Family and Household

Household and Family

Sociologists

Theory

Extras/notes

Murdock

Nuclear family.

Common residence, Economic co-operation, Reproduction, Adults of both sexes, two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship , Including one or more (own or adopted) children of these adults, Nuclear family is universal.

Parsons

Functional Fit. The nuclear unit, Parsons argued, fitted the needs of industrial society due to:

Geographic mobility: nuclear family is free to move as the economy demands.

Social mobility: Society more meritocratic and more focus on achieved status rather than ascribed.

Other agencies took care of some of the extended family’s functions.

His functionalist model of family includes a clear division of labour between spouses:

The husband = Instrumental Role:

He is naturally suited to the role of provider. The wife = Expressive Role She is naturally suited to the nurturing role.

Willmott&Young

Symmetrical family. Family is gradually improving for all members. More democratic and equal Moving away from segregated conjugal roles Moving towards joint conjugal roles

4 stages of family. The pre-industrial family. The early industrial family.The symmetrical / privatised nuclear family. The asymmetrical family

Chester

Family diversity is exaggerated and the nuclear family is still the most common family in contemporary society.

Some surface changes have taken place (e.g. cohabitation as opposed to marriage) but these neo-conventional families are still nuclear.

Oakley

Dual burden/triple shift

Flour & Buchanan

As marriage is no longer economically necessary for women fewer choose to marry

Silva

technology connects us more to our families but Gergen says technology has fragmented families more and causes more conflict.

Giddens

Confluent Love. People stay together not out of necessity but on the grounds that both are satisfied. Confluent love (flowing together merging) is shared, meaning the mutual satisfaction of both partners. Joint conjugal relationships are developing, where men and women have equal responsibility for making each other happy.

Familys

Description

Re-constituted

Adult couple bringing children from previous relationships to their new one

Cohabitation

Unmarried couples living together

Bean pole

Long and thin. Few people in each generation

symmetrical

The two adults have identical roles

Single parent

One parent

Same sex

Gay lads

Polygyny

Husband with multiple wives

Polyandry

Wife with multiple Husbands

LAT

Living apart, Together

SBLT

Single But Living Together

Creative single

Single by choice

Murdock

Nuclear family

The family is a social group characterised by:

• Common residence

• Economic co-operation

• Reproduction

• Adults of both sexes, two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship

• Including one or more (own or adopted) children of these adults

Nuclear family is universal.

Functions of Nuclear family:

• reproduction

• Sexual

• Economic needs

• Socialisation / education of children

Parsons

The nuclear family changes to fit the society it is born into, this is seen with the industrial revolution.

Pre-industrialisation

Extended families.

Multi-functional:

Unit of consumption

Unit of production

Each generation tended to stay on the land farmed by the family. Home and work are the same place.

Industrial Society

Nuclear families.

Reduced and specialised functions:

1. Primary socialisation of children

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