Sociology Essay
Using the material from Item 2b and elsewhere, assess the contribution of feminist sociologists to an understanding of family roles and relationships. (24 Marks)
Item 2b
Feminists take a critical view of the family. They argue that family life maintains and promotes gender inequality. For example, this is reflected in the domestic division labour. Housework and childcare in the family, which are carried out mainly, are unpaid and hardly recognised as work at all.
However, some sociologists suggests the feminist theories ignore the extent of family diversity. In fact, family roles and relationships are varied and therefore women’s experiences of family life are more diverse than some feminists suggests.
Feminists have helped change the tradition view of the family. There are five types of feminists; liberal, radical, Marxist and Black feminists. As shown in the item they take a ‘critical view’ of the family arguing that it is patriarchal and focus on the ‘gender inequalities’ in housework and violence against women. They believe gender inequality is created by society and is not natural.
Functionalist Murdock suggested as children we are socialised into societies shared norms and values and he believed that males provide the economic roles and females provided the expressive role. Therefore it is natural for women to play the expressive role in the household looking after the family’s emotional needs.
However, radical feminist Ann Oakley argues that the role of the housewife is a social construction and isn’t linked to the female role. The housewife role makes sure that women stay inferior to men making it difficult for them have careers. Women carry out the triple burden in the household; the domestic labour, emotional labour, and paid labour. As shown in the item most of this work is ‘unpaid and hardly recognised work at all’. Oakley argues the only way women will gain independence and freedom in society is for the role of the...