-century families and households.
• Single-parent families and same-sex couples can and do perform the four functions he outlined.
• Parsons argues the nuclear family performs two essential functions: primary socialization of children and stabilization of adult personalities.
• In primary socialization, the family teaches children society's shared norms e.g, eating with a knife and fork and values e.g, respect and being polite.

Evaluation of Parsons' Function of primary socialization of Children

• Child poverty is an ignored element and it is assumed all children become effectively socialized in society.
• There are over 4 million living in poverty in the UK which may have negative impacts of relationships in families.
• Mothers living in poverty cannot easily read or play with children.

Parsons Theory of Stabilization of Adult Personalities (SOAP)

• Through the family, tensions can be released through relaxing, and refreshing, this would then cause a more successful work turnover.
• He calls this the warm bath theory, as adults return to feel relaxed, a similar feeling when taking a bubble bath.
• Marital partners emotionally provide each other and parenting enables them to ‘childish side’ of their personalities e.g, playing games.
• SOAP ensure workers are happy and satisfied to work to the best of their ability, to help the economy running.

Evaluation of SAP

• There are negative aspects of home life that Parsons ignores. Violence and conflict occurs in the home, in the UK two women are reported murdered
• During the Coronavirus, lockdown stresses on couples arose and caused worries of money, and the loss of it which further contributed to the rise of domestic violence.

Parsons' Adult Roles

• Instrumental role involves being a breadwinner, male, provides money for the family
• Making financial decision and controlling family finances are aspects of this role.
• Expressive roles involves being a housewife who acts as caregiver, and making relatives happy.
• Other aspects involve doing the housework, comforting children and ensuring they are happy.

Evaluation Point surrounding Adult roles

• Biological differences still influence family roles and many women perform the most domestic work if both partners work.
• Attitudes are however changing, as some women dont work in the home and instead men become house husbands.
• The roles of same sex couples are ignored who do not base it off of their differences.
• Couples base adult roles around their feelings and flexibility.
• Instrumental and expressive roles are not based off of biological factors but the decisions couples make.

Parsons' Functional Fit Theory

• Family role changes depend on the society itself.
• If society's economy differs then family needs to act/differ accordingly
• Industrialization shows a family adapts to wider economic changes.

Pre-Industrial vs Industrial families

• Family member took care of each other e.g, providing needs such as health and welfare.
• Families were units of production, meaning they worked together and would stay to all work on a farm, no one would leave.
• There was geographic and social immobility.
• Status was ascribed at birth.
• Healthcare and education were given by the family and there was no formal education systems.

Industrial Society characteristics: Isolated nuclear families

• Families are now becoming consumers and buy products e.g, tv and services e.g, tutors.
• Loss of family functions occurred because of structural differentiation, meaning family roles were taken over.
• Healthcare is now from the NHS and education was from schools.
• Mobility moves for work reasons was common.
• Achieved status gains importance as work changes.

Evaluation of Industrial Society

• Extended families happened in industry as opposed to isolated nuclear families that are commonly thought.
• Extended families were common in industrial towns like Preston, Anderson found in his studies.
• Free childcare and emotional support were played through help from grandparents.

The New Right Perspective

• It is a Conservative perspective.
• The new right, like functionalist’s, argue for their being one ‘normal’ family type- the traditional nuclear family.
• Aggressive functionalists are what conservatives are known, and introduce state policies force the living of traditional nuclear families.
• Benefit payments are cut which affects young parents (unmarried)
• Men should perform instrumental and women performance expressive role.
• Bringing up children to become responsible adults is best done through this type.
• Breaking down society and family is due to women liberating from the housewife role and engaging themselves into work.
• Mothers should care for the child full time, and women have a natural motherhood quality that encourages them to.

Contemporary Example: TradWife

• Sharing new right beliefs and values is what the movement consists of
• Tradwife is a women choosing herself to be submissive in marriage compared to the husband.
• Public and business careers are turned down to tend for raising children and families.
• "The woman’s place is in the home"

Criticisms of other family values from New Right

• Any family structures go against tradition, such as same sex families are deemed unsuitable.
• No effective socialization is available due to male and female roles not being present.
• Single parent families are not seen as traditional and lack father discipline (majority of women are single parents)
• Lack of mail discipline occurs in parents which causes moral problems.
• More likely to turn to crime, schools won’t work, and parents will underachieve.

Murray's View

• Welfare benefits lead to laziness and culture of dependence.
• Benefits and handouts are an aim of people to live of as opposed to bettering themselves.
• A growing underclass exists who is okay and has not intent to better themselves.
• Socialization is not properly taught and a turn to crime is what happens.
• Own lives must be taken in hand, instead of relying on handouts and the state.
• Parent families that are single are harmful and results are the generosity of the welfare system.
• Irresponsible behaviour is rewarded this encourages.
• Breakdown of society is solved through welfare cuts ending abuse of the system.
• Dependency is decreased causing people to be more responsible.

Evaluation of welfare state

• Claiming views are oppressive and women oppress women by gaining less equality.
• Dark sides of housewives have negative impacts of not giving the best attempts and views as they go on to attempt gaining equal lives.
• No benefits to single parenthood: Separation, divorce has caused austerity and budget cuts.
• Very little payout causes the thought of pregnancy incentives because welfare benfits are expected to be dropped.
• The role of ‘absent fathers’ have not been assessed properly and studies show it means being actively involved in childrens lives and well being.
• Poor families get targeted from the stigmatizion and neglect is targeted at middle families who spend time negligibly.

Marxism

• Controlled by the capitalist with a split of two unequal social classes (the ruling and working)
• Capitalism thrives from private property and conflict is at each section.
• Accepting and valuing capitalism runs through socialization in family members.
• For example, buying for goods and birthdays makes the ruling class have profit.
• The ruling class gets inequality sustained through giving birth and having workers socialize on things such as meritocracy.

Altusser's View on Ideology

• Althussers view consisted of working class needed to submit themselves due capitalism to other members.
• Ideological state apparatus gives controlling power of how people think. (family, media, education)
• Ideas and beliefs benefiting capitalism and ruling class occurs.
• Economy and the system is supporter with family members socializing to accept capitalism.
• Capitalist economies are convinced as fair and unchallenged systems .
• Power relationships become known about through family at young ages, therefore prepares these individuals for in the workplace with their boss.
• Capitalist economy can be managed through what is supported.
• The lack of awareness as to capitalists exploiting is maintained by members of the society who are brainwashed through their work.

Evaluation

• Agrees on having powers over them- children in particular for certain views, for example child liberationists agrees.
• Age patriarchy gets children used to someone being in change.
• All lives can be prepped for work through these roles.
• Dependency on adults rather than parents make children’s lives dependent on work.

Private Property and wealth: the views of Engels

• A link with wealth and property is connected through the family.
• Passing property is done through giving passing-to heir’s means.
• Relationship can be found with one person in a monogamy this way.
• Who the father is of someone is paternity.
• Patrilineality occurs through giving the son property who inherited later life.
• This prevents wealth distribution.

Family Structure View

• Role was child production for women according to Engels.
• Giving birth to inheriting sons is something women do, with an exchange of living, food, and clothing for the wives.
• Capitalism replaced society, and women can achieve freedom when patriarchal control is free.

Evaluation of Engels Views

• Women are exploited and Marxism feminists would agree. “The slaves of wage slaves“ care for other workers, provide childcare and clean the house, in which they control women.
• No athority is held to women unlike men.

The Views of Zaretsky

• The things you but to keep up eith the jones is when families bring about profit for the ruling class
• Valuation of consumerism is something that happens when you grow up.
• People want more to life.
• Consumerism happens at birthdays when kids expect Christmas.
• Children use “pester power” and nag parents through needing falsities because of advertising.
• The ruling class is the only one selling products.

Evaluation of Zaretsky

• Identities are reflected with products we use through reflection.
• Passivley accepting buying isnt a product of capitalists.
• Postmodernists have issues stating.

Dependency in the Home

• Belief lies in the family and that it is a haven to work out and have a relaxing and unwinding time.
• Buffer zone in the family offers away from harsh exploitation workers experince at work.
• Away from capitalisms is where people feel.

Idealogical View

• Not a haven for a view
• Families exploit daughters , mothers and wives.
• labor of love that is no cost to class.

Functionalism in the Home

• Wives perform tasks in the home, this means mens return, that the ruling class does everything for them.
• Unpaid domestic labour causes all of this.

Evaluation

• Agrees to that of parson in function
• Release all tensions in bubble bath like manner.
• It’s a warm bath that parsons labels and Zaretsky argues that is a negative place but parsons argues is the opposite.

Feminism

• Inequalities exist with men over women being above.
• Movement in societal changes and laws is the aim of feminists.
• Sexism developed and there are a lot of other ways of viewing feminisim.
• Patriarchal role is present still and reinforces male dominance.
• Women have a dual burden and face a unequal status.
• Power and control are with the men and final say on everything and in how its used.

Views of Marxists

• Capitalism and patriarchy double oppress women, in which marxists agree
• "Wage slave" views are when women earn wives by men the ruling class.
• Female tasks create a happy home and childcare.
• They help capitalist by their work.

What ansley mentions to wives

• Wives take out the frustation of their anger over the workplace on their husbands.
• When husbands show anger the wives release from the ruling bosses.
• Wife takes her husbands anger but still keeps supporting.

Evaluation

• Now are dual earning and both can be exploited, they aren’t home.
• Role reversals occur making non women earners and perhaps targets .
• Feminists seek to gain true equality for the need as they will stop at nothing.
• Changes need done drastically to the government.

Radical views

• Women should make more money and make sure genders are placed equally.
• Dobash argued about wives having more power when earning more
• authority and power exist.

Position of Women

• Women have equality created through laws and attitudes, according to march for progress views.
• Somerville claims choices have increased and dual earning has improved equality.
• Paternity rights are something women are entitled to.
• Women have flexibility.

Evaluation

• Not always successful introducing reforms.
• Mothers take time from caring.
• Employment is less in progression after longer times away from caring.

Different feminists

• Recognizing that women experience in different ways requires the types of it.
• Class and more women can gain and change as a result.
• Mirza examines this and the family.
• Positive ways are stereotypes and the black single mums.

Analyzing

• Social factors need to be considered from these feminist views - ethnicity , gender, class.
• All have a massive impact on what each part focuses on as gender.

Interpretivism – Personal Life Perspective

• This perspective is critical, focusing on what traditional feminism, marxism does.
• How people create family, it helps highlight.
• Take bottom up approach and argue individuals shape society through micro theory.
• Relations ships may end with meaning due to the importance they had in it.
• Based off of family that are not blood, or marriage that are complex, and those friends may be meaningful to pets.

Friends Importance

• Not a given but chosen and challenges can be families.
• Kind are fictional- a female calling auntie without it coming from being relatable.
• Bond can be chosen unlike family who are born into a certain situation.
• Circle helps show what they can and cannot see and have access to.

Pets

• Seen as family members, we bring closer togetherness between some members. They also divide like allergies and separation makes some relationships difficult to watch.

Evaluation

• Helps to develop a sense of family with what bloodline and marriage entails as certain adoptions become known.
• Too broad of a concept.
• Relations on blood mean little.

Postmodernity

• Fragmentation becomes present.
• Norms and morals do exist, but the rapidly changing nature is still present.
• There is much family diversity for each type of arrangements that happens in society.
• Tradition is abandoned and a search for personal fulfillment is present.

Relationship View

• Follow more what they need as individuality becomes a focal point.
• Relationships will continue until they are not loved in a confluent manner.
• Find people searching and what the one will do.
• Individuals have higher chances and freedoms, but lower connections and relationships.

Negotiated family

• The family has freedom around gender roles being unclear, giving better needs that equal men’s
• They enter arrangements at equal levels. Needs is not made as easy because it's easier to lose family.
• Higher diversity comes as a result through people having more.

CHOICE

• They are leading up towards family.
• Democratic ties that are more.
• They develop choice and traditional sex roles are not part of that.
• Negotiate their needs in person and all needs need serve.
• Kind are the ones that get more attention out of it for needs.

Postmodem Family: Stacy

• Free from the oppressions of those in the family.
• Valley in San Fransisco is where she looked.
• Educated and went back after improving job prospects.
• Made new arrangements for structure.
• The divorce from one group becomes the same thing because of how this is connected by divorce.
• Usually connected are former family members such as a member who does something else.

Evaluation

• They dont propose empirical evidence.
• All those factors aren’t free all life becomes involved.
• Perspective can cause structural forces.
• Web relationships can be made.

Functions Lost

• the family has lost most of its functions such as; economic purposes, education, healthcare, and welfare

Functions not lost

• according to some sociologist, the functions of family have increased, and those from systems such as education and health have helped instead of replaced

Marxism roles

• some of what a marxist would call functional over things like capitalism is really apart.
• Those what the young turn into are then indoctrinated because they question the system.
• Protect and pass down.
• Buy good in family and capitalist has caused.
• Feminisms pass down ideology.

Has Childhood Imrpoved

• Today’s society provides protections unlike ever which lead to positive results.
• Laws come in from the introduction it brings .

Evaluation of Laws

• Dominance is the only thing they control and adult ones cause social control.

Family

• Laws provide support to make sure kids have love is what comes from safeguarding that.
• Abuse it is what the other does and that they can still be unsafe unlike what a safeguard believes.

Other Rights

• Children are now protected for them to speak and express, to that of the new convention.
• Have right and opinions matters.

What can effect that: The evaluations

• Not live in poverty.
• Bad health problems and stresses causes this problem to be bad.

Childrens views

• Marketing and products can make that that causes.
• That then helps those families have time.

Evaluation on views

• Benefits are there and products help this
• Capitalism has to make families pay to that.

No: has the experience of childhood improved.

• Conflcit states with that they don't what those experinence to have.
• That false view is there over what is improved in reality

Control View: that of child-labor, what it entails

• Restriction is a reason why problems.
• It’s domination from what it may be over which what they can get and that the laws provide a control.
• They cant what those that say be like that because it isn’t equal to some.

3. Gender roles, domestic labour and power relationships in the contemporary family: Gender roles

• In the past, gender roles were traditional. There were segregated conjugal roles – the roles of men and women were separate.
• Men were breadwinners, controlling the family finances and making all of the big decisions.
• While women were housewives, responsible for cooking, cleaning, food shopping etc.
• There has been more equality in the domestic division of labor.

Gender roles

• Gender roles are more equal as couples share housework and childcare responsibilities.
• Joint conjugal roles are common the roles of sharing men and women.
• It is suggested democratic relationships have occurred (based on equality) as couples take the other's views into consideration when making decisions.
• Couples often share the same friends and leisure activities.
• Alternative gender roles have become more common. For example, there has been an increase in role-reversal families where the woman is the breadwinner, and the man is a househusband.

Reasons for greater equality:

• Women are independent by getting their own money.
• Paid work gives women more power in the family, as they are bringing money into the household.
• Women in paid work do less housework and are more likely to share household tasks with their male partners. Social values are changing – men are now accepting a bigger share of the housework.

Domestic division of labour

• It refers to how household tasks are divided between family members.
• In the UK with gender differences, clear ones remain, although men do more task nowadays as ever before.
• In comparison with feminism, some suggest their stays has unequal.

Increase

• There is increase in work family by men.
• It leads to commitment so that families tend to work around the houses more with those who want.
• Democracy helps that to lead to more car.

Changes in laws

• Women are being accepted for full treatments as the stereotype is getting challenged.
• Stand up for their work it’s getting easier for work loads and the women to sleep.

Social Attitudes

• House husbands will be more expected to become, as this alternative has become more acceptable.
• Equal treatment should occur over relationships.

Domestic division of labor

• It refers to household activities through family members.
• However with the clear ender those differences.
• Men are going out with clear differences.
• Women clean and make the house.
• Feminine ironing is common and reinforces.

What does Symmertrical show

• Gender has equalized and that of families have gone through modern society’s changes.
• They equally share washing and cooking along doing laundry.
• Consequnetly, they work.

Evaluation

• It means of a task evidence with only one is to happen a week.
• Women are never around a female’s time as that happens.
• Its work for women isn’t true.

house work- commercialized

• fridge can cleaner, microwaves ect. this means more time can be found for other things.
• Easier means of production are happening and housework quickener.
• Less time needs doing work for how this has been made better.

Evaluation of Commericial View

• Class changes and poverty leads to stress and limits cleaning.
• Less for cleaners.

childcare

• Men have been taking active role is an area that women haven’t. They help their wives, especially new men have brought a fair share.
• All have assisted.

Evaluation point of Child Care

• No it’s not equal.
• Moms spend most time with things like cleaning and laundry.

Relations

• One or more couples can and the domestic problems lead to more problems.
• Women face dual burden with a imbalance between the tasks at stake.

Evaluation that might come from:

• Wives will never argue over as it creates and brings to be more than before.

Emotion Work: Another view

• It’s there to make each other happy such that that to feel some emotion work should be shared if you know whats love.

Power Relations

• More control is found is relations with those the finances are and what’s big in decisions.

Point in finances to those related : control of power

• Pooling with when couples share money from work has been made.
• Each spend there own through finances.

Evaluating: Pool

• All it means is something different from reality that equalized something new.
• Many women soul decision through there work and know who leads more.

Decision making

• Democracy equals more of the best making sure who the better person is within the partnership.
• Work does it get said right.
• Work needs that it is about and be good with couples

Relationships

• Wives want a home so power does with make the woman the better person on having those relations
• What’s the evaluation say over this?
• Man stay what is more dominate always.
• Easy comes to how a home should always live since what they see as always for so long has existed.

Violence

• Week it comes from which every and men does what they can to put there view into place.

What those an evaluate from this

• What that view is correct needs all those ways to know more as in ways of how lockdown effects family.

Domestic Actions

• Woman are targeted it does seem according too what that show to come all true for what gets to be.
• Hard to be protected as this comes and what is real you don’t know that what happens to that.
• Up till now that was still up for many to debate.
• The crime that gets to be has so much to the point.
• Many can see it not being correct over that what it was.