Warm Bath Theory Quiz and Flashcards for Sociology of Family

Study Notes

Sociological Theories of the Family

Wilmott and Young's symmetrical nuclear family: characterized by rising wages, welfare, smaller families, increased geographical mobility, and extended kinship, with increased entertainment within the home.
Beck and Beck-Gernsheim's individualization: increased opportunities lead to more choices in life, affecting family structures.

Postmodernism and the Family

Lyotard's incredulity towards metanarratives: a rejection of universal theories and grand narratives, instead focusing on diverse, individual experiences.

Diversity and Change in Family Structures

Stacey's diverse, fluid, and unresolved families: families vary in structure, changing over time, with no set structure.
Allan and Crow's separation of sex, marriage, and parenthood: rising divorce rates, decreased marriage rates, increase in step families, cohabitation, and single households.

Cultural and Ethnic Variations

Bhatti's Asian families: emphasis on family loyalty.

Neo-Conventional Family

Chester's neo-conventional family: a modern, flexible, and adaptive family structure.

Emotional Work and Dual Burden

Duncombe and Marsden's triple shift: emotional work, dual burden, and the impact of paid work on family life.

Functions of the Family

Murdock's 4 functions of the family: sexual, economic, educational, and reproductive.

Marxist and Feminist Perspectives

Engles' controlling women's sexuality: paternity of children, ensuring belongings passed down the bloodline.
Zaretsky's family as a prop to the capitalist system: housewives' unpaid labor, family consumption of commodities, and the bourgeoisie's profit.

Family Diversity and Cultural Context

Rapaport and Rapoport's family diversity: influenced by cultural, class, organizational, and life cycle factors.

Childhood and Socialization

Aries' childhood as a social construct: children died earlier, no chronological age gap between children and adults, children sent to work early.

Functionalism and the Family

Parsons' warm bath theory: stabilization of adult personalities, primary socialization, and changes in family structure.

Marxist Theory and the Family

Poulantzas' superstructure: the family as part of the ideological state apparatus, maintaining the capitalist system.

Description

This quiz covers various sociological theories on the concept of family, including Wilmott and Young's symmetrical nuclear family, Beck and Beck-Gernsheim's individualization, Lyotard's incredulity towards metanarratives, and Stacey's diverse fluid family structures.