Functionalism in the family Flashcards
What is the beliefs of functionalism?
A successful society has a stable social structure
- diff institutions perform unique functions that contribute to the maintenance of the whole thing
What is a structural consensus?
Social structure that shapes individuals behavior through the process of socialization (power exerted throughout)
What is social solidarity?
Individuals feel apart of something bigger and teaching them standards of acceptance behavior, achieved through family and wider society
- traditionally achieved through religion, secularization = crisis of anomie
What did Durkheim say about anomie?
Too much freedom = individuals suffer from uncertainty, fear, lack of morality and their ontology (confusion about their place in the world) = anomie
What is value consensus?
Shared understanding of a society or group in regards to fundamental values and beliefs that shape and guide behavior and social norms
What is the organismic analogy by Spencer?
All institutions have similar functions to organs within a body in that within society they’re interdependent and more complex together and capable than individually.
What does functionalism focus on?
Nuclear heterosexual families to the exclusion of other families
- functions change over time, mostly due to industrialization
- industrialization grew and kinship broke up, directly impacting on family structures
What does Parson’s theory consist of?
- Structural differentiation
- Stabilization of adult personalities
- Primary socialization
- Move from extended
- Expressive VS Instrumental
What is meant by structural differentiation?
Industrialization lead to new, more specialized social institutions to take over some functions of the family
- EG: Factories, schools and hospitals
What is meant by primary socialisation?
Socialization during early years of childhood
- child’s personality molded to immerse core values of society into them
- Factory analogy: process and systems available to continually reproduce human personalities in a warm, secure environment
What is meant by the stabilization of adult personalities?
Emphasizes emotional security found within marital relationships
- balances out stress of everyday life
What theory relates to the stabilization of adult personalities?
Steel and Kidd: Warm bath theory
What is the Warm bath theory?
Family provides stress relief by creating a safe environment
- adults can be themselves and act out the childish dimension of their personality
- acts as a safety valve, prevents stress and strengthens social stability
What is meant by the move from extended?
Structure and functions of a family depends on the kind of society it’s found
- 5 main reasons for the move from extended nuclear of preindustrial society to isolated nuclear
What’s reason 1?
Geographically mobile
- necessary for people and families to move around the world/country to find work, improve education and promotion
