Podcast Beta
Questions and Answers
Functionalists argue that the nuclear family is found in all societies.
True
In modern industrial societies, there is an increased need for extended families due to their ability to carry out various functions.
False
The 'fit' thesis argues that industrialization and urbanization led to changes in families and households.
True
Industrialization and urbanization primarily occurred between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Signup and view all the answers
Extended families were ideal for the demands of family-based subsistence farming.
Signup and view all the answers
Nuclear families provided geographic mobility and labor flexibility which was crucial during the transition to industrial society.
Signup and view all the answers
The main inheritance system in the United Kingdom during industrialisation was ultimogeniture.
Signup and view all the answers
According to Anderson (1995), only reconstituted families existed in pre-industrial societies.
Signup and view all the answers
Extended families were not common during the industrialisation process in Western Europe.
Signup and view all the answers
The lack of government help for the sick or unemployed led working-class families to rely on kinship networks for support.
Signup and view all the answers
Children without parents could not be absorbed into the extended family structure during industrialisation.
Signup and view all the answers
During the industrialisation process, the working class mainly developed a nuclear family structure.
Signup and view all the answers
Families no longer play any role in providing education since it is now handled by schools.
Signup and view all the answers
Middle-class families are not involved in their children's education according to the text.
Signup and view all the answers
Most families have completely lost their role in treating non-critical illnesses.
Signup and view all the answers
Health and social care have been entirely taken over by professionals and families play no role in these areas.
Signup and view all the answers
The 'fit' thesis was put forward by conflict sociologists.
Signup and view all the answers
Extended family structures were common in pre-industrial societies according to functionalist sociologists.
Signup and view all the answers
The extended family provided the only workable means of physical survival in pre-industrial societies.
Signup and view all the answers
Industrialization led to the dominance of nuclear families as the main family structure.
Signup and view all the answers
Nepotism played a significant role in the decline of nuclear families.
Signup and view all the answers
Talcott Parsons believed that the nuclear family was the best kind of family for modern industrial societies.
Signup and view all the answers
Finch (1989) found strong evidence supporting the idea that family obligations were stronger in pre-industrial eras.
Signup and view all the answers
Historical studies have shown that extended families were the norm in pre-industrial societies.
Signup and view all the answers
Parsons believed that the nuclear family fulfilled functions only for society, not for individuals.
Signup and view all the answers
The new industries during industrialization did not demand specific skills and knowledge from workers.
Signup and view all the answers
Functionalists believe that the nuclear family is the only type of family that should be encouraged by governments.
Signup and view all the answers
The functionalist approach to the family is considered outdated and irrelevant to societies outside the USA.
Signup and view all the answers
Functionalists take into account differences in social class and ethnicity when analyzing the family.
Signup and view all the answers
Functionalists only emphasize the positive aspects of the nuclear family and downplay any negative aspects.
Signup and view all the answers
The functionalist approach fails to recognize the existence of other types of families beyond the nuclear family.
Signup and view all the answers
Functionalists see socialization as a two-way process where children influence parents as much as parents influence children.
Signup and view all the answers
In Marxist perspective, families pass on ideologies that are supportive of capitalism and ruling class interests.
Signup and view all the answers
Marxism emphasizes cooperation and agreement between the family and the economy.
Signup and view all the answers
Althusser argued that the family acts as an ideological state apparatus through which children learn values contrary to capitalism.
Signup and view all the answers
Zaretsky suggested that socialization involves transmitting ideologies that challenge the ruling-class status quo.
Signup and view all the answers
Families in capitalist societies primarily produce goods for survival rather than consuming them.
Signup and view all the answers
Eli Zaretsky's book discusses the relationship between the economy and the family from a Marxist perspective.
Signup and view all the answers
Zaretsky argued that the privatised nuclear family encourages members to focus on wider social concerns rather than private problems.
Signup and view all the answers
Marxism views the family as a unit that legitimates class inequalities in capitalist societies.
Signup and view all the answers
Families are targeted as producers rather than consumers by companies seeking to maximize profits.
Signup and view all the answers
According to Zaretsky, the family provides a refuge for all members to escape their frustrations at work.
Signup and view all the answers
The growth of the nuclear family has led to an increase in focusing on private rather than social concerns among family members.
Signup and view all the answers
Functionalists believe that the family plays a crucial role in resisting capitalism and preparing children to challenge it.
Signup and view all the answers
Zaretsky overlooks the negative aspects of the family, such as violence, cruelty, and neglect, according to the text.
Signup and view all the answers
Marxism may overemphasize the negative aspects of the family while neglecting the potential social and emotional fulfillment it can provide.
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
The 'Loss of Functions' Debate
- Functionalists argue that the nuclear family is dominant in modern industrial societies due to the loss of functions, such as education, healthcare, and social care, which are now carried out by other institutions.
- The 'fit' thesis suggests that the processes of industrialisation and urbanisation led to changes in families and households, resulting in a shift from extended families to nuclear families.
Characteristics of Pre-Industrial Families
- Extended families were common in pre-industrial societies, performing a wide range of functions related to economic and social well-being.
- Families were multi-functional, kinship-based, and economically productive.
- The ability to move away from the family group was limited, and elderly, infirm, and sick family members relied on their kin for care.
Changes with Industrialisation and Urbanisation
- With industrialisation and urbanisation, nuclear families became dominant due to the need for geographic mobility and labour flexibility.
- The main inheritance system of primogeniture, where the first-born son inherited all the family wealth, contributed to the growth of industrialisation.
- Average life expectancy was low, reducing the number of vertically extended families.
Criticisms of Functionalism
- Marxist Eli Zaretsky argues that the family has become a place of consumption rather than production and that children are socialised within the family to accept ruling-class ideology.
- Functionalists have been criticised for idealising the nuclear family, ignoring issues such as domestic violence and the limitation of men's involvement in family life.
Key Sociologists
- Talcott Parsons: American sociologist who wrote extensively about families and is known for the idea that the nuclear family has two basic and irreducible functions.
- Eli Zaretsky: American historian and sociologist who discusses the relationship between the economy and the family from a Marxist perspective.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the debate on the 'loss of functions' according to Functionalists, focusing on the evolution of family forms in different societies. Understand the role of extended families in traditional societies versus modern industrial societies.
