Functionalists
Mind map to show all you will need to know about functionalism for AS unit 1 Exams
- Created by: Samuel Galeckyj
- Created on: 10-05-13 18:59
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- Functionalists
- SOCIETY IS MADE UP OF PARTS THAT DEPEND ON EACH OTHER
- The family
- Education system
- Often compared to a biological organ
- The economy
- SOCIETY IS BASED ON VALUE CONSENSUS
- Allows individuals to co-operate harmoniously to meet societies needs and achieve shared goals
- A set of shared norms and values
- MURDOCK (1949)
- VIEWS
- Argued the family performs four essential functions to meet the needs of society
- Socialisation of the young
- Reproduction of the next generation
- Meeting its members' economic needs
- Stable satisfaction of the sex drive
- Argued the family performs four essential functions to meet the needs of society
- CRITICISMS
- Argues the practicality of the nuclear family as a way of meeting these four needs explains why it is universal (found in all human societies)
- Some argue they could be performed equally well through other institutions or non-nuclear family structures
- Marxists and Feminists reject this "rose-tinted" view
- Marxists and Feminists argue that functionalism neglects conflict and exploitation
- Feminists
- See the family as serving the needs of men
- Marxists
- Argue it meets the needs of capitalism, not those family mem
- Feminists
- VIEWS
- PARSONS (1955) - FUNCTIONAL FIT THEORY
- VIEWS
- The family may meet other needs
- Political
- Military
- Religious functions
- Welfare
- The functions it performs will depend on the type of society in which it is found
- The functions the family has to perform will affect its shape or structure
- Argues there are two types of family structure
- Extended Family
- Traditional pre-industrial society
- Nuclear Family
- Extended Family
- There are two basic types of society
- Modern industrial society
- Nuclear Family
- Traditional pre-industrial society
- Modern industrial society
- The family may meet other needs
- VIEWS
- INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY HAS TWO DIFFERENT ESSENTIAL NEEDS
- Geographically mobile workforce - People need to move to where the jobs are; Parsons argues it is easier for the compact two-generation nuclear family with just dependant children, to move.
- Socially mobile workforce - Modern industrial society is based on constantly evolving science and technology so requires skilled technically competent workforce; essential that talented people are able to win promotion and take on the most important jobs
- For this reason Parsons argues that the nuclear family is the better equipped than the extended family to meet the needs of industrialisation
- PARSONS (1955) - FUNCTIONAL FIT THEORY
- VIEWS
- The family may meet other needs
- Political
- Military
- Religious functions
- Welfare
- The functions it performs will depend on the type of society in which it is found
- The functions the family has to perform will affect its shape or structure
- Argues there are two types of family structure
- Extended Family
- Extended Family
- There are two basic types of society
- Modern industrial society
- Modern industrial society
- The family may meet other needs
- VIEWS
- The result of this is the mobile nuclear family which is structurally isolated from its extended kin without binding obligations towards them (unlike the pre-industrial extended family)
- PARSONS (1955) - FUNCTIONAL FIT THEORY
- LOSS OF FUNCTIONS
- The pre-industrial family was a multi-functional unit
- A unit of production
- A unit of consumption
- Therefore more self-sufficient
- A unit of production
- Therefore more self-sufficient
- Parsons argues that when society industrialises the family not only changes its structure but also loses some of its functions
- Family becomes a unit of consumption only
- Family ceases to be a unit of production
- Loses most of its other functions to other institutions such as schools and the health service
- As a result - The modern nuclear family comes to specialise in performing just two essential or "irreducible" functions
- Family ceases to be a unit of production
- Family becomes a unit of consumption only
- Primary Socialisation
- Stabilisation of adult personalities
- As a result - The modern nuclear family comes to specialise in performing just two essential or "irreducible" functions
- The pre-industrial family was a multi-functional unit
- SOCIETY IS MADE UP OF PARTS THAT DEPEND ON EACH OTHER
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