Functionalism Flashcards
What is the functionalist view of the family?
Functionalists see the family as a vital subsystem a basic building block for society or a vital organ for the body of society
What are Murdocks four functions of the family?
Sexual - preventing the social disruption caused by sexual free for all for example STDs and teen pregnancy
Reproduction - to ensure society continues
Socialisation - into society shared norms and values
Economic -meeting needs such as food and shelter
Criticisms of Murdock
-he has a rose tinted consensus view
-He also argues only a nuclear family can perform these functions due to their practicality
However, some argue other families and institutions can carry out these functions
Marxists - family meets the needs of capitalism not the needs of family members and society as a whole
Feminist – family meets the needs of men and oppresses women
What is the warm bath theory?
Created by Parsons
Refers to when a man comes home from a hard day at work, he relaxes into his family like a warm bath . it should take away his stress and refresh him for new days of work
What are the functions of the nuclear family according to Parsons?
Socialisation and stabilising adult personalities
What does socialisation mean?
Passing society, norms and values onto the new generations
What does stabilising adult personalities mean?
Family is a place where adults can relax and release tension enabling them to go to the workplace feeling refreshed
This is functional for the economy efficiency
What is Parsons best fit theory?
Family has adapted and changed to fit the needs of society at that particular time
What type of family best suited a pre-industrial society?
Extended family
What type of family best suits an industrial society?
Nuclear family
What type of family best suits an industrial society?
Nuclear family
According to Parsons, what is an industrial society 2 needs?
A geographically mobile workforce
Socially mobile workforce
What is meant by a geographically mobile workforce?
Before the industrial revolution, the extended family lived together , worked on the same farm and depended on each other in the same village
However, when the Industrial Revolution occurred it created more jobs and required people to move to these jobs
A nuclear family moving to jobs in new urban areas
Therefore the nuclear family fits better through modern industry as it’s easier to move less people
What is meant by socially mobile workforce?
Specialised Agencies were developed to take over earlier family roles
For example an elderly family member in an extended family would previously educate and look after the health of the children
but now in modern day society we have agency such as education and hospitals to carry out these roles so we don’t need thesse family members to carry out these roles anymore
Criticisms of Parsons
Young and Wilmott and Laslett
Suggest the pre-industrial family was nuclear and not extended
Hardship of early industrial period gave rise to a mum centred working class
