Family Perspectives: Sociological Theories
Ever wondered how different thinkers view the family? Parsons, a functionalist, sees families as stable units where men take instrumental roles (breadwinning) while women perform expressive roles (emotional support). He famously used the "warm bath analogy" – suggesting a man returns from work to relax in his family like a warm bath, washing away stress.
Marxist thinker Zaretsky argues that capitalist societies make people believe family life is separate from the economy. In reality, families "cushion" capitalism's negative effects through women's unpaid labour, inheritance systems, and by functioning as units of consumption that support the economic system.
Feminist perspectives offer critical insights. Delphy & Leonard highlight how men exploit women through free domestic labour, creating a hierarchy with father first, mother second, and children third. Oakley challenges the "conventional family" ideal of legally married couples with children, noting how women are oppressed within this structure.
Think about it: How do Willmott & Young's evolutionary stages pre−industrial,earlyindustrial,symmetrical,andstratifieddiffusion compare to what you observe in modern families?
The Rapoports identified five dimensions of family diversity: organisational (division of tasks), cultural (beliefs and values), class (social position), life course (changing family lifestyle), and cohort (social changes over time) – showing there's no single perfect family model.