Theories of the family SCLY1
Functionalist/Marxist
Functionalist
Murdock (1949)
Argues that the family is universal
institution that performs four
major functions;
4) Education
Primary
socialisation
1) Economic
Breadwinner/
housewife rolese
2) Sexual
Socially approved
relationship
(marriage)
3) Reproductive
Male and
female having
a child
Murdock's
research created
familistic ideology
His research is
dated
All data collected
was secondary
making it
unreliable
Assumes the family is
harmonious and ignores
the conflict and
exploitation
Ignores family diversity and
assumes the nuclear family is the
universal norm
Parsons (1955)
Argued the Nuclear family retains two 'basic and irreducible' functions.
1) Primary socialisation of children
Links to Murdock's
'education' function
2) Stabilisation of adult personalities
Not the same
but similar to
Murdock's 'sexual'
function
Parson disagrees with Murdock and he believes in the loss of funtions
He argues that the economic function
has been replaced by the welfare state
and that the reproductive function has
been replaced by modern reproductive
technologies
"The family performs
positive functions for
individuals and society"
Tend to neglect the meanings
families have for individuals and
how family members interpret
family relationships
Marxist
Engels (1884)
Passing on wealth
Argues that as private property becomes more
important men who controlled it needed to ensure
they could pass it to their own sons and this led
to monogamous marriage
This also meant the women becoming
private property of her husband, who
controlled her sexuality to ensure he was the
father of her children
Zaretsky (1976)
Argues that there is a 'cult of private life'
The belief that we can only gain fulfilment
from family life, and this distracts attention
from exploitation
Ideological functions
Althusser and Poulantzas
The family can be seen as serving the functions of an ideological state apparatus by socialising
both pro-capitalist ideology and its own familiar ideology in order to maintain such family patterns
over time.
"The family provides
important functions
for capitalism"
Tend to neglect the meanings
families have for individuals and how
family members interpert family
relationships
Ignore the benefits that
the family provides such
as intimacy and mutual
support
Underestimate
the importance
of gender
equalities
New right theories; the
family is the
cornerstone of society,
but it is under threat
Political rather than sociological
The new right is a victim blaming theory
However the New Right theory is
closely linked to functionalism