Family: Functionalism Flashcards
Functionalism: Micro or Macro?
Macro - big picture
Conflict or consensus?
Consensus
Functionalism
Every part of society (social institutions) has a function - to socialise the individual.
They transmit society’s norms and values to the individual, to socialise them into value consensus - agreement on what is right and wrong.
To maintain consensus, social cohesion and social order
Organic Analogy
Society is like the human body: different systems (organs) have different functions, which work together to keep the whole society running.
Murdock - 4 universal basic functions
Sexual: Monogamous relationships - Stable satisfaction of the sex drive, which prevents sexual jealousy, and strengthens the bond. Stabilsies the family.
Reproductive: Biological reproduction of the next generation - without which society cannot continue
Education: Socialisation of the young - teaching the norms and values of the culture.
Economic: meeting economic needs - the man goes to work for money for food, clothing and shelter. Family purchases and consumes goods, which stimulates the economy.
Why does Murdock argue the nuclear family is best?
2 defined genders: clear gender roles. So the child can be easily socialised into gender roles by imitating the same gender parent
2 parents: split breadwinner and domestic roles. So both can do their role the best they can - can’t do both well at once
Sheeran
most basic, universal household is female carer for. Women stays at home and cares for the household and children. Women can do all these functions
Stacey (2011) study
Studied Mosuo people in china. They did not practice marriage - children raised by all women in the mother’s home, extended families, fathers have no obligation to raise children.
Found children grew up to be well adjusted. Shows that alternatives to the nuclear family can work, the child will not suffer long term psychological damage
Parsons - Functional Fit Family
Before industrialization - extended family, 3 generations, educated young, cared for elderly.
Industrialization: Family had to shrink to the nuclear family - easier to move into/around cities to get industrial jobs.
Family adapted to functionally fit to industrial society
Parsons - Stripped to 2 functions
Socialisation of children - primary socialisation. Parents transmit norms and values to the child through modelling and imitation. Familiy si the only institution that provides the necessary warmth, stabiity, security and support
Stabilization of adult personalities - adult of the nuclear family support one another to achieve emotional security and reduce conflict within society
Parsons - Gender roles
Men - Instrumental role - breadwinner, go to work to provide for the family
Women - Expressive role - take care of the family, look after children, housework
Parsons - Warm bath theory
The job of the woman is to act s a warm bath - reduce stress, relax the man after a long, stressful day at work. This reduces conflict in society
Robert Chester
Argues most people still choose the nuclear family, family diversity is exaggerated.
Only important change is move from conventional nuclear family to neo-conventional family: dual earner family where both spouses go to work
Jamieson
Disagrees.
Accuses parsons of ignoring how families perpetuated gender inequality. Argued Parsons’ work is theory based and not backed up with research
R.D Laing
In his book Sanity, Madness and the Family he argues the family does not stabilize adults, but can casually cause illnesses such a schizophrenia. Schizophrenia can be blamed on the parents
