the functionalist perspective of family Flashcards
The Functionalist View of Society
Functionalists see the family as a particularly important institution as they see it as the ‘basic building block’ of society which performs the crucial functions of socialising the young and meeting the emotional needs of its members. Stable families underpin social order and economic stability.
Murdock suggested there were ‘four essential functions’ of the nuclear family:
- Stable satisfaction of the sex drive – within monogamous relationships, which prevents sexual jealousy.
- The biological reproduction of the next generation – without which society cannot continue.
- Socialisation of the young – teaching basic norms and values
- Meeting its members economic needs – producing food and shelter for example.
Criticisms of Murdock
Feminist Sociologists argue that arguing that the family is essential is ideological because traditional family structures typically disadvantage women.
It is feasible that other institutions could perform the functions above.
Anthropological research has shown that there are some cultures which don’t appear to have ‘families’ – the Nayar for example.
Parsons – Functional Fit Theory
His functional fit theory is that as society changes, the type of family that ‘fits’ that society, and the functions it performs change
society has moved from pre-industrial to industrial – and the main family type has changed from the extended family to the nuclear family. The nuclear family fits the more complex industrial society better, but it performs a reduced number of functions.
the extended family and the fit thesis
Such a large family unit ‘fitted’ pre-industrial society as the family was entirely responsible for the education of children, producing food and caring for the sick – basically it did everything for all its members.
how the nucleur family fits pre industrial society
This type of family ‘fits’ industrial societies because it required a mobile workforce. The extended family was too difficult to move when families needed to move to find work to meet the requirements of a rapidly changing and growing economy. Furthermore, there was also less need for the extended family as more and more functions, such as health and education, gradually came to be carried out by the state.
Criticisms of Parson’s Theory of Functional Fit
It’s too ‘neat’ – social change doesn’t happen in such an orderly manner:
Laslett found that church records show only 10% of households contained extended kin before the industrial revolution. This suggests the family was already nuclear before industrialisation.
Young and Wilmott found that Extended Kin networks were still strong in East London as late as the 1970s.
Parsons – The two essential or irreducible functions of the family
- Primary Socialisation – The nuclear family is still responsible for teaching children the norms and values of society
- The stabilisation of adult personalities
According to Parsons working life in Industrial society is stressful and the family is a place where the working man can return and be ‘de-stressed’ by his wife, which reduces conflict in society.
The Positive Functions of the Family
- The reproduction of the next generation
- primary socialisation
- The family provides psychological security and security, especially for men one might say
criticisms of the Functionalist perspective on the family
- Downplaying Conflict
Both Murdock and Parsons paint a very rosy picture of family life - Being out of Date
Parson’s view of the instrumental and expressive roles of men and women is very old-fashioned - Ignoring the exploitation of women
Functionalists tend to ignore the way women suffer from the sexual division of labour in the family. - Functionalism is too deterministic
This means it ignores the fact that children actively create their own personalities
