Functionalist

Question 1

Why is the family seen as a virtual organ?

Answer 1

As it has many functions that it does for society to survive and become stable

Question 2

Murdock says the family provides 4 functions, what are these?

Answer 2

Sexual
Reproduction
Socialisation
Economic

Question 3

Why did Murdock believe the family was universal?

Answer 3

Because the nuclear family was found in all societies to preform these functions

Question 4

What did functionalists believe in?

Answer 4

That the family is virtual organ in the family

Question 5

What did parsons argue?

Answer 5

The family only provided two functions

Question 6

What were the two functions parsons argued the family provides?

Answer 6

Primary socialisation of children

Stabilisation of human personalities

Question 7

What is the primary socialisation of human personalities?

Answer 7

Family does this by sexual division of labour, women oppression and men instrumental

Question 8

What primary socialisation of children ?

Answer 8

The family socialisation children to accept values and norms in society, so this becomes part of there personality and the family does this as its stable and Lovin place to do this

Question 9

What did all the funcionalists believe?

Answer 9

Over time the extended family had disspeared and the nuclear family had rised.

Question 10

What did all the functions say the six reasons for decline in marriage are?

Answer 10

Geographically ability 
Social mobility 
Increase I. Wealth and welfare state
Growth in meritocracy
Avoid status and wealth differences
The need to protect family by strengthing the bonds of the partners

Question 11

Cristian’s of what the functionalists believed?

Answer 11

Out of date
Down play of conflict
Ignores exploitation of women
Ignores harmful effects of family

Question 12

What does Murdock say the function economic mean?

Answer 12

Providing food and shelter

Question 13

What does the need for geographical mobility mean?

Answer 13

The labour force needs to be geographically mobile to be able to move around the country to areas where skills are required, to improve their education or gain promotion

Question 14

What does higher rate of social mobility in contemporary societies mean?

Answer 14

That people can move up or down the social scale compared to the family they were born into

Question 15

What does the growth in people’s wealth and income as society has got richer and the wed are state has developed mean

Answer 15

People are much better off today and the welfare state has taken over a number of functions previously preformed by family such as education

Question 16

What does the growth in meritocracy mean?

Answer 16

Contemporary societies require more skills and education for jobs and are more metriocratic

Question 17

What does metitocracic mean?

Answer 17

A society where occupation status is mainly achieved on the Basis of talent, skill and educational qualifications rather than who you know or the family you were born into

Question 18

What does the need to avoid the possibility of economic and status differences in a n extended family and causing conflict and familybinstability mean

Answer 18

The different occupations, incomes, lifestyles and statuses of extended family members who live together might be a source of family conflict and instability