Functionalist

• Murdock studied 250 different societies and came up with 4 functions of the family
• Murdock 4 functions of the family are;

  Sexual, Reproductive, Educational and Economic
• The sexual function means sexual gratification for spouses and it is limited outside of marriage
• The reproductive function will provide more members for society
• The education function socialises the family into shared norms and values of society
• The economic function provides food and shelter for its members
• Murdocks research can be criticised as outdated
• Parsons says there is two basic functions of the family
• Parsons 2 functions are; primary socialisation of children and stabilisation of adult personalities
• Primary Socialisation function means equipting children with basic skills and societies values
• Stabilisation of adult personalities means the mother provides a caring environment for adults to relax
• Parsons says men and women biologically have two roles in the family
• Parsons says women are biologically the expressive member
• Parsons says men are biologically the instrumental function
• The Expressive member is a home-making that cares for the children
• The Instrumental member is the bread winner who provides financial stability
• Parsons thinks the nuclear family has not always existed and will adapt with society
• Parsons believes since industrialisation the family has lost its functions
• Fletcher argues the family has not lost its functions but they have been supplemented
• Examples of Fletchers family being supplemented are the NHS, education and media