Functionalist Theories of the Family
- Created by: Ben
- Created on: 12-05-13 17:22
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- Functionalist theories of the family
- The functionalist perspective
- Every institution in society performs its own functions.
- Society as a well oiled machiene
- Positives and benefits of the family towards society as a whole.
- Murdock
- The nuclear family as the vital universal institution of well-being for all societies.
- Nuclear family has 4 main functions
- Reproductive - new generation
- Sexual - limiting to sexual monogamy
- Economic - economic unit for survival
- Education - socialization of children.
- Parsons - functions of the family
- Primary socialization -first stage of socialization that educates children about the norms and values of society.
- Stabilization of adult personalities - isolated nuclear family don't get much help from extended kinship. Compete with husband stresses of everyday work - warm bath theory.
- Parsons - changing family structure
- In pre-industrial societies extended families were norm. Now it is isolated nuclear families.
- Nuclear families are now necessary due to the need for both a geographically and socially mobile workforce.
- Parsons - changing functions of the family
- Healthcare and support for the family used to be the responsibility of the family, but now the welfare state has taken over much of the responsibility.
- Criticisms of functionalism
- Overly optimistic view on family life.
- Some societies don't have traditional families
- Ignores dark side to family - Femenist
- There may be viable alternatives - Postmodernists.
- The functionalist perspective
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