Outline the key explanations of family violence.

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Outline the key explanations of family violence.

Introduction

This essay attempts to outline the key explanations for family violence. It will look at explanations for domestic violence in heterosexual and homosexual relationships, the abuse of children, sibling rivalry and the abuse of older people. I believe these are the main forms of violence existing in families in Britain today. The essay will also look at the definitions of the family, which more often than not tend to promote the family as a positive institution not just in Britain but also across most societies worldwide. However, for the purpose of this essay the discussions that will take place will remain focused within British society.

It is assumed that every individual within society has had some form of experience of living within a family. However, every individuals experience will be different from the one before and the one after. Muncie et al (2000) argues that the family has and remains one of the most private institutions of British culture. It can be viewed as a welfare system in its own right. Providing its members with financial, material and emotional support. It could effectively be said that the family is universal. Murdock cited in Haralambos & Holborn (1991) studied over 250 societies and found that some form of family existed in all 250 societies. This led Murdock to conclude that the family was ‘universal’ and defined the family as follows:

“The family is a social group that is characterised by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and one or more children, own or adopted of the sexually cohabiting adults”

Haralambos & Holborn (1991) pg.454

However, despite Murdock’s findings there have been many critics of his work. Rapoport & Rapoport cited in Haralambos & Holborn (1991) argues that because of fundamental changes taking place in society, Murdock’s definition of the family is not as valid as it may appear. One of these changes is the increasing lone parent family now existing more than ever in British society, giving argument to Murdock’s apparent universal family consisting of two adults of both sexes. However, it has to be acknowledged that although lone parent families are apparent it is often a temporary state, many lone parents go on to find another partner and often return to living in form of the nuclear family. However, Bernardes (1997) argues that while the idea of the nuclear family is apparent in that it is possible we all experience it at sometime or another, experiences are not similar because families in Britain are so diverse.

Diversity of the family

Bernardes (1997) argues that diversity of the family exists by way of social class, gender and ethnicity; this is evident in Britain as in many other societies. Rapoport & Rapoport cited in Bernardes (1997) identified five types of diversity within the family. 1, Organisational diversity in families – diverse patterns of domestic labour within the home or who goes out to work. 2, cultural diversity’s in families – all families will have different sets of behaviours, beliefs and practices because of culture, ethnicity, political and religious beliefs. 3, social class diversity in families – there will be marked differences in the availability of materials and social resources available to each family. 4, cohort diversity in families – what some families experience i.e. war may not be experienced by the next family. 5, family life course diversity – life changes with the events in the course of life may not be the same for all for example; most women will often form a relationship with a man and have children but this is not true for all women. Bernardes (1997) argues that because there is so much diversity that exists in British culture it is impossible that all families will experience all such forms of diversity, which makes each family unique. However the family is not always a positive experience as we shall discuss in the next section of the ‘dark side, of the family.

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The dark side of the family

Conflict within in families to a degree is inevitable. Marital conflict and conflict between parents and children is common and most families will engage in hostile conflict at some point or another. Frude (1991) argues it has been researched and concluded that conflict within families to an extent is healthy. However when these conflicting confrontations become violent then this is when the conflict can become damaging to individual members. This is often known within the sociological arena as the dark side of the family. Frude (1991)

Giddens (1992) argues that violence ...

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