functionalist perspective Flashcards
talcott parsons
argues that the family is the main centre for primary socialisation where children are taught the basic norms and values of society. this idea aligns with his belief that the nuclear family is the best family type to provide children with a stable upbringing
instrumental and expressive roles
additionally, the nuclear unit provides women with clear and distinct social roles. for example, men adopt the instrumental role where theyre expected to provide for the economic needs of the family while women are best suited to the expressive role where theyre responsible for the emotional care of the family
how do interpretivist sociologists criticise parsons theory
Interactionists criticise Functionalism for being a deterministic theory – human behaviour is portrayed as being shaped by their socialisation, as if children are empty vessels pumped full of culture by their parents. this is overly deterministic as it ignores that the consumer society and globalisation allow much more opportunity for individuals to shape their own identities in an active way.
Conflict theorists (Marxists and Feminists) point out that Functionalists have a rose tinted view of society
– they focus too much on the positive functions that institutions perform, ignoring the negative ways in which institutions and socialisation can have on certain people. Feminists for example argue that the traditional nuclear family, which is seen as necessary by Parsons, oppresses women, as they are expected to fulfil the housewife role, which ultimately makes women dependent on men for an income, and ends up benefitting men who benefit from women’s emotional and domestic labour. They also ignore the ‘dark side of family life’ – domestic violence which official statistics suggest accounts for 1/3 of all reported violence.
functional fit theory
parsons argue that our family types and structures have been shaped by the industrial revolution as different society require the family to perform different functions. to illustrate this, parsons argued that there were two types of society; pre-industrial society and industrial society. furthermore, as society became more industrialised families had to evolve to meet the needs of a geographically mobile workforce and this meant that families moved to urban areas, leaving behind the extended family.
how do Marxists criticise parsons functional fit theory
marxists are critical of the functionalist contention that the nuclear family has evolved to benefit society. for example, Marxists generally see the family as serving the interests of the middle class. in particular, Engels claimed that the nuclear family became popular after the industrial revolution because the ruling class wanted to keep wealth within the family. he observed that marriage was a useful tool for passing on inheritance to the next generation, and thus, wealth is kept within the bourgeoisie
