Feminist Perspective of the Conventional Family | Sociology for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

Key Thinker: Ann Oakley (1982) on the Conventional Family

• Ann Oakley, a feminist sociologist, analyzed existing sociological studies on the family, using secondary data to critically examine the conventional nuclear family, supported by relevant official statistics. 
• She defined the nuclear family as a traditional structure that upholds patriarchal relationships. 
• In this model, women are expected to perform unpaid domestic work at home, while men are expected to engage in paid employment outside the home. 
• The man's economic dominance stems from his income, creating gender inequality, particularly when women, especially mothers of young children, are financially dependent as stay-at-home mothers. 
• Even when women work, they typically occupy part-time, low-paid jobs, with their earnings often used for household expenses.
• Oakley argued that, despite being outdated, the conventional nuclear family remains idealized, though it is no longer the dominant family structure, particularly among middle-class individuals exploring alternative lifestyles. 
• There is a rise in dual-worker and lone-parent families, and some people are choosing to live without forming families. 
• This shift may occur because the conventional family can be a source of stress, with mothers at risk of depression and men facing health issues due to the pressure of being the primary provider.

Power and Decision-Making in Families

• Sociologists study the distribution of power in conjugal relationships. Willmott and Young (1973) observed a trend toward shared decision-making, including financial decisions, in symmetrical families. 
• However, feminists Delphy and Leonard (1992) argue that family life is inherently hierarchical and patriarchal, rooted in male dominance and female subordination. 
• Feminist sociologist Jan Pahl (1989) conducted interviews with 102 married couples with dependent children and found that men typically hold more power, dominating decision-making. 
• Although some couples share decisions about household spending, in many marriages, husbands control the finances, sometimes leaving women and children in poverty despite the man’s adequate income.

Power and Domestic Violence Within Families

• Domestic violence (DV) represents a form of power and control within families, encompassing violence between partners, abuse of older family members, sibling violence, and physical, psychological, or sexual abuse of children. 
• Victim surveys, such as the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), measure the prevalence of DV and reveal that it is often underreported to the police. Reasons for this include men’s reluctance to report abuse by female partners, victims’ preference for handling issues privately, fear of repercussions, or belief that the police cannot intervene effectively. 
• This underreporting creates a “dark figure” of crime, meaning victim surveys may not fully capture the extent of DV.
• Feminists critique the functionalist perspective that portrays families as safe havens, arguing that the apparent increase in domestic violence highlights how families can be sites of harm rather than well-being for their members.

Domestic abuse data from the CSEW year ending March 2023 (Office for National Statistics, 2023)