Has the family lost its functions? Flashcards
YES – the family has lost its functions
The family has lost many of its traditional functions, as other societal institutions have taken over these roles. The education system now handles education, the welfare state has assumed the role of the extended family in providing support during financial hardship, the NHS has replaced the family’s role in healthcare, and the family is no longer a unit of production in the workforce as it was in pre-industrial society. However, functionalist sociologist Talcott Parsons argues that while the family has lost some functions, it still plays a crucial role in stabilising adult personalities and socializing children, making its remaining functions even more important.
NO – the family has not lost its functions
The argument against the family losing its functions is supported by Fletcher, who believes that the functions the family performs have grown in importance, rather than being replaced by other institutions. For example, while the education system and NHS provide additional support, the family remains central to the primary socialisation of children and the health and well-being of its members. The family also continues to be vital to the economy, not as a unit of production, but as a unit of consumption. Marxists argue that the family serves capitalism by socializing children into ruling class ideologies, with figures like Althusser and Engels emphasising the family’s role in maintaining the system and protecting private property. Zaretsky further suggests that the family supports capitalism by fostering consumerism through “false needs” created by advertising. Feminist perspectives, including Marxist and Radical feminists, argue that the family still functions to exploit women, reinforce patriarchal ideologies, and uphold capitalist structures by promoting the ideal family and supporting traditional gender roles.
