Feminist Perspective of the Conventional Family (AQA GCSE Sociology)

Oakley, a feminist, reviewed the work of other sociologists who had studied the family

She used this secondary data to provide a critical analysis of the conventional nuclear family, supported by relevant official statistics

According to Oakley, a nuclear family is a conventional family that reinforces patriarchal relationships

• Women are expected to do unpaid work inside the home, while men are expected to do paid work outside the home

• The man's economic power is linked to his income from paid work

• The woman's dependence on the man's wages creates gender inequality, especially when children are young and women are stay-at-home mums

• When women do work, it is usually in part-time, low-paying jobs where their earnings go towards paying bills

Oakley believed the conventional family, although archaic, was still idealised even though it is no longer the dominant family form, especially among middle-class people who are considering alternative lifestyles

• Dual-worker and lone-parent families are increasing

• Some are choosing to live without families

This might be the case because, despite popular belief, the conventional family can be stressful

• Mothers may suffer from depression, and men may develop health issues as a result of the pressure of providing for their families

One area of interest for sociologists is the distribution of power in conjugal relationships between partners

Within symmetrical families, Willmott and Young (1973) noted a rise in shared decision-making, including financial decisions

Alternatively, feminists Delphy & Leonard (1992) contend that because male dominance and the subjugation of women form the foundation of family life, the family is hierarchical and patriarchal

Feminist Jan Pahl (1989) interviewed 102 married couples with dependent children and found that:

• men have more power than women in relationships as they dominate decision-making

• although more couples make shared decisions about spending the household income, in many marriages husbands control the finances

• women and children sometimes live in poverty even though the man they live with has a good income

Domestic violence (DV) is a form of power and control within families in which one partner is violent towards the other

It also covers abuse of older people, violence between siblings, and physical, psychological, or sexual abuse of children

Victim surveys, like the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), are used to gauge the extent of domestic violence, and they show that DV is often not reported to the police because:

• men might be reluctant to disclose physical abuse they have received from a female partner

• according to the victims, it is best handled in the privacy of the home

• victims are afraid of the repercussions if reported to the police

• victims believe the police can do nothing about it

Because of this 'dark' figure of crime, victim surveys may not show the true extent of DV occurring in families

Feminists challenge the functionalist view of the family, arguing that the seeming rise in domestic violence demonstrates that families are not always safe havens and that family life does not always improve members' well-being