Family and Households.

Characteristics, Functionalist views and criticisms and key terms.

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  • Created by: Beckie
  • Created on: 25-03-10 21:20

Defining The Family.

The nuclear family should have the following characteristics:

1) It should be small and compact, with a mother and a father and usually 2 or 3 children who are all biologically related.

2)The relationship between the adults should be hertrosexual based on a romantic love, children should be seen as the outcome of their love.

3) The Mother and Father should be married as it encourages faithfulness and family stability.

4) The marridge should be based on the mother and father working together as partners. The male rolse is usually the economic breadwinner and head of the household while the woman is in charge of housework and childcare.

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Functionalism and the family.

The functionalist Talcott Parsons belives there are two main features of the family, these are:

1) The primary Socialisation of Children. It is the family who moulds the child's personality to fit the needs of society. It is the family who produces the children who are committed to the shared norms and values and who have a stong sense of belonging to society.

2) The Stabilisation of adult personalities. Adults need emotional security which is given my marriage. Adults also need a way to realese stress from everyay life which they can do by indulging in childish behaviour when playing with their children.

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Criticisms of the functionalist views of the famil

1) The functionalist approach only focuses on possitive functions of the family.

2) It assumes it benefits everyone.

3) functionalists focuse to much on the importance of the family for society, this ignores the real meaning of family for individuals.

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Key Terms.

Cohabitation: unmarried couples living together as man and wife.

Division Of Labour: The organisation of work.

Extended Kin: Relations beyond the nuclear family such as aunts, uncles and grandparents.

Fidelity: Faithfulness.

Procreation: Having children.

Socail Intergration: The sense of belonging to society.

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Comments

Keren

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Thank you, these will help me revise :)

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