Q: Analyze critically David Morgan’s views on family practices.​

Model Answer:

David Morgan views on family practices

David Morgan’s perspective on family practices offers a nuanced understanding of family dynamics in contemporary society, emphasizing the active and everyday nature of family life. His approach focuses on what families do rather than what they are, highlighting the fluid and dynamic nature of family interactions. Key aspects of Morgan’s views include:

• Emphasis on everyday activities: Family life is constructed through routine practices like mealtimes, childcare, and household chores.

• Fluidity and diversity: This approach accommodates diverse family forms and acknowledges that family boundaries can be permeable and changeable.

• Agency and negotiation: Family members are seen as active agents who continually negotiate their roles and relationships.

• Intersection with broader social contexts: Family practices are influenced by wider social, economic, and cultural factors.

• Temporality: Morgan emphasizes the importance of time in shaping family practices, considering how they evolve over individual and family life courses.

• Gendered nature of practices: He explores how family practices often reinforce or challenge gender roles and expectations.

Critics argue that Morgan’s approach may understate structural constraints on families and overlook power dynamics within them. Some also suggest it may not adequately address the role of emotions in family life.

Nevertheless, Morgan’s views have been influential in shifting sociological understandings of family life, aligning with broader trends recognizing the importance of everyday life and human agency in social processes.