Functionalists - George Murdock Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is the stable satisfaction of the sex drive?
Healthy sexual relationship with the same partner
How might social order be disrupted without the stable satisfaction of the sex drive?
Damage relationship via cheating
= Break up the nuclear family
How may the breaking up of the nuclear family influence children?
Children may reflect the cheating mentality
How may another institution perform the function of the stable satisfaction of the sex drive?
Sex industry -
Sex toys, workers, pornography, prostitution
What is the Reproduction of the next generation?
Procreation
How might social order be disrupted without reproduction?
No next generation
= Cannot share norms + values
= Cannot supply jobs to institutions
How may another institution perform reproduction?
IVF, adoption
What is the Socialisation of the very young?
Primary socialisation into value consensus
How might social order be disrupted without the Socialisation of the very young?
Won’t know right from wrong, and values gradually disappear
= Conflicts clash, may become anti-social
How may another institution perform Socialisation?
Education, media, religion, foster
What is Meeting its members economic needs?
Providing for family via clothing and food
How might social order be disrupted without the Economic needs being met?
Poverty
= Potential death
= Poor aspirations
How may another institution perform the Meeting the Economic needs?
Welfare system, food banks, Housing benefits
What is the critique?
Other institutions can perform these 4 functions and non-nuclear families
What 2 groups critique Functionalists?
Feminists and Marxists reject their ‘rose tinted’ view
What do Feminists argue?
Family oppresses women but superiores men
What do Marxists argue?
Functionalism meets needs of capitalism, not family/society
What do ‘rose tinted’ glasses mean?
With rose tinted glasses, the world looks better
= This is fake, it is not the same reality.
