Theories of the Family - Functionalism

Question 1

what is functionalism

Answer 1

Functionalim is a consensus theory that emphasises integration and harmony between the different parts of society.

Question 2

what do they see the family as

Answer 2

They see the family as a vital organ in maintaining the ‘body’ of society, just as the heart is an important organ in maintaining the ‘body’ and without it society will collapse.

Question 3

what functions of the family do functionalists mainly focus on?

Answer 3

The postivies functions it serves

Question 4

who are the key theorists

Answer 4

Murdock 1949
Parsons 1959

Question 5

whatt theories did Murdock and Parsons come up with?

Answer 5

1. Murdock identified 4 functions
2. Parsons developed the functional fit theory and the irreducible functions of the families

Question 6

how did Murdock arrive at his theory of the family

Answer 6

He compared 250 societies around the world and observed how they worked.

Question 7

what conclusion did Murdock come to after conducting his study

Answer 7

He concluded that the family was the most important unit of each society. It is an important subsystem that acts as a basic building block of society.

Question 8

what did Murdock argue are the 4 main functions of the family

Answer 8

1. Socialization
2. Reproduction
3. Economic
4. Sexual

Question 9

Function of the family according to Murdock - Socialization

Answer 9

The family is an important unit of primary socialisation of children, whereby children learn socially acceptable behaviour and shared norms and values. This helps to build the value consensus

Question 10

Examples of the nuclear family functioning as a unit of primary socialization

Answer 10

Cherlin in this Family Structure Study investiagted the relatioship between family structure and the primary socialization. The result showed that children who grew up in a co parent nuclear family had better otucones in terms of academic acheivement compared to those who grew up in single parent families, this suggests that the nuclear family is able to properly instill society shared norms and values in their children which also translates to better academic achievement because the school operates on the same value consensus
Child Development Study- Piaget in the 20s and the 30s, investigated how children develop cognitively and socially. The results showed thst children learn through interactions with their parents which impacts their developments and future interactions.

Question 11

Function of the family according to Murdock - Reproduction with examples

Answer 11

The nuclear family functions to reproduce the next generation, without it society will not society
According to the ONS 2018, 48% of Nuclear Families had children compared to 25% of single parents

Question 12

Function of the family according to Murdock - Economic with examples

Answer 12

The family functions to meet its members economic needs such as the provision of food and shelther for its family members
The Family Economic Study conducted in the 1980s & 90s investigated the role of the nuclear family in the allocation of resources and the results showed that the Nuclear Family actively made decisions that maximise their joint-economic well-being, including decisions about consumption. This shows that the nuclear family can function as an economic unit, with families making decisions and allocating resources in ways that meet the needs of its members.

Question 13

Function of the family according to Murdock - Sexual

Answer 13

The nuclear family allows partners to express sexuality in a socially approved context. It ensures stable satisfaction of the sex druve with the same partner, preventing the social disruption caused by a sexual ‘free-for-all’

Question 14

what does Parsons agree with Murdock on

Answer 14

The idea that the family has important functions

Question 15

what does Parsons disagree with Murdock on?

Answer 15

He unlike murdock, argues that the family changes based on space, time and the society a person lives in.

Question 16

what theory does Parsons develop

Answer 16

Functional Fit Theory

Question 17

what is the functional fit theory

Answer 17

The functions that the family performs will depend on the kind of society in which it is found

Question 18

how many types of society does Parsons argue there is

Answer 18

2

Question 19

What are the two basic society types identified by Parsons

Answer 19

Industrial Society
Pre - Industrial Society

Question 20

what family type was popular in the pre-industrial society and why?

Answer 20

The extended family as most people would live in the same village and farm and so that type of family met their needs as everyone worked together on the farm

Question 21

examples of extended family in pre - industrial family

Answer 21

In traditional agarian societies, extended families often lived and worked together on farms or in small communities, sharing resources and responsibilities. This allowed for intergenerational support with older family members providng guidance and care for younger generations contributing to the family’s livelihood
In ancient Rome, the ‘familia’ was the central unity of society and often consisted of mulitiple generations. The familia was responsible for the various tasks, such as caring for the elderly and taking care of the family’s assests which included farms.

Question 22

what type of family is present in industrial societies according to Parsons and why

Answer 22

Nuclear Families. This is because accrording to parsons society is constantly evolving with new technologies as a result, the extended family has largely disappeared in modern families.

Question 23

why has the extended family dissapeared in modern societies?

Answer 23

The nuclear family perfectly meets the needs of mobility.

Question 24

why does the nuclear family meet the needs of contemporaty society

Answer 24

Contemporary society has a specialised division of labour, with a wide range of different occupations with different incomes and lifestyles. This means that the Labour Force needs to be geographically mobile to be able to move around the country to areas where their skills are required, to improve their education or gain promotion. This often involves leaving relatives behind, thus weakening the traditional extended family life. The isolated nuclear family is therefore suited to this requirement because it is small in size and it is not tied down by responsibilities for extended kin, who in earlier times, might have been living with them.

Question 25

examples of nuclear family in industrial society

Answer 25

In Western societies like the US and Europe, the nuclear family structure has become the norm since the industrial revolution. This change has been driven by the growth of urbanization, the decline in traditional industries and the development of factory systems.

Question 26

what does parsons happened to the family since industralisation

Answer 26

It has lost its functions

Question 27

what happened as a result of the family losing its functions

Answer 27

It developed 2 essential and irreducible functions

Question 28

what are those irreducible functions

Answer 28

1. Primary Socialisation of Children
2. The Stabilisation of Adult Personalities

Question 29

primary socialisation of children - parsons

Answer 29

Nuclear Families equip children with basic skills and society’s values, to enable them to cooperate with others and begin to integrate them into society

Question 30

The Stabilisation of Adult Personalities - Parsons with examples

Answer 30

A family is a place where adults can relax and release tensions, enabling them to return to the workplace refreshed and ready to meet its demands, which is functional for the efficiency of the economy.
A study on Stress Reduction conducted by the University of Cambridge found that individuals who have a strong sense of family support report fewer levels of stress. This suggests that the Nuclear Family can serve as a source of support and comfort, allowing individuals to cope with challenges and workplace tensions.

Question 31

how do parsons suggest the family helps stabilise adult personalities

Answer 31

By sexual division of labour

Question 32

what is the sexual division of labour

Answer 32

The woman performs the expressive role, which involves providing for the caring, nurturing and emotional needs of the children and husband. While the man is suited to have an instrumental role being the breadwinner who provides the economic needs of the family. The male partner carrying out the instrumental role as family breadwinner leads to stress and anxiety which threatens to destabilise his personality, the wife releases tension by providing love and understanding. The sexual division of labour into instrumental and expressive roles, therefore, contributes to the stabilization of adult personalities.

Question 33

criticisms of Functional fit theory

Answer 33

According to Young and Willmott, the preindustrial society was nuclear not extended as parsons claims with parents and children working together in cottage industries
Laslett’s study of English Households from 1564-1821 found that they were almost always nuclear. The combination of late childbearing and short life expectancy meant that the grandparents were unlikely to be alive for a very long time after the birth of their first grandchild.
The extended family has not disappeared, as they continue to provide vital support.

Question 34

Marxist Criticism of Functionalism

Answer 34

Marxism is a conflict theory which believes society is in a constant conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, and every institution in society is controlled by the ISA and RSA, which are owned by the bourgeoise, as a result of the family being an institution in a capitalist society, they argue that it exists to meet the needs of capitalism not the needs of individual members of the family and society as a whole. They argue that the reason why the family is upheld is to serve an ideological purpose such as function as a unit of consumption which in turn meets the needs of capitalism.

Question 35

Feminist Critic

Answer 35

Rad Fems argue that a family is patriarchal and is a unit for men to be served as opposed to the needs of women, they argue that it maintains male dominance.
General feminist view - They argue that functionalists paint a rosy picture of the family, presenting it as a harmonious institution which ignores the darker side of the family such as domestic violence. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, it is estimated that about one in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner and functionalists ignore this by insisting that the family is a well-integrated institution.
Functionalists ignore the exploitation of women. They are expected to take on the expressive role which feminists argue leads to stress as they are solely responsible for the housework and children in a traditional nuclear family