functionalism

• Functionalism


  Believes social structure of society is responsible for shaping the behaviour of individuals
• Society


  • Based on a value consensus (a set of shared norms and values)
  • Socialises its members
  • Enables them to cooperate to meet society's needs and achieve shared goals
• Society


  Like the body, all parts work together in order to function. Each part has a role to play
• Functionalists


  Regard society as a system made up of different parts or sub-systems that depend on each other, such as the family, the education system and the economy
• Believes


  Social structure of society is responsible for shaping the behaviour of individuals
• Successful society


  • Underpinned by the need for social order and economic stability
• Society


  Based on a value consensus (a set of shared norms and values) which society socialises its members, enabling them to cooperate to meet society's needs and achieve shared goals
• Family


  A particularly important sub-system, a basic building block of society
• Society


  • Like the body, all parts work together in order to function
  • Each part has a role to play
• Functionalists


  Regard society as a system made up of different parts or sub-systems that depend on each other, such as the family, the education system and the economy
• Murdock studied 250 cultures and led him to believe the family is a universal institution, as in each there was various forms of family
• Basic needs of a successful society

  • Social order
  • Economic stability
• Nuclear family


  A social group characterized by common residence, includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults
• Family


  A particularly important sub-system, a basic building block of society
• Murdock


  Studied 250 cultures and led him to believe family is a universal institution, as in each there was various forms of family
• Nuclear family (Murdock's definition)


  A social group characterized by common residence, includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults
• Four universal functions of the nuclear family essential to the continued existence and smooth running of society

  • Reproduction
  • Sexual
  • Economic
  • Educational
• Four universal functions of the nuclear family essential to the continued existence and smooth running of society (Murdock)


  • Reproduction
  • Sexual
  • Economic
  • Educational
• Reproduction


  Society requires new members to ensure its survival (ideally occurs within a marital and family context)
• Reproduction function


  Society requires new members to ensure its survival, ideally occurs within a marital and family context
• Sexual function


  Beneficial to the individual and society as it prevents the social disruption caused by a sexual free-for-all. The nuclear family thus functions to positively regulate sexual behaviour and therefore functions for the good of both the individual and society
• Sexual function


  Beneficial to the individual and society as it prevents the social disruption caused by a sexual free-for-all, helps to stabilise the social system
• Economic function


  Many family members such as children are dependents as such need things they can't provide for themselves such as food and shelter. Parents providing this for the children benefit the child as an individual. This also benefits society because members of society generally agree that family members should take their place in the economy as specialised workers to pay for the economic needs of their family
• Economic function


  Many family members such as children are dependents and need things they can't provide for themselves, parents providing this through paid work reduces state dependency and contributes to the effective organisation of the economy and society
• Educational function


  Families primarily socialising the young into society's shared norms and values, without socialisation there would be no culture and no consensus about society's norms and values, parents teach children the dominant values, norms, customs, rituals, etc. of a society
• Educational function

  Families primarily socialising the young into society's shared norms and values. On a societal level, without socialisation there would be no culture. And without a shared culture there would be no consensus about society's norms and values. This is beneficial for society in maintaining order
• Parsons

  Agrees that the family performs positive functions for individuals and society. However, he argues the family retains two 'basic and irreducible' functions: 1) The primary socialisation of children 2) The stabilisation of adult personalities
• Stabilisation of adult personalities


  The family provides 'in the home a warm, loving, stable environment where the individual adults can be themselves and "let themselves go" in a childish and undignified way. This helps relieve stresses of modern-day living for its adult members
• Parsons' view of gender roles

  The male should be the 'instrumental leader' and the woman the 'expressive leader'. Parsons argued that this sexual division of labour is 'natural' as it is based on biological differences
• Murdock's universal function of sex could be said to be somewhat outdated as unregulated sexual behavior has long been the norm in modern/postmodern society
• Murdock's definition is very ethnocentric (culturally biased) and reflective of a particular time - based on his own experience of the American family as it was in the 1940s
• Murdock's definition fails to take account of a number of distinct modern trends which have changed the face of the family since the 1940s particularly in the UK
• These changes have resulted in alternative family forms appearing that can adequately perform the functions Murdock discusses
• Murdock 


   studied 250 cultures- led him to believe family is a universal institution, as in each there was various forms of family. 

  • Nuclear family -  'a social group characterized by common residence. Inc adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults'. 
  • M- nuclear unit performed four universal functions essential to the continued existence and smooth running of society: 

  1. Reproduction 2. Sexual  3. economic 4. Educational -
• Parsons


  Agrees the family performs positive functions for individuals and society
• Basic and irreducible functions of the family

  • Primary socialisation of children
  • Stabilisation of adult personalities
• Stabilisation of adult personalities

  • To relieve stresses of modern-day living for its adult members
  • The pressure placed of need for work & money
  • Lack of power
  • Independence
  • Boredom at work
  • Pressure of success
  • Pressure to support the family
• Steel and Kidd


  The family provides 'in the home a warm, loving, stable environment where the individual adults can be themselves and "let themselves go" in a childish and undignified way
• Parsons


  The male should be the 'instrumental leader' and woman 'expressive leader'
• Parsons


  This sexual division of labour is 'natural' as it is based on biological differences