The function of family and households

what is a family?

there is no clear definition as society has changed, family used to be strictly blood-related but now you don't need real ties but instead an individual connection.

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what is a household?

who you live with, regardless of any ties.

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what is the functionalist perspective on family/households?

families should provide care and have a smooth role to play in society just like other institutions

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what are the four functions of the family (explain then) according to functionalists and who suggested this?

Murdock
economic-must finance family, reproduction-produce the next generation, educational-children taught norms and values of society, sexual- ensures adult relationships are stable

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what are two other things families provide (in the updated version) and which sociologist said this?

Parsons
.Primary/secondary socialisation
.Stabilisation of adult personalties- making sure families don't become dysfunctional and conform to social norms

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what is the warm bath theory and who suggested it?

parsons suggested that men need to come home and should be able to soak into the family like a warm bath by relieving all their stresses on to family.

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what are evaluations of this

-conflict theorists think this paints a rosy idealistic picture of family
-do roles preformed by a family benefit society?
-outdated and traditional views
-takers of sh*t theory (below)

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what is the takers of sh*t theory and who suggested it?

Ansley suggested that women are often oppressed by the warm bath theory and that they have to take all of the stress that is being dumped on to them.

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what are the 2 different marxism theories in family and households?

Engles- money stayed in mc families cuz inheritance was only given to those in mc family
Zaretsky- wc using families as a way to feel dominance as they were exploited during work

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Give criticisms of Marxists

-ignores importance of gender inequality
-ignore the benefits it has to families
-Zaretsky theory is outdated

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what are the 3 type of feminists?

marxist feminists- money + women
liberal feminist- legal equality
radical feminists- men + women have to be separate
-outdated as women can now work, etc

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name evaluations of feminism perspective on family and households:

-outdated theories
-too much of a gloomy picture
-post modernist feminism shows you can take initiative rather then choosing family or work

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what is the new right perspective?

new right believe in a. traditional view, similar to functionalist. they have the cereal picketer analogy.

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what sociologist argued for the new right and what did they say?

Murray-says lone headed families is accepted and state pays for families so it increases dependancy culture as ppl are unmotivated ( cuz government gives perverse incentives) so functions of families is decreasing.

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give evaluations of this perspective

-victim blaming those who use welfare state system
-new right just a political position so in there case, its just convenient to cut state funding where they can

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The function of family and households

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