Functionalism Flashcards
Criticisms of Murdock
- Implies that certain family types are not quite as beneficial as two heterosexual parents
- INTERPRETIVISTS: Murdock fails to see the family as a product of culture and it appears in different forms even in the same society
- Not universal, The Nayar
Talcott Parsons two types of society
Traditional pre industrial
(Agriculture/farming/ self sufficient)
Modern industrial
(Earn a wage to buy food)
What family was dominant in pre industrial?
Extended Family - more members around to serve the needs of family e.g. Health care, child care etc)
What family is dominant in the modern industrial
The Nuclear Family
Pre industrial was a multi function unit. What was it a unit of?
It was a unit of production and consumption
The modern industrial family ceased to be a unit of production and just became a unit of what?
Unit of consumption. People no longer worked in the fields, they worked in factories and earned a wage
What other functions did the family loose to specialised agencies?
Health care and schooling
What is structural differentiation?
The loss of functions within the family
Because of Structural Differentiation what are Parsons two specialised functions?
1) primary socialisation of children
2) socialisation of adult personalities
What is primary socialisation of children?
Socialises children into a values consensus for integration and social order. Gender role, pattern of behaviour expected by their gender
What is stabilisation of adult personalities?
Relieve work tensions at home enabling them to return to work feeling refreshed. This functions for society and the economy. “Warm bath theory”
George Murdock’s 4 essential functions
1) Stable satisfaction of the sex drive
2) Reproduction of the next generation
3) Socialisation of the young (into norms and values)
4) meeting members economic needs
(Food/shelter AND divisions on labour)
