Functionalism & The Family Flashcards
(7 cards)
What did Talcott Parsons argue?
Warm bath theory: men come home after stressful days at work and can be refreshed for the next day by the family, like a warm bath.
2 functions: primary socialisation, stabilisation of adult personalities
Functional fit theory: the family fits the needs of society, as extended family was pre-industrial and declined to make way for the nuclear family in industrial society as the family needed to adapt. Meet the two needs of geographically and socially mobile.
What did George Murdock argue?
4 functions of the family in society:
Sexual: stable and satisfactory sexual relationships between a man and a woman.
Reproduction: reproducing the next generations to meet the needs of society.
Economic: financial meetings of needs of its members
Educational: socialises children into society’s shared culture, norms and values
Investigated 250 different societies and found the nuclear family present in all pf them, therefore it is universal, and fits the needs of society.
What did Robert Chester argue?
Extent of family diversity has been exaggerated, we still favour the nuclear family but it has adapted to the changes in social norms so is less traditional. Neo-conventional family, dual earners and fewer children and focuses on careers.
What are some evaluation points for functionalists?
- functionalists ignore the dark side of the family, like abuse and neglect and addiction.
What are some evaluation points for marxists?
Marxists would argue that the family is a tool for capitalist oppression, reproducing and legitimising class inequalities.
What are some evaluation points for feminists?
Feminists argue that the family is the base for a patriarchal society, and it reproduces traditional gender roles like instrumental and expressive.
What are some evaluation points for postmodernists?
Postmodernists argue that the family has adapted to meet the needs of a postmodern society that is diverse, fragmented and full of choice and risk
