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Topic 1-The functionalist view of the family
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Sociology2 Mind Map on Topic 1-The functionalist view of the family, created by kasia.lovatt on 11/05/2013.
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Topic 1-The functionalist view of the family
Functionalist theories of the family
Family exists as it has a function or purpose
Family seen to perform functions
benefits members and society as a whole
George Peter Murdock (1949)
4 universal functions performed by family in every society
Sexual
Rules limiting/forbidding sexual relationships outside marriage
Helps establish the social system
Without them, conflict may occure
Economic
Unit of production
Now a unit of consumption
Contribution to wider society
Reproduction
Main unit for producing children
Without it, society would cease to exitst
Educational
Primary socialisation
Without it, there would be no culture
There would be no consensus
Nuclear Family
Criticisms
He argues, other institutions can do these functions too.
Marxist and Feminists reject "Rose Tinted" theory
Functionalists neglect conflict and exploitation within family
Feminists
See the family as serving the needs of men and oppressing women
Marxists
Believe that family meets the needs of capitalism
Talcot Parsons (1955)
Focused of Nuclear family in modern industrial society
His main argument - family has become specialised due to industrialisation
Institutions such as school and social services have taken over some family functions since the industrial revolution
2 basic functions
1) Primary Socialisation
Parsons agued that every individual must learn the norms and values of society, to preserve consensus and social life
These must be 'internalised as part of the personality structure'
children's personalities come from societies culture, so it becomes part of them
2) The Stabilisation of Adult personalities
Unstable personalities can stop a smooth running of society
Families help to stabelise adult personalities
Marital partners - emotional support
Parent can indulge childish behaviour - playing with children
Results in release of strains and stresses and provides emotional security and support
Helps stabilise personality then society
Family has 'basic and irreducible' functions
Warm bath theory
Ronalf Fletcher (1966)
UK functionalist Sociologist
disagree with the notion that the family had lost its functions
Suggests that families can now concentrate on essential functions
Caring for family emotions and sexual needs
To him, it socialises the children by providing a stable home and 'warm bath' to soak away the stresses of the outside world
Nowadays, people have high expectations of personal relationships
No one tolerates empty shell marriages these days
Can be a reason why divorce has increased as people seek better
Worried that the family is becoming too enclosed a group
Privatised Nuclear Family
Criticisms of Functionalism
1) Functionilists idea of family are a happy couple who always gets along
Many have criticised that this is not realistic and don't know the realities of the family
2) Functionalists tend to focus on the positive side of life and barely acknowledge the negative side of families
Disfunctional families are payed very little attention on
3) Most of the functionalists only payed attention to the Nuclear Family (husband, wife and kids)
Rarely referred to reconstituted families, cohabitated families and other variations of families
4) Parson's theory is accused of being sexist.
He sees the wife/mother as having the main responsibility
Providing warmth and emotional support for husband
Cheal (2002)
Families are contexts of love and nurturance, but also contexts of violence and murder.
Functionalists tend to have a 'rose-tinted' view of family
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