Functionalist Persp

Question 1

Murdock

Answer 1

Family performs 4 key functions to meet societies needs:
-Stable satisfaction of sex drive
-Reproduction
-Socialisation,into society norms
-Economic needs, food/shelter ect

Question 2

Critique of Murdock

Answer 2

-Could be equally performed by other institutions or non-nucleur families
-Marxists & Feminists: ‘rose-tinted consensus view’ that the family meets societies & members needs. Argue it ignores exploitation
F: family served the needs of the M, oppressing W
M: family meets needs of capitalism, not members or society

Question 3

Parsons

Answer 3

-‘Functional fit theory’-the functions a family performs depends on the type of society. Affects its structure eg nuclear, extended
-2 types of society: modern industrial (nuclear) & trad pre-industrial(ext)

Question 4

What is the modern family called

Answer 4

A mobile nucleus family, which is structurally isolated from extended kin.
-Alothough likely have contact but no binding obligation like in the past.

Question 5

Was the extended family dominant in pre-industrial society?

Answer 5

Young & Wilmott: the pre-ind family was nuclear, not extended as P claimed.
Study of English households 1564-1821: almost almost always nucleur. Combination of late childbearing & short life expectancy meant grandparents were unlikely alive very long after 1st grandchild.

Question 6

Did the family become nucleur in early industrial society?

Answer 6

-Young & Willmot: Argue the hardship gave rise to ‘mum centred’ wc extended families.(Ties between Mother & married daughters for financial, practical, emotional support)
-Study used exchange theory (breaking off or keeping ties w family due to costs/ benefits) to explain this, harsh conditions meant ext family was highly beneficial.
Eg older kin for childcare, taking orphaned kin for income ect

Question 7

Is the extended family no longer important in modern society?

Answer 7

-Young & Wilmott: from abt 1900 nucfam has emerged due to social changes that make ext fam less important for a source of support (partial support for P claims)
-Eg changes in living standards, married W working, higher life expectancy
BUT extfam still remains , continues due to same important functions

Question 8

Parsons (loss of function)

Answer 8

-Not only did the family change structure when society industrialised, it also lost many functions.
Ceased to be a unit of production: work moved into factories
Only a unit of consumption
Lost most functions to other institutions eg schl, health service ect

Question 9

Parsons (2 essential function of modern nucleur family)

Answer 9

-Primary socialisation, equip them w basic skills & values to integrate
-Stabilisation of adult personalities, place for adults to relax and release tension, allows them to meet work demands. Functional for efficiently of the economy