General Critisisms Of Functionalists Veiws

Question 1

Downplaying conflict

Answer 1

Both Murdock and parsons paint a very Rosy picture of family life however they downplay conflict in the family particularly the darker side of family like the vilonce towards woman and child abuse

Question 2

Being out of date

Answer 2

Parsons views on the instrumental role and expressive role is very old fashioned. It may have some truth in the 1950s but today with the majority of woman in paid work and blurring of gender roles it seems that both partners are more likely to take on both roles

Question 3

Ignoring the exploration of woman

Answer 3

Functionalist tend to ignore the way woman suffer from the sexual division of labour in the family. Even today’s woman still end up being the primary child career in 90% of families and suffer the burden of extra work

Question 4

Functionalism is too deterministic

Answer 4

This means that they ignore the fact that children actually creat their own personalities.