Family and Household Essay

Sociology is the subject which looks at the well-disposed do main around us, how the social field works and how it personal effects and influences our daily lives. batch tend to accept the social arrange manpowerts in which they grew up as radiation diagram or too complicated to understand. The family is the natural agency to bring up children and schools atomic number 18 the normal issues for children to mulct. For most people the social world is just in that location, ch either(a)enging their lives, they cannot change it and it is not really worth while severe to understand it. There is a effect of that argu ment, which is when people try to understand their place in alliance, rich or poor, dislocated or popular they usually do so by sound outing it is their person-to-person abilities, weaknesses and situations that cause them to be as they argon. Sociologists do not fully agree with this, they witness it as their job to understand union and the instruction it contacts different people.They do this by using certain c erstwhilepts much(prenominal) as, values, beliefs, norms and identity, they as well as look at different theories, which argon explanations that link in concert social events and state how the social events brace different effects on different people. Within this try the writer will be t wiz at functionalism, feminism and Marxism and how the different aspects affect people and how they impact on the family and phratry. Family and household ar two different things, a household simply agency one or to a greater extent than person brisk in the same home, where as a family typically means a company of people related by ceremonial occasion and or blood ties, living in concert or in frequent contact. (Moore, 2001)The functionalist scene is one of the main theoretical perspectives in spite of appearance sociology. It has its origins in the correspondings of Emile Durkheim, who was especially interested in how s ocial order is possible and how it cadaver relatively stable. Functionalism was the dominant branch of occidental sociology until the 1960s, since when it has been increasingly criticised by sociologists, favouring different sociological perspectives.Functionalists argue that societies consist of inter-related social institutions such as schools, mass media, political forms and the family apiece of which contri moreovere positively to the maintenance of constancy of club as a whole. ( early(a)hamsociologypages.co.uk, 2011) These institutions are said to be functional for societies as a whole. Broadly speaking it is simulated by functionalists that societies operate in the interests of all of their members so that there is no basis for fundamental conflict in gild. alternatively there is a high storey of consensus that societies are organised efficiently and relatively fairly.Functionalists trust every institution in hunting lodge contributes to the smooth running of s hips company as a whole. To functionalists the family is at the watch of the family. Murdock claimed that the thermonuclear family is so useful to family that it is inevitable and universal, appearing everywhere (historylearningsite.com, 2012). Murdock claimed that he had found evidence of nuclear families in the 250 societies he studied. The family is universal because it fulfils essential functions for the family, such as internal, which controls sexuality and provides stability for adults, reproduction, which provides bran- raw(a) members of society, economical, the family provides for its members and facts of life, the family socialises the young into societys norms and values.They are essential for social life since without the sexual and reproductive functions there would be no members of society, without the economic function (for example, the provision and prep of food) life would cease, and without upbringing a condition Murdock uses for socialization there would b e no culture. Human society without culture could not function. (historylearningsite.com, 2012).parsons states there are two irreducible functions of the family, these functions are primary socialisation, through which children learn to accept the norms and values of society and the stabilization of adult personalities, the family gives adults the emotional erect infallible to cope with every sidereal day life. (Moore, 2001)The functionalist view suggests that the nuclear family has become socially isolated from extended family and geographically separated from wider family and more reliant on the welfare state. The family is self-contained, inward looking for with little contact with neighbours and community, home wastes dupe made the family more home centred. Functionalists have been accused of idolising the family they thin conflict, abuse and gender equality in spite of appearance families and the ever growing divorce order and family diversity. Feminists have been ex ceedingly critical of the highly positive view of the family presented by Functionalists and the more critical view presented by rednesss.The agreement for this scepticism boils down to one find out concept patriarchy. Patriarchy refers to a strategy of staminate dominance. Historian and activist Cheris Kramaroe once famously remarked that feminism is the radical whimsey that cleaning woman are kind beings (Head, 2012). womens lib is about woman living on equal terms with men and not being pushed down by right or culture into a move role deep down society. Feminists hope that the family is patriarchal, prevail by men and it exploits and oppresses women. The family realizes and reproduces inequalities between men and woman, woman are Oppressed because their interact to be dependent on men and remain second place. They rule out the new rights view of the separate roles and too reject the march of progress view, in that society has not changed and it is still unequal . Feminists believe that espousal remains patriarchal and that men realise from wives, they reject the functionalist view of one dress hat family type, and they welcome freedom and diversity. (Anderson, 2008).Critics argue that there is too much focus on negative aspects and that feminists sometimes dismiss new-fashioned social changes. Critics claim that feminists portray woman as passive victims as if they are unable to act against discrimination. The same critics believe that feminists focus on one specialized group and ignore woman in families from other cultures and ethnicities Marxist Feminists argue that within capitalisticic societies the nuclear family is part of the general structure of capitalism and that its organisation and functions are heavily influenced by the nature of the capitalist economic base which means that womens oppression derives generally from the organisation of the capitalist system rather than from the patriarchal behavior of men.Accordin g to Marxist Feminists housewives fulfil some(prenominal) important functions for the capitalist system they die hard and rear children at no greet to the capitalist system and, along with their husbands, push their children to accept authority such that a new, suitably obedient generation of workers becomes on tap(predicate) housewives also provide many house servant services at low or zero cost which reduces the wage levels which the capitalist system take to pay its male workers. Women also form part of the tolerate army of effort which is available for study during times of economic boom but which can proceeds to the traditional housewife- have role during economic recession.Marxist feminists also believe women provide emotional support for their husbands/partners without this they would be unable to face the oppression and alienation of the capitalist workplace. Without this emotional support it is also possible that workers would be more prepared to challenge the capitalist system. However, family responsibilities whitethorn also dissuade workers from strike legal action and the existence of families with its demands for cars, washing machines and other consumer durable goods also helps to clench an eye on spending and capitalist profits. The socialisation process which operates within the family two stabilises the capitalist system as a whole and also by disapprove female vocation aspirations, restricts female career opportunities. (Head, 2012).Marxists shares some similarities with feminism, it argues that society is unequal and that it is characterised by oppression, however, Marxists believe that the oppression is of the confinement by the bourgeoisie. Marxism is a conflict theory which sees all societies institutions, such as the education system, the media, religious belief and the state as helping to maintain class equality and capitalism for Marxists, therefore, the functions of the family are performed wholly for the real ize of the capitalist system (sociogeeks.com, 2011). Marxists believe that the family aids capitalism by being a big consumer of goods, which they have to pay for, as long as the family are around, people will keep buying the products and the bourgeoisie will unfold to stigma money. (earlyhamsociologypages.co.uk, 2011)Marxists also believe that woman staying at home looking aft(prenominal) the children are producing the next generation of the proletariat.This means that more people will be created to fill the jobs of the retiring proletariat. Marxists believe that the family cushions the main producer, this is similar to the functionalist perspective where after a hard day at work, the main provider, usually the male, will be solace by his family, they are there to unloosen the pressures so he can return to work the next day little stressed than when he left the day before. This allows the bourgeoisie to have a worker in the next day and to have a guaranteed work force. Marxist s believe that family is a strong influence on education and is considered the primary socialisation, this is beneficial for the bourgeoisie because the family and education system will teach the norms and values, which are that the society they are living in is correct. (Moore, 2001)Education makes the proletariat believe in the benefits of capitalism and will make the children believe in the myth of meritocracy. Feminists argue that the Marxist emphasises on social class and capitalism underestimates the importance of gender inequalities within the family, for feminists, the family primarily practices the interests of men rather capitalism. Functionalists argue that Marxists ignore the very real benefits that the family provide for its members, such as intimacy and mutual support.Others aroma that Marxists tend to neglect the meanings families have for individuals and how family members date family relationships. (Head, 2012) In conclusion Functionalists see society as similar t o a human trunk. Each part of the human body relies on different organs in order to function correctly. According to functionalists society operates in exactly the same way because it relies on different social institutions such as the family, schools, and the government workstogether to keep the social body working properly. In contrast Marxists see society as operate solely to make a profit for the ruling class. The proletariat are socially engineered to conform to the needs of a ruling class who benefit the most from societies using a capitalist economic system. Therefore schools and the family exist solely to provide a compliant labour force who will willingly serve the needs of capitalism. On the other submit feminists see society as operating in order to find out the needs and wishes of men (patriarchy). Patriarchal societies are engineered to meet the desires and needs of men through institutions like the family and the education system. On this basis feminists say women are second-class citizens.ReferencesAnderson, M. L., 2008. Sociology. In J. Cheng, ed. pinch a diverse society. USA Thompson Wadsword, pp. 308-312. earlyhamsociologypages.co.uk, 2011. early ham sociology pages. Online Available at www.earlhamsociologypages.co.uk