This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.
Different Family Types
The Nuclear Family-one adult male and female and dependent offspring |
The symmetrical family-conjugal roles are equal unlike nuclear family |
Lone Parent family-headed by a single parent |
The matrifocal family-women who are at the centre of the family |
The beanpole family-nuclear family with a wider extended kinship network |
The extended family-vertical (grandparents) and horizontal (auntie/cousins/uncles) |
The reconstituted family-includes step brothers/sisters, stepfamily/blended |
Dual-career family-both parents full time employed |
Cereal packet family-idealised nuclear family shown in media |
Empty nest family-children grown up and left home |
Cohabiting family-nubile(couples who cohabit before marriage) post marital (couples who cohabit after being married before) |
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Murdock's theory of family
Functionalist sociologist G P Murdock 1949 argues nuclear family is universal, meaning that it exists in every known society. |
Defined nuclear family as "a social group characterized by common residence includes adults of both sexes at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and one or more children of the two adults. |
See's family as foundation stone of society. |
Uses human body analogy, family is the heart of society. |
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Murdock's four functions of family
Procreation |
Sexual |
Economic |
Education |
all societies require new members to ensure physical survival |
ensures order e.g. marriage sends out message couple belongs to another |
Paid work benefits society.Parents support children and ventually retake place as good citizens |
culture reproduced via primary socialisation |
children symbol of couples emotional attachment. Stabilise marital relationship and family life. |
it reinforces emotional commitment |
children dependent on parents for several years |
children learn how to fir into society by learning key norms and values. |
Evaluation of Murdock
-family diversity,failed to keep up with modern changes like feminisation of workplace, increases in life expectancy & changes in fertility rates |
-feminists critique, doesn't account for womens changing role in family as not nutring children but as a earner as well, the function has transferred to childminders, nurseries and grandparents |
-ethnocentrism, as it sees nuclear families as superior. discriminates against other family types |
-too much emphasis on benefits and not on dysfunctions e.g domestic violence |
-family functions not effective e.g reproduction as many women's deciding not to have children and sexual as premarital and alternative sexuality's are becoming increasingly acceptable |
-The Nayarr, nuclear families don't exist in all societies e.g Nayarr societies in India. |
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