functionalists Flashcards
murdock: four functions of the family
- scoialisation
- economic
- reproductive
- sexual
parsons believed women played an…
expressive role > responsible for socialisation and stabalisation
pasrons believed men played an…
instrumental role > the economic upkeep of the family
pasrons: two functions of the family
- primary socialisation
- stablisation of adult personalities
parsons: pre industrial society
- most common family was the enxtended family
- multi functional
- responsible for food, clothing, education, and healthcare
parsons: industrial society
- the nuclear family
- no longer self sufficient
- more individualistic
- structural differentiation
structural differentiation
- specialised agencies take over functions of the family like food, shelter and clothing
- state agencies took over functions like health and education
social structure 1949
murdocks study
- 250 societies provided a definition of the family
- nuclear family was a universal social unit
the organic analogy
durkiem
Society functions like the body it is self maintained and helps in maintaining other aspects of society the family is described as the heart
top down
control is exerted form the top i.e. government and those in power this is positive as it works successfully
functionalists
consensus theorists
social chnage must happen naturally
critiques of murdock: are the family functions effective?
reproductive
women are now deciding not to have children
sexual
sex before marriage is now the norm
evidence: women deciding not to have children
“more than half of the women in england and wales were without a child when they tuned 30 in 2020” according to ONS
evidence: sex before marriage
“95% of americans had sex before marriage” accoridng to NIH
critiques of murdock: family diversity
- murdocks theory failed to keep up with modern trends
- women are now in the workforce
- different family forms that still perform the four functiosn
critiques of murdock: feminist
murdock suggested womens main role was to nuture however most families are dual career and socialisation has now changed to nurseries and grandparents
critiques of parsons: peter laslett
suggests most common family type was nuclear in pre industrial society
critique of pasrons: ronald fletcher
structural differentiation did not lead to a loss of functions in the family he argues the family still carries out the functions but is now asisted by the state
