Compare conflict and feminist perspectives on families

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Conflict and feminist analysts view functionalist perspectives on the role of the family in society as idealized and inadequate. Rather than operating harmoniously and for the benefit of all members, families are sources of social inequality and conflict over values, goals, and access to resources and power. According to some conflict theorists, families in capitalistic economies are similar to workers in a factory. Women are dominated by men in the home in the same manner that workers are dominated by capitalists and managers in factories. Although childbearing and care for family members in the home contribute to capitalism, these activities also reinforce the subordination of women through unpaid (and often devalued) labor. Some feminist perspectives on inequality in families focus on patriarchy rather than class. Women's activities in the home have been undervalued at the same time as their labor has been controlled by men. In addition, men have benefited from the privileges they derive from their status as family breadwinners. Many women resist male domination. Women can control their reproductive capabilities through contraception and other means, and they can take control of their labor power by working for wages outside the home. Conflict and feminist perspectives on families focus primarily on the problems inherent in relationships of dominance and subordination. Specifically, feminist theorists have developed explanations that take into account the unequal political relationship between women and men in families and outside of families. Some feminist analysts explain family violence as a conscious strategy used by men to control women and perpetuate gender inequality.