Assess the contribution of feminist sociologists to an understanding of family roles and relationships

Item 2B Feminists take a critical view of the family. They argue that family life maintains and promotes gender inequality. For example, this is reflected in the domestic division of labour. Housework and childcare in the family, which are carried out mainly by women, are unpaid and hardly recognised as work at all. However, some sociologists suggest that feminist theories ignore the extent of family diversity. In fact, family roles and relationships are varied and therefore women’s experiences of family life are more diverse than some feminists suggest. Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the contribution of feminist sociologists to an understanding of family roles and relationships. (24 marks) Different feminists have different views on family roles and relationships. Radical feminists believe that families maintain the oppression of women in a patriarchal and male dominated society. Germaine Greer (2000) argues that even in marriages today women are still subservient to their husbands. She has the belief that single women are happier than married women; this is reflected on by the high divorce rates instigated by women. Greer also claims wives are more likely to suffer physical and emotional abuse than husbands, and daughters are more frequently victims of abuse from other male members of the family. Radical feminism has been criticized for

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Assess the influence of social policies on the family.

Assess the influence of social policies on the family (24 Mark) Different social policies have influences on the family in different ways, one social policy is maternity and paternity leave, currently women get 26 weeks maternity leave where as men get 2 weeks paternity leave. This shows an unequal balance between men and women, this then portrays the idea that women should be at home looking after the children for longer and the men should be out working. This policy reinforces the ideology of the patriarchal nuclear family, it puts forward that men are the head of the family, they should be out working while the women take on the child care. Feminists disagree with the difference as this puts men and women on an unequal level, feminists belive that they should all be equal so by giving women a larger time to be at home looking after the children influences the family. A lot of families receive child benefits, it has been seen by the government that for poorer families it is an incentive to have more children as the more they have the more money they are given. The conservative government have put a cap on child benefits at £26.000 as they are trying to limit the number of children in poorer families, murray saw the trend of children in poorer families and how much money they receive and in order to reduce children in poverty they cap it so families cannot claim on

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Assess the view that women being in paid work leads to greater equality in the domestic division of labour

Assess the view that women being in paid work leads to greater equality in the domestic division of labour – Daniel Oluwadare 11H The term ‘equality’ in the domestic division of labour (how the housework, childcare and paid work is divided within a relationship), and whether it occurs when women are in paid work, depends on your perspective sociologically. For feminists and most functionalist sociologists, this type of ‘equality’ is defined as conjugal roles (the sharing of tasks such as housework and childcare by couples, as defined by Elizabeth Bott (1957)) being identical. For few other (structural) sociologists like Talcott Parsons (1955), this means having segregated conjugal roles, but doing work that leads to an equal outcome. Seeing as the view is very similar to that of a feminist/functionalist sociologist, this view will be assessed from their standpoint. Functionalist sociologists like Young and Willmott (1973) have a “March of Progress” approach towards identical conjugal roles. In a study they carried out in Bethnal Green, they found that men were now helping out with housework and childcare, while women were working more. There is likely to be a link between women working and men doing more household labour. In addition, the women’s work may be part-time or full-time, and that may have an impact on exactly how great the equality is. Feminists

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Using material from Item 2b and elsewhere, assess the views that the nuclear family is no longer the norm

Using material from Item 2b and elsewhere, assess the views that the nuclear family is no longer the norm The nuclear family consists of two generations living together, all related by blood or law. Oakley calls this the conventional family, because he believes it is universal and works effectively as part of a community. Leach calls this the ‘cereal packet family’ which is advertised to us as the perfect family, where everyone is valued. Despite this one structure of family being seen as the norm since the 70s, society today appears to moving towards a more diverse variety of family structures. On the other hand, about 20% of households in the UK still fit this structure, it may no longer be the majority but many people still value it as the norm in society. It is also the most desirable family structure. This view is supported by both the Functionalists and New Right. Parsons, a functionalist, believed that the expressive female and instrumental male roles in the family work as a team. This sexual division in the family present the woman as the child-rearer and the man as the breadwinner. This can be positive in the way that it provides an effective team that keeps the household secure, and in that the parents of the family only have to take on one respective role. Parsons also thinks that gender-role socialisation is important, this is an aspect of socialisation

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Using material from item A and elsewhere, assess the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of families and households

Examining the Functions of the Family . Explain what is meant by consensus? Consensus is an agreement among a majority of members of society that something is good and worthwhile, it’s a set of shared norms and values, into which society socialises it’s members . Identify the two essential functions that Parsons sees the nuclear family as performing? Using material from item A and elsewhere, assess the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of families and households? Functionalists believe that society is based on a value consensus; this is a set of shared norms and values into which society socialises its members. This enables society to work harmoniously and meet its needs and goals. Functionalists view society as being made up of a number of sub-systems that are dependent upon each other. These can include the education system, media, religion, and the economy. Just as the human body is dependent upon each of the functions in order to survive, society is dependent on each of the sub-systems. The family meets some of society’s essential needs by socialising children. This is regarded as a basic building block of society. Murdock argues that the family performs four essential functions to meet the needs of society and its members. These include; stable satisfaction of the sex drive, reproduction of the next generation, socialisation of the young

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere assess the view that gender roles and relationships have become more equal in modern family life. 24marks

Q10 Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the view that gender roles and relationships have become more equal in modern family life. (24 marks) Today we have a number of sociological views and approaches, which have agreed changes have taken place in gender roles and relationships within families to make them more equal. However many others sociologist criticise the nature of those changes. Some argue there has been a greater equality within modern family life and others say it is simply exaggerated. In my essay I going to assess these views through domestic labour, paid work, decision making and domestic violence in couples and try to conclude to what extent gender roles and relationships have in reality, become more equal in modern family life. Functionalists sociologist Talcott Parsons in 1955, had viewed a biological division of labour roles within the family, which benefit family at most from this and most of society as well. Secondary Parsons saw the gender roles as expressive and instrumental, which mean that gender roles were unequal so the husband have to play the instrumental role in the family of being the ‘breadwinner’ by providing financial stability to theirs family and the wife who had to follow the expressive role by looking out for the emotional welfare of the family, socialising the children and being housewife. Parsons also argued that

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Outline and evaluate the Marxist view of the family

Outline and evaluate the Marxist view of the family Marxism looks at the methods of control of the ruling class (bourgeoisie) in determining the way society is organized. The family is seen as part of the structure of society and is one of a number of social institutions which help maintain the capitalist system. Marxists state that it is the requirements of this system that has come to shape the family in modern societies. From a Marxist perspective, society revolves around the infrastructure and social superstructure. The superstructure maintains the infrastructure whilst the infrastructure shapes the superstructure. The family helps to maintain this system. Friedrich Engels' 1884 study provides a basis for the Marxist view of the family. Engels aimed to trace its origin through time, and found that changes to the structure of the family were strongly linked to the evolution of the capitalist system. He also explored the concept of monogamy and argued that the monogamous nuclear family developed with the emergence of private ownership of the 'means of production'. Engels stated that this system is maintained by the socialisation of capitalist social norms and values. Marxists do not see this as benefiting the family at all, only the system, and therefore this helps support their theory that the family exists as a largely negative institution. Zaretsky (1979) looked at

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Examine the ways in which government policies and laws may affect the nature and extent of family diversity

Examine the ways in which government policies and laws may affect the nature and extent of family diversity Social policy refers to the actions of government agencies, like the welfare system. They are usually based on laws that provide the framework within which these agencies operate. Most policies affect families in one way or another, as some are aimed directly at families, while others aren’t but still have an effect on them. There have been many social policies introduced, such as the Soviet government’s attempt to destroy the pre-revolutionary patriarchal family structure by making divorce and abortion easy to obtain, allowing women to enter paid employment and providing workplace and communal nurseries. This meant that women would not have to carry out Parson’s idea of an expressive role. Instead, women were seen as more equal to men and they were liberated in the sense that they weren’t just there to produce children and look after the home. They also had the opportunity to leave the marriage much more easily, creating more single-parent families. This succeeded in destabilising the patriarchal family. However, after Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 the Soviet Union had to change their policy. Divorce laws were tightened, abortion was made illegal and parents were encouraged to have more children. As an incentive, they were rewarded with bigger family

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Assess the functionalist contribution to our understanding of the family.

Denis Kirya Assess the functionalist contribution to our understanding of the family? Functionalist ideology employs the idea of the nuclear family being the main universal family in society and most benefitting. The nuclear family functions to meet the pro dominant means of society (sexual reproduction, educational and economic functions). The family allows each member of the family to shine individually and enjoy success from this although feminists would argue about women gaining any benefits from the nuclear family. Functionalist Charles Murray also argues other family institutions weaken the production of society’s needs. Divorce is ultimately highlighted as one of the main causes of this creation of new families which are presumably less effective in meeting the functional needs of society through the family. Sociologists Young and Wilmott research in the 2nd half of the 20th century indicated nuclear family as the dominant family type in Britain at the time. Functionalist viewed the institution as a symmetrical family in reference to the equal relationship between husbands and wives in private. In contrast the decline in family institutions has led to much debate which has prompted the idea of family no longer meeting the needs of the state or family becoming less private due to various legislations allowing other institutions into marital affairs. The New Right

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Outline and evaluate the view that the nuclear family is the ideal family form. [33 marks]

Ayan.H Outline and evaluate the view that the nuclear family is the ideal family form. [33 marks] Murdock, a functionalist, undoubtedly argues that the nuclear family is universal and that it is the ideal family form; due to it being able to meet the four essential needs of society: Reproduction, sexual, education and economic, and the fact that the nuclear family is adapted to modern society. Murdock defines the nuclear family as a family that consists of two heterosexual married couples, with their dependent children. Murdock argues that without these essential functions (or consensuses), society cannot operate. He specifically believes that the nuclear family can indisputably assist with these essentials, and that no other family type can do so. Nevertheless, Murdock has been heavily criticised for ignoring family diversity, as it common approach in our contemporary society. Other sociologists would conclude that other family types (other than the nuclear family); can perform the consensuses required for society. In fact, studies show that less than 40% of the population live in a nuclear family. In addition, referring back to Murdock’s definition of the nuclear family, family types such as gay families do not conform to his definition, because they do not contain adults of both sexes. Nonetheless, they may have dependent children from a previous heterosexual

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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