Sociology

• What is the functionlist perspective of the family?


  the family meets the needs of society by socialising children into shared norms and values, a value consensus leading to social harmony and stability. The family provides security for conception, birth and nurture of new members of society
• What is the male role in the family according to a functionalist?

  • the family stabilises adult personalities
  • helps to maintain a stable society through the sexual division of labour
  • men perform the instrumental role : the role of the 'breadwinner' which can lead to stress and anxiety and can destabilise his personality
• what is the female role in the family according to a functionalist?

  • woman plays the expressive role in the family
  • provides warmth, security and emotional support to the family
• what is a value consensus?

  a set of shared norms and values into which society socialise its members. It enables it members to coorperate harmoniously to meet societies needs and achieve shared goals
• Who believed that the march of progress view is an over exaggeration as women do a majority of domestic labour?

  Anne Oakley
• What is a social norm?

  Unwritten rule or behaviour
• Durkheim:

  • Argued that class stratification existed because it functional and beneficial to social order
  • Saw modern societies as characterised by specialised occupational division in which people have different jobs, skills and abilities
  • Believe stratification is beneficial because it sets limits on competition and aspirations, links skills and qualifications to roles so that people don't become too over ambitious and are then not disappointed if they fail