Functionalism

• What are the four main functions of the family according to Murdock?


  Reproduction, Primary socialisation, Satisfaction of the sex drive, meeting economic needs.
• Who argues the family loses functions?

  Talcott Parsons
• What are the remaining functions of the family?

  Stabilisation of adult personalities, Primary socialisation
• What is the warm bath theory?

  The warm bath theory is the theory that when the male returns home from work that the women should have everything done e.g. dinner made, children looked after, and cleaning done. So that he can regain the masculinity that is taken away from him at work due to his lack of authority and he should be able to relax like getting into a warm bath. This re-stabilises his personality if this does not happens it threatens the family unit.
• What is functional/best fit theory and who made this theory?


  Functional fit theory is that society changes to fit with the nuclear family and this was made by Talcott Parsons
• Which social conflict group always disagrees with functionalists?

  Marxists
• Evaluate the functionalist view of family?

  outdated, rose tinted view of family, ignores the exploitation of women, and ignores the dark side of the family.
• What is the functionalist view of the family?

  That the family is an institution that contributes towards society, they believe in value consensus and keeping the stability and solidarity of society.
• What is structural differentiation? 


  Specialised institutions emerge to take over functions once performed by a single institution.
• What are social institutions?

  The established patterns of beliefs, behaviours and relationships that organise social life.
• The organic analogy

  Talcott Parsons argued that society was much like the human body:

  • Social institutionsball have their own unique functions that contribute to a maintenance of society and meets its functional prerequisites
  • I f one social institution became dysfunctional then this would have a ‘knock on effect’ with other institutions which would lead to the downfall of society.
  • All social institutions need to function too fulfil society’s functional prerequisites.
• What did Fletcher (1966) say about the functions of the family?

  Fletcher denied that the family lost functions. He argued that in pre industrial society poverty meant that the functions like welfare and education were not carried out and children were often neglected. He says that now the family have more responsibility towards children, now we have the welfare state the NHS mens parents are more preoccupied with their children.
• What are the key statements describing the functions of the family?


  1. People agree on a shared set of norms and values.
  2. The basic need that must be met for society to survive.
  3. Individuals feeling connected to one another and society.
  4. All social institutions need to function to fulfill society’s needs like the human body.
• Who studied 250 societies to understand family functions?


  Murdock
• What type of family did Murdock find to exist in all societies he studied?


  The nuclear family
• What are the four important functions provided by the nuclear family according to Murdock?


  Rearing and socializing children, providing emotional support, economic support, and maintaining social order
• What is a nuclear family?


  Two generations of a family living together in one household
• What traditional roles do parents fulfill in a nuclear family?

  Traditional gender and conjugal roles
• How has the nature of relationships in modern society changed according to the text?

  Relationships are becoming increasingly symmetrical in nature
• What does Murdock suggest about the nuclear family as a social institution?


  It is a universal institution that exists in every society
• What evidence does the text suggest to investigate Murdock's claim about family diversity?


  Cross-cultural research conducted in the Nayar, Communes, and Kibutz
• How do lone parent families, gay and lesbian families, and foster care illustrate family diversity?


  They show that the nuclear family is not the only type of family able to raise children
• What does Parsons' functional fit theory suggest about family types?


  Family types change to fit the needs of society
• What major societal change occurred during the Industrial Revolution?


  Society moved from a pre-industrial to an industrialized society
• How did the Industrial Revolution affect family structure according to Parsons?


  It changed the main family type from extended to nuclear
• What are the two functions of the family according to Parsons?


  Primary socialization and stabilization of adult personalities
• What does primary socialization entail?


  Socializing the new generation into accepting basic norms and values
• What is the significance of gender role socialization in the family?


  It ensures boys and girls grow up in their 'correct' gender roles
• What does the stabilization of adult personalities refer to?


  How the family helps adults cope with the pressures of industrial society
• What is the warm bath theory proposed by Parsons?


  The family provides emotional support and security, relieving stress for its members
• What roles do men and women play in the family according to Parsons?


  Men have an instrumental role, while women have an expressive role
• What is the privatised nuclear family?


  A self-contained family that spends leisure time mainly with each other
• What has caused the growth of structurally isolated privatised nuclear families?


  Changes in societal structure and family dynamics
• What are the two functions of the family according to Talcott Parsons?


  1. Primary socialization
  2. Stabilization of adult personalities
• What is meant by functional fit theory?


  • Family types change to meet the needs of society.
  • The nuclear family fits better in industrialized societies.
• What is the significance of the warm bath theory?


  • The family provides emotional support.
  • It helps relieve stress for family members.
• What are the reasons for the weakened extended family?

  • Changes in societal structure.
  • Increased mobility and individualism.
• What is one of Murdock's functions of the nuclear family?


  Rearing and socializing children
• What is meant by the socialization of children?


  Teaching children the norms and values of society
• What does the stabilization of adult personalities involve?


  Helping adults cope with societal pressures