48 Questions
According to Neo-functionalism, how does the family act as a bridge between the individual and society?
By providing emotional closeness to develop cooperative behavior.
In Neo-functionalism, why is the family considered the best site for learning behavioral rules?
Rules are more effectively taught when passed on with emotional commitment.
What is one way in which children learn behavioral rules in the family according to Neo-functionalism?
Subconsciously by observing and imitating adults.
What distinguishes Neo-functionalism from Traditional functionalism regarding the role of the family?
Neo-functionalism focuses on specific processes linking individuals to society, while Traditional functionalism saw broader links.
Why do Neo-functionalists argue that emotional closeness in families is key to learning behavioral rules?
It leads to effective teaching and learning of rules due to shared emotional commitment.
According to Horwitz (2005), why are rules passed on in families more likely to be effectively taught and learnt?
Due to the deep, emotional commitment shared by people enforcing the rules.
What was one reason for the development of a broadly extended family structure among the working class during industrialization?
To have more support in caring for sick or unemployed family members
Why did extended families not dominate during the pre-industrial period?
Due to low life expectancy leading to fewer grandparents
What was one contribution of younger siblings in the United Kingdom to the industrial development?
They invested in growing industries
Why were children absorbed into the extended family structure in cases where they were orphaned?
To provide additional labor for the family income
How did the lack of government help for the sick or unemployed influence the development of working-class extended families?
It led to a stronger kinship network for care and survival
What role did kinship networks play in securing jobs for working-class family members during industrialization?
They recommended family members to employers for jobs
According to Anderson (1995), what type of family structures existed in pre-industrial societies due to high death rates among the poor?
'Reconstituted' and 'lone-parent' families
Why did some sociologists question the idea of a 'fit' between the nuclear family and industrialization?
Due to evidence suggesting pre-industrial family structures were mainly nuclear already
Which factor helped industrialization in the United Kingdom by concentrating wealth and allowing investment in industries?
The practice of primogeniture
What did Finch (1989) find when examining family obligations before the Industrial Revolution?
Weak evidence to support greater family support compared to industrial eras
According to Marxism, how does the family play a role in capitalist societies?
Legitimising class inequalities
In what way does Marxism critique the functionalist perspective on the family?
By highlighting the dark side of the family
How do Marxists view the impact of companies on families?
Targeting families to maximize profits
What aspect of family life might Marxists be accused of neglecting according to the text?
Real social and emotional fulfillment some get from family life
How do functionalists and Marxists differ in their views on the family?
Functionalists emphasize positive aspects while Marxists focus on negative aspects
How might parents within families contribute to resisting capitalism?
By socializing children to recognize capitalism's oppressive nature
Socialization is viewed as a two-way process because:
Parents influence children as much as children influence parents.
How does the functionalist approach view children in the process of socialization?
As empty vessels without any influence.
Which of the following is NOT cited as a way in which the family supports a capitalist economic system?
Encouraging competition among family members.
What did Althusser argue about the family's role in economic terms?
Families are essential for maintaining capitalist profits.
According to Zaretsky, what has become a major source of profit due to family influence?
Encouraging consumption through advertising.
In Zaretsky's view, what effect does the privatised nuclear family have on political concerns?
It shifts focus to private matters instead of wider social concerns.
What is a major criticism of the functionalist approach to the family?
It fails to recognize the viability of other types of families.
What is one limitation of the functionalist perspective on the family?
It idealizes a specific family structure and exaggerates its positive aspects.
Which of the following best describes the main concern with the functionalist view on the nuclear family?
It exaggerates the positive aspects while downplaying the negative aspects of this family type.
What aspect of functionalist accounts of the family is criticized for being out of date?
The focus on white middle-class American families.
What is a key drawback in how functionalists view socialization in families according to the text?
They see socialization as a one-way process from children to adults.
What is one negative aspect associated with the functionalist approach to the family dynamics?
Lack of acknowledgment of mental health issues within families.
Why are functionalist accounts of the family criticized for focusing primarily on the nuclear family?
For idealizing only one specific type of family and exaggerating its positive aspects.
What is one significant critique regarding the functionalist approach to decision-making within families?
Encouragement of male dominance in decision-making processes.
Why do critics argue that functionalists fail to present an accurate depiction of family dynamics?
For idealizing the nuclear family and overlooking its negative aspects.
What is a common concern raised about how functionalists perceive the role of extended kin in family support?
Neglecting extended kin's involvement and support in family functions.
Why are extended families said to be common in traditional societies?
Because they can carry out a wide range of functions related to family well-being.
What was the 'fit' thesis proposed by functionalist sociologists like Parsons and Goode?
That family structures changed due to industrialization and urbanization.
Why did nuclear families become dominant with the rise of industrialization?
As they allowed people to move to urban areas for job opportunities.
What was one crucial economic requirement that nuclear families were able to fulfill during industrialization?
Offering geographic mobility and labor flexibility.
How did poor communications impact family members during pre-industrial society?
It prevented family members from moving far from the family home.
What did Talcott Parsons propose about the nuclear family?
That it has two basic and irreducible functions for society.
Why did extended families decline with the spread of industrialization?
Because they did not offer geographic mobility and labor flexibility.
Why did nuclear families fit the economic requirements of industrial society better than extended families?
Because they offered geographic mobility and flexibility for work.
What aspect of pre-industrial society made extended families ideal for subsistence farming?
The need for as many people as possible to work the land.
What role did extended families play in pre-industrial societies according to functionalist sociologists?
They provided a wide range of functions for economic and social well-being.
Study Notes
Neo-Functionalism
- Neo-functionalists, such as Horwitz (2005), focus on the processes involved in linking the individual to society.
- The family serves as a bridge connecting the micro world of the individual to the macro world of wider economic society.
- In the family, children learn how to behave in the wider world through direct instruction and unspoken examples.
- Emotional closeness in the family provides reasons for cooperative behavior, and rule-learning can be taught subconsciously through observation and copying of adult behavior.
The 'Loss of Functions' Debate
- Functionalists argue that the nuclear family is found in all societies, but the exact forms of families depend on the nature of the society.
- In traditional societies, extended families are common because they can carry out a wide range of functions.
- In modern industrial societies, there is less need for extended families because other social institutions have taken over some of those functions, leading to a 'loss of functions.'
- The 'fit' thesis argues that the process of industrialization and urbanization led to changes in families and households.
The 'Fit' Thesis
- The 'fit' thesis was put forward by functionalist sociologists, such as Parsons (1959b) and Goode (1963).
- In pre-industrial society, extended family structures were the norm, and they:
- Were multi-functional, performing a range of functions related to economic and social well-being.
- Were kinship-based, with a common economic position involving working together.
- Were economically productive, providing the only means of physical survival.
- As industrialization and urbanization took hold, nuclear families became the dominant family structure, allowing for geographic mobility and labor flexibility.
Criticisms of the 'Fit' Thesis
- Finch (1989) found little evidence to support the idea that pre-industrial family obligations were stronger and provided greater support for each other.
- Historical studies have shown that there was a wide range of household types in the pre-industrial period, and extended families were not the norm.
- Industrialization and urbanization may have first occurred in parts of Western Europe because pre-industrial family structures were already mainly nuclear rather than extended.
Functionalism and the Family
- Functionalists, such as Parsons, saw the nuclear family as the best kind of family for modern industrial societies because it:
- Provided clear, separate roles for men and women.
- Enabled socialization of children.
- Allowed for family mobility and labor flexibility.
- Functionalists argued that the nuclear family fulfilled functions for both the individual and society.
Criticisms of Functionalism
- Functionalists have been criticized for idealizing the nuclear family and downplaying its negative aspects, such as:
- The blocking of women's aspirations and careers.
- The limitation of men's involvement in expressive and nurturing aspects of family life.
- The dominance of men in decision-making and the abuse of male power.
- The lack of support for family members from wider kin and communities.
- The contribution to mental and other problems.
Marxism and the Family
- Marxists, such as Zaretsky, see the family as supporting a capitalist economic system in three ways:
- Ideological control: families spread ideas favorable to capitalism and the ruling class.
- Economically: families perform a productive role beneficial to capitalism by producing 'future workers' and taking on substantial costs of replacing those who become too old or sick to work.
- Politically: the family acts as a stabilizing force that helps maintain the political order needed for companies to function profitably.
Criticisms of Marxism
- Marxists may be exaggerating the negative aspects of the family and neglecting the real social and emotional fulfillment many people get from family life.
- It is possible that within the family, parents may be able to socialize their children into recognizing the oppressive nature of capitalism and prepare them to resist it.
Explore the role of families in education, healthcare, and leisure activities. Learn about how parents are involved in their children's education, the care role families play in treating illnesses and caring for the elderly, and how families share leisure and recreation.
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