Functionalism and Functionalism in the family

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  • Created by: Lucy
  • Created on: 30-05-18 13:46

Functionalism

  • Structural theory - society influences individuals 
  • Consensus theory - society benefits all members equally 

What functions do theses social institutions have in society?

  • The Family - Primary Socialisation - Provide Support 
  • Education - Secondary Socialisation - To teach the national curriculum 
  • Mass Media - Provide Role Models - Give up to date news 
  • Religion - Provide Role Models - Provide a Sense of Community 
  • The Workplace - Tertiary Socialisation - Positive and Negative Sanctions 
  • Healthcare - To help or cure people - NHS provides equal opportunities 
  • Criminal Justice System - Negative Sanctions - To protect & safe guard people 

A major function of all the social institutions is to socialise every individual into the norms and values of society 

When everyone shares the same norms and values it creates a value concensus which then generates social solidarity this refers to a sense of belonging and community

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Organic Analogy

Every part of the body has a function which helps to keep it alive and healthy = Every part of society helps to keep society going 

The body grows and develops = Society gradually develops and changes 

All parts link together in one big system = All parts work together and are interdependent 

The antibodies fight diseases = Society has mechanisms to deal with problems when they occur 

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Murdock (1949)

Murdock studied 250 societies and claimed  that the nuclear family was universal 

From his study he identified four essential functions of the family: 

1.) Reproductive - Societies require new members for their physical survuval - child bearing generally occurs in marital and family context 

2.) Sexual - The nuclear family functions to regulate sexual behaviour - marital sex creates a powerful emotional bond - encourage fidelity 

3.) Educational - The primary socialisation that occurs within the family - teach children the dominant values, norms, customs, rituals and traditions 

4.) Economic - Children are dependant on their family therefore family show their commitment to care, protection and maintenance - financially supportive 

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Criticisms of Murdock

  • Very ethnocentric and reflective of a particular time 
  • Very outdated 
  • Size of families has declined - womens attitudes to marriage, family and childbearing have changed 
  • Concerns that mass media have become more infuential than parents and families 
  • Media maybe contributing/fuelling social problems such as anti-social behaviour, teenage pregnancy, etc. 
  • There are not 'right' or 'wrong' ways to organise family life 
  • Not everyone is hetrosexual 
  • Decline of religious beliefs - relaxation of social attrributes about sex before marriage 
  • Is not necessarily universal as Murdock only studied Western Societies 
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Parsons (1955)

Functional Fit Theory - is the idea that the family and its functions will adapt to 'fit' the needs of the society in which it is found 

Parsons focused on the role of inductrialisation on the family from the late 18th century onwards 

Parsons believed that in pre-industrial societies that extended families was the norm whereas the nuclear family become the norm in industrial societies 

Why did the nuclear family suit newly industrial society?

  • Geographically mobile so can urbanise 
  • Achieved status & socially mobile - no conflict in nuclear family 
  • Other institutions to help out 
  • Consumes resources 
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Parsons

Parsons argued that as a society changes, the family loses some of its functions - this is known as structural differentiation 

Parsons argued that the family retained two basic and vital functions

1.) Primary Socialisation - believed that the family was the main centre of primary socialisation - saw mothers as playing the major role in the process of nurturing and socialisation in families 

2.) The Stabilisation of Adult Personalities - is to provide comfort and emotional support for its adult members and to allow adults to indulge in childish behaviour as they play with their children - Parsons argued that the female - the expressive role - should be primarily responsible for this function as the male - the instrumental role - will need stresses relieving after work - prevents stress from overwelming adult family members - as a result strengthens social stability in wider society 

Warm Bath Theory - suggested that the family is like a warm bath - immersion in family life could relieve the pressures of work and contemporary society just as a warm bath soothes and relaxes the body 

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Criticisms of Parsons

  • Outdated - female not always the expressive role - male not always the instrumental role 
  • Very patriarchal 
  • Very heavy focus on the nuclear family - ignores family diversity 
  • Media and peers might also be influential 
  • Ignores the dark side of family life - divorce, abuse and poverty etc. 
  • Gendered roles 
  • Other family types are just as capable of socialising children 
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Strengths of Functionalism

  • Functionalism explains how the family controls our behaviour, via primary socialisation ect. 
  • Functionalism was dominant in the 1950's and dominated sociology for a long period of time - many social policy initiatives aimed at regulating family life also still have origin in functionalist theories of the family such as marriage tax credits 
  • Parsons work on functional fit theory has influenced other sociologists to continue to look at how society has changed and how the family has had to adapt to these changes 
  • Both Murdock and Parsons were some of the first sociologists to consider the role of the family 
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Weaknesses of Functionalism

  • By stressing the importance of the nuclear family, functionalism is critical of other family types 
  • Laslett (1972) - claimed that industrialisation didn't create the nuclear family as it existed before this point - Anderson (1971) - found evidence of the extended family throughout and after industrialisation, particularly in working class areas 
  • Murdock and Parsons were both American sociologists and therefore their views are ethnocentric 
  • Leach (1967) - argues that nuclear families don't always provide emotional support for each other but can actually cause each other emotional stress as family members demand too much from each other 
  • Functionalism is outdated as Murdock and Parsons were writing in the 1950's - the nuclear family is no longer the norm - Parsons' view of instrumental and expressive roles are very old fashioned 
  • Functionalism is a concensus theory therefore paints a very 'rose tinted' picture of family life - Families aren't always functional and don't always benefit everyone as there can be conflict such as domestic violence and child abuse 
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Chester (1985)

Chester has suggested that despite families appearing to have changed since the time that Parsons wrote, this was simply a surface change and the extent of family change has been exaggerated 

The nuclear family has simply transitioned to a neo-conventional family which is dual earning in which both partners work 

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