Three Key Perspectives on Families

Functionalists like Murdock and Parsons are basically the optimists of sociology. They argue that families perform four essential jobs: socialisation (teaching kids how to behave), economic support, sexual regulation, and reproduction. Parsons reckoned men naturally take the instrumental role (breadwinner) whilst women handle the expressive role (housewife and emotional support).

Feminists completely disagree and see families as systems that keep women down. Delphy and Leonard argued that families are based on patriarchy - male dominance that creates unfair hierarchies. They point out how women's domestic labour goes unvalued and unpaid, making them financially dependent on their husbands.

Marxists like Zaretsky focus on how families serve capitalism rather than people. They believe the family became a unit of consumption (buying stuff) rather than production, which benefits the wealthy. The family also reproduces social class through things like inheritance, keeping the rich in power.

Quick Tip: Remember that Young and Willmott challenged these traditional views by introducing the idea of symmetrical families where couples share roles more equally - though feminists argue this isn't actually happening in practice.