Families - Functionalism Flashcards
1
Q
G. P. Murdock
A
- Murdock studied over 250 different societies and found the family to be a universal feature
- Focus primarily on the nuclear family - a unit consisting of husband and wife and their children was most common
- The Nuclear family existed in all societies studied by Murdock and performed clear functions for its members and wider society
2
Q
Functions of the Family
A
- Economic
- Sexual Regulation
- Education
- Reproduction
3
Q
Economic Function
A
- Nuclear family fulfils the economic function through the man working and providing for the family
- Their basic needs, such as food, clothing and shelter are earned through labour of the man
- Women provided a more domestic role that met the economic needs - often doing unpaid labour at home
4
Q
Sexual Regulation Function
A
- Sexual relationships between men and women within marriage controlled and regulated sexual urges
- Promotion of heterosexuality ensured reproduction of next generation of society
- Socialisation into gender-appropriate roles prepared children for adult life
5
Q
Reproduction Function
A
- Men and women reproduce and these children become the next generation of society
- Gender socialisation prepares children to take on these roles by promoting social behaviours that will allow them to reproduce once in a stable heterosexual relationship
- Without the function of reproduction, society could stagnate and this places strain on elder members of society
5
Q
Education Function
A
- Education refers to the function of socialisation by family of their children
- Children learn the norms and values of society through being taught these by their parents
- These include gendered norms and values and allow children to fit into society and ensure that they are able to contribute to harmonious functioning of society
6
Q
Evaluations
A
- Feminist criticisms suggest that Murdock’s ideas fail to acknowledge that the most universal unit is mother and children
- Marxists suggest that Murdock ignores the influence of capitalism in reproducing the next generation of workers and controlling the ability of workers to challenge the ruling class
- Outdated - it fails to acknowledge changing gender roles and greater diversity of family types and gender transitions
