Functionalist and New Right Theories On Family Flashcards
What does Murdock argue?
That family is a universal institution that performs 4 major functions
Define universal institution
It exists everywhere
What are the 4 main functions that the universal institution performs and who argues this?
Murdock
Stable satisfaction
Reproduction
Socialisation of youth
Meeting its members’ economic needs
What is the first main function and explain it further? Murdock
Stable satisfaction
-of the sex drive with the same partner, preventing the social disruption caused by sexual ‘free-for-all’
-spouses can sexually satisfy each other which relieves stress
What is the second main function and explain it further? Murdock
Reproduction
-of the next generation, without which society would not be able to continue
What is the third main function and explain it further? Murdock
Socialisation of youth
-into society’s shared norms and values
What is the fourth main function and explain it further? Murdock
Meeting its members’ economic needs
-such as shelter and food w/ in family
-family members cans support each other financially
-reduces pressure on welfare state
Evaluation of Murdock’s view on the family
-Marxists and Feminists
-reject his ‘ROSE-TINTED’ consensu view that family meets the needs of both wider society and all members of the family
THEY ARGUE THAT:
-functionalism neglects conflict and exploitation, FOR EXAMPLE:
-Feminist:
see family as serving needs of men and oppressing women
-Marxists:
argue that family meets the needs of capitalism, not those of a family members or society as a whole
Murdock is a
Functionalist
Parsons is a
Functionalist
Parsons views on the family
-believes every family in every society has 2 ‘basic and irreducible’ functions:
-primary socialisation of children
-stabilisation of the adult personalities
Parsons believes every family has
‘2 BASIC & IRREDUCIBLE’ functions
Explain Parsons’ first basic and irreducible function of the family ?
Primary socialisation
-takes place in early years of a child’s life w/ in the family group
-during this period, child learns basic elements of the culture into which she or he has been born
-pass down values e.g
-respecting authority, not stealing, respecting private property.
leading to value consensus in society which helps to reduce conflict and promote agreement
Explain Parsons’ second basic and irreducible function of the family ?
stabilisation of adult personalities
-the family gives the individual adult a ‘safety-valve’
- a place where he/she can relax, escape the stresses and strains of the world outside and feel emotionally secure 2
-often known as ‘warm bath theory’
Warm bath theory
family provides an emotional haven in a sometimes harsh and competitive world where we can gain comfort
-crucial to this is the ‘expressive female’ who cares for her husband and stabilises after the stresses of work world
Evaluation of Parsons
About second basic and irreducible function:
-stabilisation of adult personalities
Marxists Zaretsky argues:
-that family only provides this emotional support in order to encourage its members to continue to work another day under the harsh realities of capitalism
-the family is therefore a servant of the capitalist state which looks after the needs of exploited workers at no cost to employers
2.0 Parsons ARGUES
The theory of ‘fit’
Parsons’ theory of ‘fit’
that the dominant structure of the family best suits the needs of the economy at the time
-means that nuclear families ‘fit’ an industrial economy because they are geographically mobile and not reliant on wider kin
-this is because family members can easily move to the centre of production
Parsons concludes that
theory of ‘fit’
parsons concludes that only nuclear families could provide the achievement-orientated and geographically mobile workforce required by modern economies
Parsons’ functional ‘fit’ theory’s views on extended families
that Extended families was more suited to pre-industrialised society, when large families could live and work together on agricultural land, but the nuclear family was more beneficial to an industrial society
Parsons think the nuclear family is better suited to industrial society for two reasons:
- Geographical mobility
- Social mobility
Nuclear family is better suited to industrial society for two reasons:
Geographical mobility-
- Geographical mobility-
when urban areas developed and jobs became available in cities, it was easier to move a smaller family unit (i.e nuclear, rather than extended)
Nuclear family is better suited to industrial society for two reasons:
Social mobility-
status was ascribed in pre-industrial society, so all extended family members were on the same level
However, in industrial society, the changing nature of work and education meant that status became achieved
The status difference in large families caused conflicts; therefore, they seperated into nuclear families
Evaluation for Parsons’ theory of ‘fit’
-according to willmott & young
-the pre-industrial family tended to be nuclear not extended as parsons claimed
-parents and children working tg in cottage industries such as weaving
-they also argue that the hardship of the early industrialised period have rise to the mother-centred working class extended family, based on ties between mothers and their married daughters, who relied on each other for financial, practical and emotional support
-tamara hareven
-concludes that extended families, not nuclear as claimed by parsons
=BEST EQUIPPED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF early industrial society
Tamara Hareven RESEARCH evidence and who was she ?
-opposed parsons’ theory of ‘fit’
her research showed how extended migrant families in America in the 19th century acted as a source for support and mutual aid, as well as promoting geographical mobility by helping newcomers find work
For functionalism the family means
nuclear family
Why do functionalists prefer nuclear families?
-its beneficial for society
-other forms may lead to dysfunctional family life
-negative effect on society as a whole
Which other perspective is a form of neo-functionalism
The New Right Perspective
What does The New Right Perspective argue?
that the decline of nuclear family and the rise of the nuclear family and rise of other families means
-that the essential functions outlined by Parsons are not taking place
-leading to problems in society in general
Examples of neo-functionalists
Dennis
Murray
Dennis
1993
argues that divorce, remarriage and single parenthood has weakened rs in the family and this has a negative affect on the ability of families to effectively socialise their kids leading to more deviance and criminal behaviour
Murray
1998
supports Dennis
-argues that increase in single parenthood is leading to an underclass of criminal and lazy individuals with little social responsibility
Overall evaluation of functionalist theories
Functionalist analysis of family
-ethnocentric
-based on middle class Americans
-neglect influences such as ethnicity, social class or religion
Evaluation
Evidence of functionalist view being ethnocentric
Parsons does not consider the fact that
-wealth or poverty may determine whether women stay at home to look after children or not
Evaluation
Evidence of functionalist view lacking historical validity
What does this mean?
Parsons wrote in 1950s
-many western societies including uk have become multicultural after that post 1950
this means that…
-Religious and ethnic subcultural diffs. may mean that Parsons’ version of the family in NO LONGER RELEVANT IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY
Evaluation
Feminist view on functionalist views and theories
Functionalists:
- ignore the ‘dark side’ of the family -conflict between wifey and hubby
- give insufficient attention to the dysfunctions of the family- harmful effects it may have on wider society
Define ‘dark side’ of family
conflict between wifey and hubby, male dominance, child abuse, domestic violence etc.
Evaluation
Interpretivist view on functionalists
-functionalists tend to neglect the meanings families have for individuals and how family members interpret family relationships
