Functionalism & New Right

Question 1

Define ‘consensus’.

Answer 1

A general agreement.

Question 2

What is a census society?

Answer 2

• A positive one
• Based around agreement
• Most important needs are cooperation, social order, and social solidarity
• Primary and secondary socialisation work together to produce harmony

Question 3

Define ‘function’ in terms of a Functionalist society.

Answer 3

The job that an institution does to contribute to the maintenance and continuation of social agreements.

Question 4

What Functionalist came up with the ‘Organic Analogy’?

Answer 4

Emile Durkheim

Question 5

Briefly outline what the Organic Analogy is.

Answer 5

• Every part of the body has a function to keep it alive and depends on other body parts
• This can be compared to the institutions in society in that they all depend on each other playing their part in keeping society going
• The body also has ways in which it can fight off disease and illnesses, whilst society utilitises organisations such as the police

Question 6

What would happen if one institution were to stop functioning, again comparing this to a human body.

Answer 6

• If an organ in the body were to fail then the rest of the body stops working due to organs being interdependent
• If an institution in society fails then the rest of society would break down, such as education failing leads to bad economy due to no educated workers

Question 7

Give 4 functions of the family in society.

Answer 7

1) To teach cultural norms and values
2) Personality factory - children’s personalities are formed by their parents
3) To train and mould the passive child in the image of society
4) Nuclear family is favoured because of the two separate gender parents

Question 8

Give 4 functions of education in society.

Answer 8

1) Learning conformity and consensus
2) To act as a social bridge between the family unit and wider society
3) Learn the values of achievement, competition and individualism
4) Social mobility - make working class, middle class due to education

Question 9

Give 3 functions of religion in society.

Answer 9

1) To value consensus by investing certain values with a sacred quality - community
2) Regulating our behaviour with regards to crime, etc
3) Moral codes, such as ones from the ten commandments

Question 10

What 2 things are used to maintain social order?

Answer 10

1) Socialisation - passing on norms and values of conformity for society to run smoothely
2) Social control and operation of sanctions within society

Question 11

Define ‘ascribed status’, giving an example.

Answer 11

A status that has been assigned to someone at birth (e.g. being a female).

Question 12

Define ‘achieved status’, giving an example.

Answer 12

A position someone has earned/chosen in society (e.g. becoming a doctor).

Question 13

Define ‘role allocation’, giving an example.

Answer 13

Putting the right people in the right job (e.g. people qualified for being a lawyer getting the job of a lawyer).

Question 14

Define ‘meritocracy’, giving an example.

Answer 14

Those with high merit and ability will do well (e.g. being clever and working hard will lead to success in school).

Question 15

Define ‘equality of opportunity’, giving an example.

Answer 15

Everyone having the same opportunities and so chance of success (e.g. education granting the same opportunities for each student and so everyone have the same chance of success)

Question 16

What do Functionalists say about inequality?

Answer 16

Because of their view of society being fair and meritocratic, they see inequality as being inevitable due to the talent that is considered to be the most valuable receiving the highest reward.

Question 17

Which family structure do Functionalists value most?

Answer 17

Nuclear family

Question 18

What 4 things did Murdock (1949) say about the functions of the family in society.

Answer 18

1) Stable satisfaction of the sex drive
- the women satisfy their husbands
2) Reproduction of the next generation
- keeping the population going
3) Socialisation
- norms and values of society
4) Economic needs
- the husbands being the breadwinner of the family

Question 19

What 5 things did Parsons (1955) say about the loss of functions of the family in society.

Answer 19

1) Family loses functions to other institutions
- the value of conformity overlaps family and education
2) Primary socialisation of children
3) Stablisation of adult personalities
- adults playing with their children to indulge their childish personalities
- husband and wife providing emotional support for each other

Question 20

What is meant by the ‘warm bath theory’?

Answer 20

Family removes the stresses of every day life as well as children giving adults purpose and responsibility.

Question 21

What 3 things did Fletcher (1970s) say to argue against the loss of functions of the family in society.

Answer 21

1) Family is still a ‘multi-functional unit’
- more than one purpose
2) Other institutions compliment the family
- rather than replacing it
3) The state supports families
- to help them fulfill their essential functions (like the Organic Analogy)

Question 22

What 3 things did Wilmott and Young (1973) say to argue against the loss of functions of the family in society.

Answer 22

1) Study of Bethnal Green (London)
- suggested a trend toward people living in smaller nuclear groups
2) Moving away from traditional extended family
3) Roles within the family become increasingly similar
- husbands take a larger share of housework and childcare

Question 23

List 4 criticisms of Functionalism.

Answer 23

1) Disregards the ideas of family life being toxic (e.g. domestic abuse)
2) Makes it seem as though inequality is acceptable and okay
3) Overlooks the conflicts in society due to being a consensus theory
4) Life chances may differ according to different social groups a person belongs to and so equality of opportunity is not so equal

Question 24

What does the New Right argue about the decline of the traditional nuclear family?

Answer 24

That it is the cause of some problems in society.

Question 25

What does the New Right say about the increase in family diversity?

Answer 25

That it’s problematic for social order and the essential role of socialisation that the nuclear family has previously performed.

Question 26

Which particular family structure does the New Right disagree with and why?

Answer 26

Lone person households (especially single mothers) because they lack the other gender, such as the father, to provide the male role model and the correct socialisation from that gender.

Question 27

What are the similarities between Functionalists and New Right views of the roles of husbands and wives in the family?

Answer 27

They believe that husbands, being the instrumental roles, should be the breadwinner and that women, being the expressive roles, should stay at home and look after the children.

Question 28

What is the major difference between Functionalism and New Right?

Answer 28

New Right (being political) is a more modern version of Functionalism (being sociological) and takes into account family diversity and its effect on society due to the difference in time period.

Question 29

What did David Marsland argue in relation to the Welfare State?

Answer 29

That lone parents are “married to the state” creating a dependency culture.

Question 30

What did Charles Murray argue about lone parents and the underclass?

Answer 30

• The generosity of the Welfare State encourages the dependency culture of lone parents, who also lack a male role model, encouraging delinquency and crime
• Says that the government should cut benefits to encourage self-reliance.

Question 31

List 3 criticisms of New Right.

Answer 31

1) Generalising and demonising lone parents
2) Over-praising the nuclear family, not as accepting to other family structures
3) No proof for the delinquency and crime rates being connected to lone parent households

Question 32

List the 5 main sociologists for Functionalism.

Answer 32

1) Durkheim
2) Murdock
3) Parsons
4) Fletcher
5) Wilmott and Young

Question 33

List the 2 main sociologists for New Right.

Answer 33

1) Marsland

2) Murray