Familys Flashcards
Who are functionalists?
Functionalists are the structuralist theorists who see society as the organic analogy which means they think if one part of society stops working (falls ill) then society will stop working all together.
Why do institutions pass down norms and values?
They pass down norms and values because institutions must socialise us into our shared culture.
What is it called when society falls ‘ill’?
Destabilisation.
What are the negatives of functionalists?
They are too rose-tinted - This means that they ignore the dark side of society and only see the positive side.
Too deterministic - They forget that we have some free will to make decisions.
It is outdated - It was modern for their society and does not apply to contemporary society.
What kind of approach is functionalism?
It is a top-down approach.
Who are Marxists?
Marxists take a more negative approach to society. They believe the problem to all of our issues is capitalism. They are a conflict theory.
Who is George Murdock?
He is a functionalist.
What are his beliefs?
He believes in the nuclear patriachal family. 2 heterosexual parents and children. He believes that the family is ‘universal’. He believes that the wife should stay at home and that the husband should go to work and be the ‘breadwinner’.
What does Murdock fail to see?
He fails to see that some couples may not want children and some people may be single parents.
What are the four functions of the family?
- Economic
- Sexual regulation
- Education
- Reproductive function
