1.2 Functionalists on the family

Question 1

(Functionalism) what do functionalists believe society is based on?

Answer 1

Value consensus

Question 2

(Functionalism) what is value consensus?

Answer 2

Agreement over shared norms and values

Question 3

(Functionalism) who did Murdock study? And what did he say he found?

Answer 3

250 societies from industrial to hunter gatherers

Found nuclear family in all arguing it is a universal institution

Question 4

What did Murdock say were the 4 functions of the family?

Answer 4

Sexual
Reproductive (next gen of workers)
Economic
Education (socialisation)

Question 5

(Functionalism) how is the family economic?

Answer 5

Unit of consumption buying goods and services

Question 6

(Functionalism) parsons argues the family has become increasingly specialised what is this referred to as?

Answer 6

Structural differentiation

Question 7

(Functionalism) what is structural differentiation?

Answer 7

as societies become more complex institutions perform more specialist functions - like cells in the body

Question 8

(Functionalism) give examples of some functions which have been taken over:

Answer 8

care of the elderly
educating children
taken over by carers, social services and schools

Question 9

(Functionalism) what did parsons say the two functions of the family were?

Answer 9

primary socialisation of children

stabilisation of adult personalities

Question 10

(Functionalism) what happens in primary socialisation?

Answer 10

children learn the norms and values of the society in which they live and internalise them

Question 11

(Functionalism) why is primary socialisation important?

Answer 11

without it there would be no consensus/agreement

Question 12

(Functionalism) what can unstable personalities threaten?

Answer 12

stability and smooth running of society

Question 13

(Functionalism) what are the two ways the family helps stabilise adult personalities?

Answer 13

marital partners provide each other with emotional support

enable to indulge in childish side of personality as parents

Question 14

(Functionalism) what does the family provide for adults?

Answer 14

release from strains and stresses

emotional security and support

Question 15

(Functionalism) parsons what were the two roles parsons talked about?

Answer 15

instrumental and expressive

Question 16

(Functionalism) men take on the instrumental role, what is this?

Answer 16

responsible for economic welfare of family

practical

Question 17

(Functionalism) women take on expressive role, what is this?

Answer 17

caring

emotional role

Question 18

(Functionalism) why do men and women have these separate roles?

Answer 18

biologically determined e.g. women have maternal instincts

Question 19

(Functionalism) how is popenoe’s view similar to funcitonalists - what did he argue underlines the way the family is organised?

Answer 19

biological imperatives

Question 20

(Functionalism) Popenoe says men and women are biologically different so women are better suited to what?

Answer 20

nurturing children

Question 21

(Functionalism) what did Chester talk about?

Answer 21

the neoconventional family

Question 22

(Functionalism) how does chester describe the neo-conventional family?

Answer 22

typical nuclear family with 2 parents and a child, but both parents go to work

Question 23

(Functionalism) why does Chester say that statistics on the nuclear family are misleading?

Answer 23

most people spend a major part of their life in a nuclear family - only significant change has been women working

Question 24

(Functionalism) what can functionalists be criticised for ignoring?

Answer 24

dark side of family life -abuse, neglect, conflict

diversity of family life - assume nuclear is dominant and the best

Question 25

(Functionalism) functionalists can be criticised as the cereal packet image they create of the family supports what?

Answer 25

the ideology of the nuclear family

Question 26

(Functionalism) why do some feminists criticise Parsons view?

Answer 26

say its sexist - mother should be primary caregiver who has to care for children and distress her husband

Question 27

(Functionalism) how did the Kibbutz represent an alternative to the nuclear family?

Answer 27

communal living
children raised in childrens houses
men and women worked equally
no private property

Question 28

(Functionalism) how can the Gough be used to criticise the idea the nuclear family is universal?

Answer 28

wives didn’t live with husbands
men had several wives
no family structure