Criticisms of families

Overview

The idealisation of family life, Leach, patriarchy and double standards, the class deal and gender deal, dysfunctional families, Zaretsky, and Delphy and Leonard.

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Questions from this subtopic

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1. 1

   What is meant by the idealisation of family life?

   Model answer

   Idealisation is presenting family life as happier and more harmonious than it really is. Edmund Leach used the phrase cereal packet family for the advertised image of a perfect nuclear family.

2. 2

   What did Edmund Leach argue about the isolated nuclear family?

   Model answer

   Edmund Leach argued in 1967 that the privatised nuclear family is cut off from wider kin and the community. Members expect too much of each other, which breeds tension and conflict.

3. 3

   How has the welfare state affected the traditional functions of families?

   Model answer

   The welfare state is government provision of health care, benefits and social services, greatly expanded after 1945. Critics claim families have lost functions to it, but Ronald Fletcher argued it helps families perform them better.

4. 4

   What is a patriarchal family, and how do feminists link it to male domination?

   Model answer

   A patriarchal family is one in which the husband or father holds most power and authority. Feminists argue that male domination inside families reflects and supports male domination of society.

5. 5

   What are double standards in the behaviour of men and women?

   Model answer

   Double standards are different rules of behaviour for men and women, such as praising male sexual freedom but condemning it in women. Feminists see double standards as a way of controlling women.

6. 6

   How do family responsibilities affect women's position in paid work?

   Model answer

   Role conflict occurs when the demands of one role clash with another, such as mother and employee. Work-life balance is the division of time between paid work and home life. Feminists argue that childcare duties help create a glass ceiling blocking women from top jobs.

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