Family Socilogists

Page 1

Delphy and Lenord 1992 - Feminist Perspective

They emphasised the importance that work plays in gender inequalities.

Men gain the most from the exploitation of women's labour, not capitalism.

he family plays a major role in maintaining and reinforcing patriarchy.

Family is an economic system involving a division of labour which exploits women but benefits men.

Women are oppressed s their work is adopted within the family.

For example, women may be employed outside the home but still be expected to do domestic chores when they get home- work is not shared equally with their male partners.

Page 2

Ann Oakley 1982 - Feminist Perspective

Addresses the idea of conventional families - 'nuclear families composed of legally married couples, voluntarily choosing the parenthood of one or more children'

Explores the power of this idea on gender inequalities.

Examines the strains of being conventional and social control.

Research was before civil partnerships and same sex marriage.

However, she notes that conventional family stereotypes are increasingly seen as dated and some groups are looking towards alternative ways of living.

Page 3

Talcott Parsons 1959 - Functionalist

Focused on middle class nuclear families n the USA.

Nuclear families perform 2 basic and irreducible functions - common to society:

Primary Socialisation

Stabilisation of adult personalities

Warm bath analogy - family seen as a place of refuge, created by the mother whereby being part of a family is like stepping into a warm bath.

Argues that father and mother's role in the family are complimentary:

Instrumental role of the father - men are situated to this role as the breadwinner and provider for the family's physical needs.

Expressive role of the mother - women are suited to this role as carer and nurturer, providing for emotional needs.

Cinflict theorists - are critical as it presents an idealised picture of the nuclear family and ignores the dark side of the family.

Page 4

Rapoport and Rapoport 1982

Highlighted 5 different aspects of family diversity:

Organisational - e.g. divisions of domestic labour.

Cultural - Values and beliefs.

Class - e.g. how social class affects resources etc.

Life course - stage in life cycle.

Cohort - period in history.

Their study was before the more open and accepting views of gay and lesbian families.

Page 5

Willmott and Young 1973 - Functionalist

Identified 4 stages of family life:

Stage 1: The pre- industrial family

Stage 2: Early industrial family

Stage 3: The symmetrical / privatised nuclear family

Emerged in the middle class but spread into working classes, reflecting the boring and repetitive nature of paid manual jobs leading to more focus on home life.

Nuclear family at the expense of extended family; home centred and privatised; more time spent with family.

Symmetrical roles - less segregated, more equal - household chores and decisions; not interchangeable but equally important.

Reasons for rise in symmetrical family:

Money - increase in male wages and employment n women; better living standards

Decrease in male morality and unemployment rate

Increased geographic mobility

Less children - enables wives to work. Economic equality between spouses.

Stage 4: The asymmetrical family

Principle of stratified diffusion - what happens at the top of the stratification system today will diffuse down tomorrow.

Studied sample of managing directors' families; these were to become work centred rather than home centred with the wife responsible for domestic work.