Families & Households - Functionalism

Functionalism

• Structural theory - society influences individuals.
  
• Consensus theory - society benefits some at the expense of others.
  

Functionalism is the general belief that all social institutions have function(s) in society in order to maintain social order.

Organic Analogy

Many functionalist sociologists believe that society can be comparable to a human body because society has functions to maintain social order just like the body has mechanisms to stay healthy. 

• Body parts work together to maintain health. Society has institutions which interdepend to maintain social order.
• Body parts each have their own function, just like social institutions have theirs.
• The body has mechanisms to fight diseases, just like society has special institutions to deal with problems as and when they arise.

G.P. Murdock

Murdock proposed that the family has four main functions:

• Educational - to educate children basic knowledge and understanding.
• Economic - to provide a home and resources, as…