SOCIOLOGY– FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS

1. SOCIOLOGY– FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS

2. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Use your mouse to move around the software. You can either click anywhere on the screen to get the next animation or click on a button if you see one on the screen. Always move the mouse before you click it.

3. PSYCHOLOGY – RESEARCH METHODS SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS FAMILY THEORIES INDUSTRIALISATION AND URBANISATION FAMILY ROLES FAMILY PATTERNS FAMILY AND STATE FAMILY DIVERSITY CONCLUSIONS

4. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories Sociologists study the make-up of families and the effects that the family unit has on individuals, on society as a whole and on the economy. There are varying theories about the positive or negative effects of the family unit.

5. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories The family and households are traditionally ever-changing. What was considered ‘necessary’ to be a family a hundred years ago, is very different today.

6. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories What does the term ‘family’ mean? There is no one definition.

7. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories Common characteristics of a family are that they live in the same accommodation ( although not always).

8. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories Families share their wealth and resources.

9. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories They reproduce children.

10. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories They socialise the children and prepare them for later life by teaching them skills.

11. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories A household, on the other hand is a group of people who live under the same roof and share certain actions, such as cooking together or eating together but these people are not necessarily related.

12. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories There are many types of households, just as there are different types of family, as we shall see later. Households can be :

13. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories One person households Childless couples Unmarried couples with children Married couples with children Remarried couples Remarried couples with children from previous marriages Single-sex couples

14. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories On a personal level, you will probably live in a variety of family and household situations during your life. How you have lived as a child will be very different to how you live as a student, a single person, an employee, a married person. Economic influences and cultural differences will lead you to live in varying circumstances from your neighbour.

15. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories What types of family exist today in our society?. The ‘nuclear family’ where parents live with their children. The ‘extended family’ where other family members such as uncles, aunts and grandparents live locally. The ‘reconstituted family’ where children from a previous relationship become part of a new family. The ‘single-parent family’ where one parent is the head of the family. The parent is usually, but not always, the mother.

16. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories These four categories of family appeal to theorists but we must also remember that there are many differences between families within one of these categories: Cultural and ethnic differences may play a role in forming a family. The social class that a family is representative of is also important in the relationship that the family has within society.

17. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories Our family is usually the first place where we develop and learn our culture, not to mention the fact that our basic needs of food, shelter and clothing are all attended to.

18. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories By being part of a family, we learn to speak, to integrate with others and even receive such a basic thing as toilet training – in other words, we become social beings through our family. The family is the first point in life where we begin to learn.

19. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories If you ask people what they would consider ‘an ideal family’, you would receive many different replies. A male and female parent living with a child? A large extended family of grandparents, uncles, aunts? One parent who was loving and caring?

20. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories Well, sociologists have the same problem – they can’t agree on the term ‘family’ either. Let’s look at the variety of definitions that sociologists have put forward about families.

21. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories All sociologists agree that the family is an important social institution. It performs important functions and in many ways is the basis of society. Let’s consider first the functionalist theory on the family.

22. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Functionalism Functionalism puts forward the theory that our culture is based on consensus – shared values. Socialisation is the means of transmitting that culture to children. In other words, your identity is formed from the effect your family has on you.

23. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Functionalism For Functionalists, the family is viewed positively because the family works for the good of its own members and society as a whole. The family assists with social stability.

24. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Functionalism Murdock, a Functionalist, put forward the theory in 1949 that the family carried out the following functions: Sexual functions – provides and satisfies the sex drive Reproductive functions – reproduces the next generation Economic functions – provides food and shelter Socialisation of children function – norms, values and culture are passed on – without this there would be no society

25. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Functionalism Other Functionalists, such as Parsons, have suggested: The modern nuclear family offers primary socialisation of children – i.e. they learn their first lessons about the values of the society in which they live. The family stabilises adult personalities – i.e. the family and the family home is where we can all act ‘naturally’ without adopting the niceties of society. It’s a place of escape. (Don’t we all behave a little - or even a great deal differently - at home?)

26. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Marxism Marxism puts forward the idea that the economy influences the family and changes family functions, structure and roles. Marxism also sees the negative influence of the family maintaining inequality of social class.

27. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Marxism In other words, the nuclear family is a product of capitalism because it produces children who in turn become the work force and those children are taught to be obedient to their capitalist employers. Women are seen as victims of oppression, offering cheap childcare and only being encouraged to work when the economy demands it.

28. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Marxism Engels stressed the dominance of men. Marx felt that the nuclear family fitted the system that capitalists wanted for their society. Exploitation is at the core of the Marxist theory. He also saw marriage as a means of women becoming men’s property by giving sex in return for security. The female is therefore exploited by the male.

29. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Marxism The family is seen as a tool for continuing reproduction and therefore satisfying the capitalist’ needs of producing people who have been taught the values of hard work and obedience.

30. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Marxism Feeley explained that the values of hard work, passivity, obedience were exactly the qualities that the capitalists required. These values were provided from families who were bringing up obedient children at no cost to the capitalists. The positive aspect of the family is that, here again, it is seen as a place of retreat from hard work.

31. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Feminism Feminists put forward the theory that men gain the most from the family unit. Women experience inequality within the family and in turn are oppressed. There are different forms of feminism:

32. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Feminism Radical feminists Marxist feminists Liberal feminists

33. PSYCHOLOGY – RESEARCH METHODS SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Feminism Radical feminists argue that men receive many advantages from the oppression of women. In the family, women receive no pay and low status. They point out the ideology of patriarchy which they believe to be a system of male power and domination due to the idea that the male is the head of the family and therefore is superior. This can lead to violence or abuse towards women and children.

34. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Feminism Marxist feminists point out that the oppression of women is very much to the advantage of capitalists so women are not only exploited by men but also capitalists. Bruegel demonstrates that by continuing the role of women undertaking the domestic chores and reproducing the labour force, the capitalist system benefits at no cost to employers. Women produce the workers and look after them.

35. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories - Feminism Liberal feminists argue that the oppression of women can be overcome with change and reform, such as the introduction of more rights for women regarding equal pay and sex discrimination and a greater public awareness of domestic violence towards women. Liberal feminists believe that a change in attitude by males and females is necessary to continue the changes that have already started to improve the lives of women.

36. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories – New Right New Right theorists put forward the theory that the ‘traditional’ patriarchal nuclear family is the best kind of family to be self-reliant and not dependant on the welfare state. The husband is the ‘breadwinner’ and the wife the ‘homemaker’. This view which became popular during and after the ’Thatcher' years has now been widely condemned, as it criticised and blamed people like lone mothers for increases in social problems.

37. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories – Historical changes We have considered differing theories of the concept of the family. It is obvious that some theories reflect positive views about the family and others see negative issues associated with the family unit. The family unit has changed radically over the years.

38. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories – Historical changes We have considered differing theories of the concept of the family. Many sociologists have pointed out that industrialisation in our society has contributed much to the development of a nuclear family that is isolated from its extended family and even its neighbours.

39. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories – Historical changes Think about your own family. Are they all geographically living near you?

40. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories – Historical changes Think about your own neighbours. Do you speak to them? Do you know their names? Do you know what work they do?

41. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories – Historical changes Think about the people that you know. Do they live near their place of work?

42. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories – Historical changes Has this always been the case? Or do you think that geographical mobility – i.e. moving to another area for a new job is a fairly recent trend? Families of the working classes historically mainly worked on the land with their extended family.

43. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Family theories – Historical changes Let’s now consider the changes to the family due to the industrialisation and urbanisation.

44. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS The family, industrialisation and urbanisation Society has undergone major changes due to technology and scientific progress. So, what influence does social and economic change have on the family? In pre-industrial Britain, the family was the central unit of society. The family had the father at its head and he was the breadwinner.

45. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS The family, industrialisation and urbanisation Laslett concluded in his studies that the family in pre-industrial Britain was nuclear, not extended. Anderson, using information from the 1851 census, noted that extended families emerged more in times of industrialisation, when insecurity in the employment market meant that families banded together for help with housing, looking after the old or sick.

46. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS The family, industrialisation and urbanisation A nuclear family is useful for an industrialised society. Willmott and Young noted four historical stages of family change. It can be geographically mobile and socially mobile. In other words, it can move area and social class, if necessary. The pre-industrial family The early industrial family The symmetrical family The asymmetrical family Let’s look at these individually.

47. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS The family, industrialisation and urbanisation The pre-industrial family The early industrial family The symmetrical family The asymmetrical family The family worked together on the land. The family no longer worked together. The family is home-centred and in isolation. This was only emerging in the 1970’s. Work dominated men’s lives. With the industrial revolution, they became wage earners and the extended family supported in difficult times. Spouses share decisions and institutions take on the roles of the extended family. It was a unit of production, working together.

48. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS Up to about 1750 The family, industrialisation and urbanisation The pre-industrial family These families would often be not be literate. The father took the decisions about the family. The family was a unit of production who worked together. The pre-industrial family was a unit of economic production. Many of their occupations would be to work on the land or offer a service to the local community e.g. blacksmith, baker. Stage 1

49. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS From about 1750 to 1900 The family, industrialisation and urbanisation The early industrial family Increasingly people did not live near their work. Industrial accidents also took their toll on male mortality statistics. Most working class families in industrial areas were extended families. The mother of the family provided support in difficult times. Due to war and disease, some women had to take on the role of head of the family if their husbands died. Geographical mobility led to a weakening of kinship ties as families moved away from their extended family. Stage 2

50. SOCIOLOGY – FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS From about 1900 The family, industrialisation and urbanisation The symmetrical family Symmetrical nuclear families are more prevalent. Pearson puts forward the argument that the extended family is not so necessary as institutions are fulfilling family roles – e.g. hospitals and schools. There is now much less need for the extended family as standards of living begin to improve. Gender roles begin slowly to move towards more equality between males and females in the family as more women go to work. Stage 3