Sociological Theories of the Role of the Family

Functionalism and the Family

Functionalists view the family as a central component of society, contributing essential functions like child rearing, socialisation, and emotional support.
Prominent functionalist, Talcott Parsons, posits the idea of two fundamental roles within the family: expressive and instrumental roles.
Expressive roles, often associated with females, involve catering to the emotional needs of the family, while instrumental roles, usually associated with males, revolve around providing and serving the practical needs of the family.

Marxism and the Family

Marxists offer a more critical perspective, viewing the family as a tool feeding into the capitalist system.
They argue that families act as units of consumption, buying products and goods thereby furthering capitalism.
Marxists also suggest the family socialises its members into accepting their position in the capitalist system, thus reproducing the workforce and maintaining social inequality.

Feminism and the Family

Feminists view the family unit as reinforcing gender inequalities. They argue that domestic work is not shared equally, and is generally shouldered more by women.
Radical feminists argue that family and marriage contribute to the oppression of women, maintaining patriarchal systems.
Liberal feminists tend to be more optimistic, advocating for joint conjugal roles and recognising that changes towards equality are occurring, albeit slowly.

New Right Perspective on the Family

The New Right perspective concerns itself with the values of nuclear family and traditional gender roles.
They argue that the dissolution of traditional family structures leads to social problems like crime and poverty.
Critics of this viewpoint argue that it neglects the potential negatives within nuclear families, like abuse, and it stigmatises single parent or same-sex families.

Postmodernism and the Family

Postmodernists argue against a ‘one size fits all’ view of the family, embracing that family structures and roles are diverse and constantly shifting.
They suggest that individuals now have more freedom to choose their family structure, due to reduced societal pressure and increased societal acceptance of various arrangements.
This perspective is criticised for being overly positive, as it occasionally overlooks structural factors that limit people’s choices, such as socio-economic status.