What is a major criticism of the functionalist perspective of families and marriage group of answer choices?

Functionalists perspectives on the family hold that families perform functions such as socializing children, providing emotional and practical support, regulating sexual activity and reproduction, and providing social identity.

What do functionalists argue about family? ›

Functionalists argue that all institutions in society have important roles to play in the smooth and functional running of society, and the family is no different. They argue that the family has important functions both for society and for individuals.

What are the 4 functions of the family according to Murdock? ›

After emphasizing the universal character of the family, the anthropologist George Murdock (1949) argued that the family has four basic social functions: sexual regulations, reproduction, economic cooperation and socialization/education.

What is the functionalist theory perspective on marriage and family? ›

Functionalism. When considering the role of family in society, functionalists uphold the notion that families are an important social institution and that they play a key role in stabilizing society. They also note that family members take on status roles in a marriage or family.

What is an example of a functionalist perspective? ›

For (an avowedly simplistic) example, a functionalist theory might characterize pain as a state that tends to be caused by bodily injury, to produce the belief that something is wrong with the body and the desire to be out of that state, to produce anxiety, and, in the absence of any stronger, conflicting desires, to ...

What is functionalism based on? ›

functionalism, in social sciences, theory based on the premise that all aspects of a society—institutions, roles, norms, etc. —serve a purpose and that all are indispensable for the long-term survival of the society.

Why do functionalists say that family is universal? ›

Why do functionalists say that family is universal? Families meet needs that are necessary for societies to exist. Families provide isolation for children. Families are needed to avoid role confusion.

What are the functions of the family in sociology? ›

The family performs several essential functions for society. It socializes children, it provides emotional and practical support for its members, it helps regulate sexual activity and sexual reproduction, and it provides its members with a social identity.

Why do functionalists like the nuclear family? ›

Functionalists, such as Parsons believe that the family provides important functions that form the foundation of a stable society. For example, socialising children in to the norms and values of society, providing financial support, reproduction of children and a safe space to carry out sexual relationships.

What does Murdock say about family? ›

Murdock proposed that all families have four significant functions: sexual, economic, reproductive, and educational. These functions are essential and meet needs in all societies. He proposes that the best institution to perform these functions is the family.

WHO identified four main functions of the family? ›

Sociologist George Murdock conducted a survey of 250 societies and determined that there are four universal residual functions of the family: sexual, reproductive, educational, and economic (Lee 1985).

What are the functions of the family according to the three theoretical perspectives? ›

It socializes children, provides practical and emotional support for its members, regulates sexual reproduction, and provides its members with a social identity.

What are the theories of the family? ›

Family theories focus on the dynamic interactions among family members, describing changes in typical patterns of parent–child relationships, and the characteristics of family interactions that enhance or disrupt development.

What is the role of marriage in family? ›

Relationships, marriage and family are at the core of every community. Families are universally recognized as an important source of support and security. They can provide safe and stable environments which nurture the growth and development of each member throughout the different stages of life, from birth to old age.

How is family an example of structural functionalism? ›

Functionalism in sociology sees the parts of society as components of a cohesive whole. Each part performs a useful function. For example, the parents in a family provides for the children, who will in turn care for the parents when they become elderly.

What is the meaning of functionalist? ›

Definition of 'functionalist'

1. a person who advocates, or works according to, the principles of functionalism. adjective.

What is functionalism simple? ›

Definition of Functionalism

(noun) A theory that views society as a complex but orderly and stable system with interconnected structures and functions or social patterns that operate to meet the needs of individuals in a society.

Which statement is true about functionalism? ›

The correct answer is b. It looks at how habits help one cope with common situations.

How does functionalism explain social change? ›

In structural functionalism, social change is regarded as an adaptive response to some tension within the social system. When some part of an integrated social system changes, a tension between this and other parts of the system is created, which will be resolved by the adaptive change of the other parts.

Who made functionalism theory? ›

The origins of functionalism are traced back to William James, the renowned American psychologist of the late 19th century. James was heavily influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution, and was critical of the structural approach to psychology that had dominated the field since its inception.

What defines family? ›

Family: A family is a group of two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together; all such related persons are considered as members of one family.

In what way do functionalists view the family as responsible for the reproduction of society quizlet? ›

How do Structural Functionalists view the family? The family is responsible for the reproduction of society as it produces and socializes children who will in turn become future workers and produce and socialize more new members of society.

How has the function of the family changed over time? ›

Over the years, the family structure changed considerably. Divorce, remarriages, cohabitation is pretty much growing in number. Single-parent households are rising with a drop in fertility rates. It's not that there is only a change in the number of children but the family dynamics have changed as well.

Why is the family important in a society? ›

Families are essentially the building blocks of society. Family units serve as the nursery for the citizens that become the population of a society. In other words, families are responsible for the development of children into the adults will later collectively be society.

What are the characteristics of a functional family? ›

Still, there are several characteristics that are generally identified with a well-functioning family. Some include: support; love and caring for other family members; providing security and a sense of belonging; open communication; making each person within the family feel important, valued, respected and esteemed.

What is the conflict perspective on family? ›

According to conflict theorists, the family works toward the continuance of social inequality within a society by maintaining and reinforcing the status quo. Through inheritance, the wealthy families are able to keep their privileged social position for their members.

What does Durkheim say about family? ›

Durkheim saw the conjugal family to be the essence of the family of his time. And he saw the spouses as the only permanent members of that family in the sense that in the normal course of events, children would leave home, perhaps for further schooling or work and certainly to marry and found independent families.

What is the sociological perspective on family? ›

Social interactionist perspectives on the family examine how family members and intimate couples interact on a daily basis and arrive at shared understandings of their situations. Studies grounded in social interactionism give us a keen understanding of how and why families operate the way they do.

Why do functionalists say that family is universal? ›

Why do functionalists say that family is universal? Families meet needs that are necessary for societies to exist. Families provide isolation for children. Families are needed to avoid role confusion.

What is the conflict perspective on family? ›

According to conflict theorists, the family works toward the continuance of social inequality within a society by maintaining and reinforcing the status quo. Through inheritance, the wealthy families are able to keep their privileged social position for their members.

However, the emergence of factory labor shifted this dynamic, provoking families to serve complementary roles in providing support for workers.. Murdock argued that families consist of instrumental and productive roles.. Parsons devised the functional fit theory of the family, and argued that nuclear families, although performing a narrower scope of functions than those of the past, were essential to socializing members and stabilizing adult personalities through the emotional security of marital relationships.. Thus, the essence of the functionalist view of the family is that the family performs several essential functions for society.. Families socialize children, provide emotional and practical support for their members, regulate sexual activity and reproduction, and provide members with a social identity.. Economic Needs Additionally, parents teach children gender roles.. According to Parsons (1951), although the nuclear family performs functions that are reduced in comparison to what it did in the past, it is still the only institution that can perform the core functions of primary socialization and the stabilization of adult personalities.. According to functional fit theory, the type of family that fits a society's structure, and the functions it performs, change as societies change.. Social structure .

Murdock believes that the nuclear family performs four essential functions for society and its members however he acknowledges that other institutions can perform these functions.. He claims that he found evidence of a nuclear family in 250 different societies so he argues that a nuclear family is universal as it fulfills societies needs.. The final function is the education system, this enables the young to be socialized and educated into society’s norms and values, and this suggests the family is a positive feature of society.. His research is based on a nuclear family, yet in modern society there are many different family types, for example homosexual couples/lone parents.. On the other hand, a strength of Murdock’s work is it provides an insight of the families’ importance to society, because they examine how a family functions in society.. Another positive to Murdock’s interpretations of family life would be that Murdock could generalize his research because he has studied 250 different societies, which demonstrates how a nuclear family can fit societal needs around the world.. Parson’s identifies two types of family structure: the nuclear family, which fits the needs of modern industrial society and the extended family, which fits the needs of pre-industrial society.. Parson’s argues that the extended family was multi-functional so it was a unit of consumption and production whilst the nuclear family fits the key needs of modern industrial society: geographically mobile workforce and the socially mobile workforce.. The geographical mobility industries often required people to move to where the jobs were, Parson’s argued that a nuclear family (two generations) would find it more straightforward to move than an extended family (three generations) so the nuclear family is better fitted to the needs of modern industrial society.. The social mobile workforce implied that modern society is constantly changing with technology and science also individual status is often achieved (using their own efforts) rather than ascribed (fixed from birth) e.g. the son may ascribe their own status and move away from home and create their own nuclear family in which they are structurally isolated from other members so Parson’s argues that the nuclear family is better equipped that than the extended family to meet societies needs.. Parson’s argues that the nuclear family ‘fits’ (fit thesis) modern society yet he also notices that the changing functions of the family are socially advanced so the family have to fulfill fewer functions for its members, Parson’s argues that the nuclear family specializes in two functions: the primary socialization of children which educates the next generation with basic skills and society’s values.. There are many negatives with Parson’s ideology for instance he idealizes the nuclear family and ignores diversity, as there is more than just the nuclear and extended family in modern society.. However there are some positives about Parson’s research, the first would be that Parson’s identifies how families change in society, another reason would be that Parson’s research shows how families can adapt to meet societies needs so a more stable society is created and he argues that family life ‘fits’ and benefits society e.g. reproduction allows new members of society to be created so society’s norms and values are passed on to the next generation, which helps create a stable society and social order.. More broadly, some feminists such as Oakley argues that Murdock and other functionalists neglects conflict and exploitation in a family (e.g. domestic violence), many feminists also believe that within the family, women are serving the needs of men and they are oppressed, this suggest the family is not functional for women as argued by the functionalists.. To conclude, Functionalists all agree that the nuclear family is the best to fit societies needs, it offers a positive consensus view, however it ignores women’s positions and ignore how the family feeds capitalism, they also ignore family diversity.

Also through socialisation the family instils capitalist ideology into the norms and values of the members, the family role is similar to that of the media, religion and education in justifying the inequality of the capitalist society.. The contribution of functionalist views to our understanding of the family. How do functionalist views contribute to our understanding of the family?. People are likely to share their family’s morals and beliefs, so it is important that the family is strong in their beliefs.. Understanding the structure of a family allows you to identify the roles between each family member, by identifying the function of a family allows you to see how tasks are delegated throughout family.. The strengths that Schriver, 2011 emphasizes relating to a traditional family structure, includes providing care, resources, establishing roles, assuring members socialization, and interactions patterns, incorporating and releasing members, relating society through its institutions, and maintaining morale and motivation (Schriver, 2011).

Functionalist sociologists believe that the family is the most important institution of society and that it performs the necessary functions for the maintenance and well running of society as a whole and for individual members within society.. The family has adapted over time and there are many different forms of families.. Parsons argued that the extended family had evolved in to the nuclear family due to industrialisation.. In addition the 1944 Education Act meant that people would have more qualifications and move on to better paid jobs away from the family.. Family of Origin. Introduction. Families are a social system that is governed by rules and power structures, in which members become emotionally connected and interdependent (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, 2012).. Each member in the family is different, and each contributes to the functionality of the family in a distinctive way.. To be able to understand an individual’s behavior within a family, the family context and environment must be understood (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, 2012).. The family systems theory is useful when working with families to better understand the structure and interaction within the family system and to determine what…. Before, during the pre-industrial society extended family is a norm because the entire family was responsible for everything including the children’s education, producing their own food and even taking care of family member that is sick.. It is easier to move for work when the family is small than when having a large family living in one roof.. In fact, what is left of this population might soon become extinct due to the continuing breakdown of social norms, including the absence of a strong family structure, the increase of less-educated people into the work force, in addition to the ever growing gap between social classes makes the death of the working-class more plausible and maybe even inevitable, especially when you factor in the lack of resources; supporting policies, services or programs, that might work to stabilize this social class.. This social group needs more people in their corner, people who can empathize with their current condition, people who are equip to help and support them as well as usher them onto a new path one that will change their current…. McAfee and Brynjolfsson, authors of the book “Losing the Race Against the Machine”, state that technology is taking over “service” jobs which results in the loss of work in automation of farm and factory work.

Functionalism is a consensus theory which. assumes that the institutions of. society are working together to. maintain social cohesion and. stability.. While functionalism before Parsons attempted to produce explanations of everything that exists and happens in a particular time, Parsons aimed to use functionalism to create a general theory of how all social systems work.. Value consensus and social order are maintained through institutions of formal social control, such as the police, and informal social groups such. as family and schools, who socialize children into social values and. norms that are shared by the majority of the society.. Parsons believed that the cultural, personality, and society systems all had to be the same as each other.. Criticism that functionalism is ideological: In arguing that certain institutions are necessary, some have argued that functionalism justifies the existence of the social order as it is.. Function.

It contains 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.” Therefore Murdock’s definition is based on the nuclear family – a stereotypical two-generation family made up of a heterosexual couple with dependent offspring.. However it is argued that several of the social groupings which would not be defined as families under Murdock’s definition might nevertheless be reasonably described as families.. The role of the family in society has changed; it once used to be to produce offspring so that they can work in the factories and get money for the family so that food can be bought.. Talcott Parsons (1965) was a functionalist sociologist who attempted to trace the historical development of the family and explain why the nuclear family had become so dominant.. This is relevant as without these roles in the family, a Functionalist would argue that the family would not be functional, and therefore become inharmonious and society would break down, the family (one of the social institutions) isn’t performing it’s function.. Despite doubts about the universality of the nuclear family at the time, functionalist sociologists focused their attention to the functions of the family.. This, by some people, could be interpreted as: if you are not a nuclear family but a single parent family or homosexual couple, that you cannot socialise your children properly and that they will not conform to social order or do well in their lives.. Fletcher (1966) viewed the extended family as the dominant family form, which evolved through industrialisation into a modern, isolated, nuclear family.. March of progress is a theory of transition and explains why the extended family developed into isolated nuclear families are as follows.. In conclusion, the Functionalist views of the role of the family in society shows the importance of the social institution of the family and stresses the importance of socialisation (mainly primary) in the upbringing of the children.. The Functionalist view of the role of the family is outdated as there are many different family types other than the nuclear family, such as same sex couples, and single-parent families.

He claims that he found evidence of a nuclear family in 250 different societies so he argues that a nuclear family is universal as it fulfills societies needs.. On the other hand, a strength of Murdock’s work is it provides an insight of the families’ importance to society, because they examine how a family functions in society.. Parson’s identifies two types of family structure: the nuclear family, which fits the needs of modern industrial society and the extended family, which fits the needs of pre-industrial society.. The geographical mobility industries often required people to move to where the jobs were, Parson’s argued that a nuclear family (two generations) would find it more straightforward to move than an extended family (three generations) so the nuclear family is better fitted to the needs of modern industrial society.. The social mobile workforce implied that modern society is constantly changing with technology and science also individual status is often achieved (using their own efforts) rather than ascribed (fixed from birth) e.g. the son may ascribe their own status and move away from home and create their own nuclear family in which they are structurally isolated from other members so Parson’s argues that the nuclear family is better equipped that than the extended family to meet societies needs.. Parson’s argues that the nuclear family ‘fits’ (fit thesis) modern society yet he also notices that the changing functions of the family are socially advanced so the family have to fulfill fewer functions for its members, Parson’s argues that the nuclear family specializes in two functions: the primary socialization of children which educates the next generation with basic skills and society’s values.. However there are some positives about Parson’s research, the first would be that Parson’s identifies how families change in society, another reason would be that Parson’s research shows how families can adapt to meet societies needs so a more stable society is created and he argues that family life ‘fits’ and benefits society e.g. reproduction allows new members of society to be created so society’s norms and values are passed on to the next generation, which helps create a stable society and social order.. More broadly, some feminists such as Oakley argues that Murdock and other functionalists neglects conflict and exploitation in a family (e.g. domestic violence), many feminists also believe that within the family, women are serving the needs of men and they are oppressed, this suggest the family is not functional for women as argued by the functionalists.. To conclude, Functionalists all agree that the nuclear family is the best to fit societies needs, it offers a positive consensus view, however it ignores women’s positions and ignore how the family feeds capitalism, they also ignore family diversity.

Nuclear family A nuclear family refers to a traditional family unit consisting of two parents with one or more children.. Proponents of functionalism claim that this family structure performs positive functions, both on an individual level, i.e. for the members of the family, and for wider society.. Ethnologist George Murdock (1949) studied over 200 societies and found that the nuclear family was a universal family structure because it performed four major, crucial functions for wider society.. According to Parsons, the nuclear family performs fewer functions than the extended family, but these functions are fundamental .. In his work The World We Have Lost , Peter Laslett (1972) studied pre-industrial families and found that the most common type of family in pre-industrial communities was the nuclear family, not the extended family.

Other non-Functionalist sociologists have argued, however, that the existence of the Nayar, the single matrifocal families common among Afro- Caribbeans and increasingly common more generally and of gay and lesbian families all suggest that the nuclear family is not in fact universal which in turn suggests that Functionalist theories of the family focus excessively on the nuclear family form and insufficiently on other family forms.. The Functionalist perspective on the family has been further developed by Talcott Parsons whose theories focus heavily on nuclear, heterosexual families to the exclusion of other family forms.. Geographical mobility is easier for nuclear families while if within extended families young adults achieve higher social status through social mobility than their parents this, according to Parsons would make for social tensions within the extended family which would be avoided if young married adults lived separately in their own nuclear family.. industrialisation leads also to processes of structural differentiation which implies that new more specialised social institutions such as factories, schools and hospitals develop to take over some of the functions previously performed by families; this means therefore that the nuclear family loses some of its functions but it remains crucial in relation to the two functions which it does retain: the socialisation of the young and the stabilisation of adult personalities; within nuclear families roles are allocated between husbands and wives in accordance with the assumed instrumental characteristics of males[ which makes them more suited to paid employment outside of the home] and the assumed expressive characteristics of females [which makes them more suited to childcare and domestic work.]. The inevitable result is conflict both within the nuclear family and within societies as a whole as the nuclear family creates barriers between it and the wider society breeding suspicion, fear and social conflict.. In so far as these writers see society as “out of control” or even “gone mad”, this may colour their analysis of the family but the Functionalist analyses seems also to be influenced by what critics consider to be the Functionalists’ unrealistically optimistic perspective on contemporary capitalist societies and on the role of the nuclear family within such societies.. gender differences in socialisation within the family [and elsewhere] operate to the disadvantage of females; that the traditional allocation of roles within the family reflects not the instrumental characteristics of males and females respectively but the existence of patriarchal power within the family; that in any case there is nothing “expressive” about many household tasks; that the traditional allocation of gender roles restricts female employment opportunities and prospects; that when women are employed outside the home this may nevertheless mean that they are obliged to undertake the so-called “triple shift” of employment, housework/childcare and emotion work; that patriarchal power ensures that major family decisions are taken by males rather than females; that the existence of “empty shell marriages”, high rates of divorce and considerable levels of domestic violence show that family relationships are often far less harmonious than is implied by functionalist theory. that families produce and rear the next generation of children to become the next generation of labour power for the capitalist system at relatively low cost to that system; that family [in conjunction with other institutions of the superstructure] helps to socialise children to accept authority without question thereby preparing them to accept capitalist authority structures in the work place; that the existence of families as a unit of consumption helps to promote demand for the products of the capitalist system which helps to maintain and increase capitalist profit; that families may provide emotional support and a focus for loyalty without which greater worker solidarity might eventually result in a challenge to the capitalist system as a whole.. According to New Right theorists it would be very beneficial to society as a whole and to its members if in reality the nuclear family remained the dominant family form and if it fulfilled its functions more or less as described in the functionalist theory of the family.. In relation to the family social action theorists would argue that the diversity of family structures [nuclear and based on marriage, nuclear and based on cohabitation, extended, lone parent and single sex families based upon civil partnership] and of behaviour within families [relatively asymmetrical or symmetrical etc.]. shows that Functionalist theories of the family are “over-deterministic” and indeed, social action theorists would make similar criticisms of Marxist and Feminist theories of the family.. Also the increasing diversity of family life and personal relationships suggests to Postmodernists that individuals are far less likely to choose to live in nuclear families and to adopt traditional gender roles than is suggested in Functionalist theories of the family.. However Functionalist theories have also been heavily criticised and even if we do not accept these criticisms in every single respect it does seem fair to conclude that Functionalists have overstated the extent of consensus in society and the significance of nuclear families relative to other family forms and understated the widespread existence of asymmetrical, patriarchal relationships within many nuclear families and the extent to which the existence of nuclear families helps to sustain capitalist and/or patriarchal power structures in the wider society.

Summarize understandings of the family as presented by functional, conflict, and social interactionist theories.. It socializes children, it provides emotional and practical support for its members, it helps regulate sexual activity and sexual reproduction, and it provides its members with a social identity.. A functional understanding of the family thus stresses the ways in which the family as a social institution helps make society possible.. One of the most important functions of the family is the socialization of children.. A classic study by Mirra Komarovsky (1964) found that wives in blue-collar marriages liked to talk with their husbands about problems they were having, while husbands tended to be quiet when problems occurred.. Another classic study by Lillian Rubin (1976) found that wives in middle-class families say that ideal husbands are ones who communicate well and share their feelings, while wives in working-class families are more apt to say that ideal husbands are ones who do not drink too much and who go to work every day.. It socializes children, provides practical and emotional support for its members, regulates sexual reproduction, and provides its members with a social identity.. Social interactionist understandings of the family emphasize how family members interact on a daily basis.

Functionalist perspective analyses the functions of the family in relation to society and the adaptation of the family to historical change.. As a social insti­tution, the family is defined by social functions it is expected to perform.. Functionalists regard the family as an important ‘organ’ in the body of society and believed that the nuclear family is universal.. Despite the variations that exist in family structure around the world, families everywhere perform many of the same functions.. These functions are mostly the primary functions of the family and have also been active ingredients in the evolution and development of the family.. George Murdock (1945), an early functionalist, considered the four basic (universal) functions of the family to be sexual, reproductive, educational or socializing and economic.. Murdock argues that without the sexual and repro­ductive functions society would become extinct; without economic cooperation among family members, life would cease; and without the education of children, culture would end.. (vi) Social placement (identity): One important function of the family is providing social status in the society.. Friedrich Engels’ book The Origin of the Family (1902) remains the starting point for most conflict (Marxist) analyses of the family and of gender relations.. The exchange perspective assumes that all human relationships, including those between husbands and wives or parents and children, can be viewed in terms of social exchange, i.e., there are rewards and costs in all relationships including those in marriage and family.. They argued that the direction of change in the familial roles is towards symmetrical family, i.e., a joint or shared approach to married life rather than one which is segre­gated into largely separate roles.

Essay,. Pages 6 (1347 words). Functionalist theories are based on how the nuclear family performs positive function for individuals and society which is why functionalist sociologists paint a harmonious picture of the family functioning with other institutions to serve the needs of society and its members.. However, Murdock views of the family is somewhat flawed due to the different type of families that exist in today’s society such as single parent, beanpole and extended families.. This outlines and evaluates functionalist view of the role of the family in society.On the other hand, other sociologists have criticised Murdock’s functionalist approach because Murdock’s view on the universality of the family is too narrow because it excludes many family forms.. Parson believes that every family in every society has two “basic and irreducible” functions.For instance, primary socialisation – passing on of norms and values and appropriate gender roles, girls would be taught how to behave feminine and boys would be taught how to portray themselves as masculine.. Some sociologists argue against Murdock and Parsons theories, by saying that many of the functions they have identified can be provided by other sources and institutions and individuals do not require the family for financial support which means families can be dysfunctional.Marxists and feminists reject Murdock’s “rose-tinted” consensus view that family meets the needs of both its members and society.

In this paper, I will first focus on the particular features of these perspectives, then mainly focus on family and social stratification and comment on the insight or criticism of functionalist and conflict perspectives in understanding these areas in the society.. (Dillon 2011, p. 79) The Functionalism suggested that the society is compared to a biological organism that can assumed as a system or structure made up of many integrated parts, the society seen as a structure will key institutions fulfil different functions for the survive and continuation of the society, it is named as functional pre- requisites.. Also, the functionalists assumes the nature of society is characterized by order and stability, without collective conscience or shared values and beliefs, achieving social order is impossible, they believes in value consensus, which are members of society agreeing upon shared belief about right and wrong can help the society to run smoothly and is the best for the society as a whole.. Functionalists believe that individuals are shaped by the society to perform different roles and have different norms that need to follow in accordance with their social statues that ensure the smooth running of society.. Unlike functionalists who believe people cooperate to maintain the social order and the stability, conflict perspectives suggested that the nature of society is characterized by conflicts, because of the struggles among group of scarce resources.. Similar with Functionalism, Conflict perspective believes individuals are shaped by the society and the positions of their social groups.. After the discussion on the particular features of Functionalism and Conflict Perspectives, then we should focus on the usefulness of the two perspectives in understanding two essential areas in society, family and social stratification.. Also, Structural- functionalist perspectives emphasized the positive and functional aspects of the modern family, neglecting its dysfunctional aspects, which including conflict and violence that take place in the family, for instance, over 30% to 40% homicides in Hong Kong took place within family.. Thus inequality serves social stability (Davis and Wilbert, 1970, p. 242-249) In other words, social stratification can have a ‘placing and motivating’ function for individuals in the social structure.. Rather than functionalists believe the social stratification had the positive role in the society, the Marxists believe the stratification in term of class is more divisive than integrative.. The class conflict between the capitalist class and the working class would soon fall into either the bipolar class positions of capitalist or worker.. The extreme polarization of the two classes would lead working class to realize the conflict and their class interest; they would eventually organize themselves into a potent social-political force to protect its class interest and fight back, at the end leading to a revolution that bring a new economic conditions, the end of the capitalist system and later to communism in which all classes and states are abolished.. Moreover, Marx’s prophecy of class struggle and revolution took place in the pre-industrial societies, but we can observe that Russia, China and Vietnam both are not industrial societies or a great capitalist society, but happen the revelation of the communist revolution.

How do Functionalists, the New Right and Conflict theorists view social policies on the family?. They see the state as acting in the interests of society as a whole and its social policies as being for the good of all.. It assumes that all members of the family benefit equally from social policies, whereas Feminists argue that policies often benefit men more than women.. Jacques Donzelot (1977) has a conflict view of society and sees policy as a form of state power and control over families.. Surveillance is not targeted equally at all social classes.. However, Marxists and Feminists criticise Donzelot for failing to identify clearly who benefits from such policies of surveillance.. • Feminists argue that their polices are an attempt to justify a return to the traditional nuclear family, which works to subordinate women. This last point is more difficult to assess as it is much harder to quantify emotion work compared to the amounts of domestic work and paid work carried out by men and women.. New Labour was in power from between 1997 – 2010.. New Labour believes in more state intervention in family life than the New Right.. For example in June 2007 New Labour established the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

But functionalists felt that the nuclear family was most adapted to the functionalist theory, as it is insular and mobile therefore aiding society, by keeping up with economic movement, but in the process becoming detached from the extended family support.. In all societies, these were sexual, reproductive, economic and educational functions.. He felt that the society without culture couldn’t function.. Murdoch went on further to say that like sex, the economic function of the family is more readily achieved by persons living together.. It was felt that he had a more general view of the family group, he felt that Americans family retains two basic irreducible functions, which are common to the family in all societies.. These come under the heading of primary socialisation of the children and stabilisation of the adults.. Once the personality had been stabilised it was possible for the next basic function to begin.. This gives emotional support to the family group, as it does not have the emotional support from extended family.. Hence the couple looking each other for support.. The functionalists give a clear view of the family roles, these roles are clarified, both within the family group and also society itself.. The functionalist theory is based on the view that all members are working towards the same goal, and all perceived society in the same way.. The functionalist theory on the family presumes that families are good for all members.. The functionalist view of the family is a view, where the structure of the family is solid but mobile.. Our society is in a serious state of decline, the ideal view of the functionalist family has to change with the society, as many people now remarry.

In response, the intellectuals began to write that a strong society, as exemplified by strong social bonds and rules and effective socialization, was needed to prevent social order from disintegrating (Collins, 1994).. Without a strong society and effective socialization, they warned, social order breaks down, and violence and other signs of social disorder result.. Socialization helps us learn society’s rules and the need to cooperate, as people end up generally agreeing on important norms and values, while social integration, or our ties to other people and to social institutions such as religion and the family, helps socialize us and integrate us into society and reinforce our respect for its rules.. The result is that socialization and social integration help establish a strong set of social rules—or, as Durkheim called it, a strong collective conscience—that is needed for a stable society.. Thus, while functionalist theory emphasizes the benefits of the various parts of society for ongoing social stability, conflict theory favors social change to reduce inequality.. By emphasizing the contributions of social institutions such as the family and education to social stability, functionalist theory minimizes the ways in which these institutions contribute to social inequality.. And by emphasizing the ways in which social institutions contribute to social inequality, conflict theory minimizes the ways in which these institutions are necessary for society’s stability.. Functionalism emphasizes the importance of social institutions for social stability and implies that far-reaching social change will be socially harmful.. Conflict theory emphasizes social inequality and suggests that far-reaching social change is needed to achieve a just society.

shikamaru x fem naruto Answers.. 2)Education has specific structures and functions that it has to execute to society.. 3)The theory implies that society rewards the beneficiaries of education with jobs and higher social status based on individual academic qualification.. Be respectful of marginal views and facilitate discussion in a way that allows a diversity of opinions.. Here's a ready-to-use resource that you can use to revise functionalism and education .. The download features a PowerPoint containing a variety of revision activities, all focused on funtionalism and education .. You could use them all together, or individually, to help students recap and revise this topic.. Give it a try!.

The functionalist and the conflict perspectives are two major approaches of sociological analysis.. In this paper, I will first focus on the particular features of these perspectives, then mainly focus on family and social stratification and comment on the insight or criticism of functionalist and conflict perspectives in understanding these areas in the society.. Unlike functionalists who believe people cooperate to maintain the social order and the stability, conflict perspectives suggested that the nature of society is characterized by conflicts, because of the struggles among group of scarce resources.. We can observe that conflict perspective also have assumption of the relationship between individuals and the society.. Similar with Functionalism, Conflict perspective believes individuals are shaped by the society and the positions of their social groups.. The assumption of functionalism in family. It looks at how the family as an institution to maintain the social order and stability, and the significance of the family for its individual members.. The assumption of functionalism in social stratification. Thus inequality serves social stability (Davis and Wilbert, 1970, p. 242-249) In other words, social stratification can have a ‘placing and motivating’ function for individuals in the social structure.. The assumption of conflict perspectives in social stratification. The class conflict between the capitalist class and the working class would soon fall into either the bipolar class positions of capitalist or worker.. Durkheim, E.The Rules of Sociological Method.Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1938.

It socializes children, it provides emotional and practical support for its members, it helps regulate sexual activity and sexual reproduction, and it provides its members with a social identity.. In addition, sudden or far-reaching changes in the family’s structure or processes threaten its stability and weaken society.ConflictThe family contributes to social inequality by reinforcing economic inequality and by reinforcing patriarchy.. The family can also be a source of conflict, including physical violence and emotional cruelty, for its own members.Symbolic interactionismThe interaction of family members and intimate couples involves shared understandings of their situations.. A functional understanding of the family thus stresses the ways in which the family as a social institution helps make society possible.. The incest taboo that most societies have, which prohibits sex between certain relatives, helps minimize conflict within the family if sex occurred among its members and to establish social ties among different families and thus among society as a whole.. Beyond discussing the family’s functions, the functional perspective on the family maintains that sudden or far-reaching changes in conventional family structure and processes threaten the family’s stability and thus that of society.. Conflict theorists agree that the family serves the important functions just listed, but they also point to problems within the family that the functional perspective minimizes or overlooks altogether.. First, the family as a social institution contributes to social inequality in several ways.. Because families pass along their wealth to their children, and because families differ greatly in the amount of wealth they have, the family helps reinforce existing inequality.. Although the functional perspective assumes the family provides its members emotional comfort and support, many families do just the opposite and are far from the harmonious, happy groups depicted in the 1950s television shows.. Social interactionist perspectives on the family examine how family members and intimate couples interact on a daily basis and arrive at shared understandings of their situations.. Another classic study by Lillian Rubin (1976) found that wives in middle-class families say that ideal husbands are ones who communicate well and share their feelings, while wives in working-class families are more apt to say that ideal husbands are ones who do not drink too much and who go to work every day.. Social interactionist understandings of the family emphasize how family members interact on a daily basis.