Functionalists

• do functionalists like the family?

  Yes.
• What did Talcott Parsons discover about the family?

  The family has 2 key functions:

  • primary socialisation - children are taught shared norms and values of society.
  • Stabilisation of adult personalities - families relieve stress of life like a ”warm bath.”
• What did Willmott and young discover about the family?

  • The family is becoming more symmetrical - similar but not identical roles. Principle of stratified diffusion.
• What is the principle of stratified diffusion?

  Changes in family life start with higher social classes and is eventually copied by other classes.
• What did George Murdock claim about the nuclear family?

  • Claimed the nuclear family is universal - some form of it exists in every society.
  • argued the family fulfils 4 vital functions: sexual, reproductive, educational, primary socialisation and economic.
• What did Ronald Fetcher discover about the family?

  • Divorce has increased as people value it more than in the past.
  • people divorce because marriage does not meet their expectations and will divorce to find the right partner.
• What did Talcott Parsons discover about education?

  • School teaches universal standards - same rules apply to everyone.
  • he believed in meritocracy (people are rewarded from the amount of work put in. This links to the allocation of roles).
  • school is a bridge between the home and wider society.
  • school plays a central role of secondary socialisation, taking over the family (primary).
• What did Emile Durkheim discover about education?

  • The main function of education is to pass on norms and values in order to make society a united whole.
  • education helps to develop a sense of commitment to society, preparing children for the wider world where cooperation is vital