Feminist appear to be very critical of Willmott and Young feel functionalist perspectives on the family are flawed. Ann Oakley argues despite the research results of Willmott and Young equality had not yet arrived in relationships between men and women and the idea of egalitarian relationships only met the demands of the presumed society at the time. In addition to this Oakley goes on to dispute functionalist sociology as there to meet the values of male dominated society “malestream sociology” labelling it as an idealised picture which covers up the inequalities of relationships and fails to highlight the domestic violence and double burden women are force upon.
The structure of the nuclear has also been subject to criticism; an ideology of women being are reserve army of labour has been developed by sociologist Breugel. The domestic labour completed in the home by women is free and this duly reduces the demands of working class men while adding profits to the male race. Marxists similarly developed the idea of warm bath theory implying the family is there to produce comfort for the men and help relieve the stress of work and act as a deterrent to men asking for better wages and continues the exploitation by the upper class.
Radical Feminists however contradict this argument suggesting the influential structural divide in society is led and supported by patriarchy. Ideologies of familism and familialism are singled out as by sociologists Barrett and Maclntosh as the main constructors of this divide. Demands of the family have overshadowed women throughout post-industrial society and as still evident in today’s society were women often will suffer with domestic and economic duties.
Liberal Feminist contrastingly refuse to accept the concept highlighted out by radical feminists due to lack of consideration in the deterministic change of the gender quake and its emergence in the 20th century. The post-industrial economic opportunities that came with the gender quake meant female labour was required in service sectors and a change of attitudes towards female contribution in the family. Educational success, changing legislations and greater fertility control methods mean women achieved greater equality in society and ultimately in the family as bread winners to an extent. However women are still at large considered to be more valuable as housewives than breadwinners.
Functionalist predictions of symmetrical families emerging as dominant family type has failed to live to expectations in addition to this developments of gender quake indicates even strong patriarchy fail to prevail nevertheless family roles have failed to change and women are still tasked with a double burden despite out performing men in educational achievements. Distinctly though all this change in society has produced more family diversity than ever before as highlighted by Gershuny where the nuclear family is thought of as under threat from being over looked.
The picture of family is now more complex than ever and increase in males as primary carers perhaps highlights attitudes of family being taken out the shell and replaced by new ideas. Encouragingly women are being granted the proper treatment by working institutions during motherhood with paternity leaves being freely given and new provisions for legislations under parliament scrutiny the future only holds prospects of more equality for women undergoing motherhood in working institutions.
Having weighed up the different sociological views on functional views on the family I’ve come to the judgement that functionalist contributions to our understanding of family are incomplete and fail to paint an accurate picture to mirror modern society although their perception still reflects the traditional view on family other factors which have developed later on mean we must question whether Willmott and Young research only fulfilled demands of patriarchal society at the time rather than reflect family life as a whole post gender quake.
by
denis_k7 (student)
