False Consciousness

Do you believe in false consciousness?

Nuclear or extended?

If the nuclear family is the more common type in the modern era is this the same in every society or does it vary depending on where you live, and which is better?

Do a couple need to be married to be classed as a family?

Murdock or Parsons - who has the better definition of a family?

¨Would Parsons’ definition include any more families than Murdock’s?

¨Can you think of any historical examples to support Parsons?

¨What has happened to those “functions” no longer fulfilled by the family? Has the need gone away?

¨Can you think of any objections/counter-examples?

Collective Child-rearing

What are your thoughts?

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/feb/19/kibbutz-child-noam-shpancer

Do we still need the family?

To what extent have the functions of the family been taken over by other social institutions such as the education system, social services and the NHS?  Do we really need families any more?

How much control should the government have over the family?

If we agree that the family is of fundamental importance to the rearing of children and the stability of adults, how much control should society be able to exercise over it?  Can we step in if they are not raising their children properly?  If adults are thinking about getting divorced can society act to prevent this?  What if a couple want to have children but are not suitable, could we stop it?