Murdock believes the family is a social group of people including a socially acceptable sexual relationship and children. He also says that in some of these societies, the kinship is larger than normal. Some sociologists believe this means he is considering a polygamous family. They also suggest Murdock is talking about extended families. Extended families would naturally fit into his definition of the nuclear family as it is an extension, and in no way does it change the overall concept.
Functionalists believe society is based on a set of shared norms and values. Norms and values are formed, using the nuclear family, to socialise future members of society, in order to meet the needs and shared goals of society. This essay will be exploring functionalist theories of the nuclear family and focusing on sociological explanations formed by Talcott Parsons and George Peter Murdock as well as looking at criticisms and other, alternative, theories from Marxists and Feminists. One functionalist theory, argued by Murdock (1949), of the nuclear family is that the family performs four essential functions to meet the needs of society and its members. Firstly, a stable satisfaction of the sex drive with the same partner (husband/wife).
Outline and Explain the Functionalist Perspective on the Family The meaning of family is usually a group of people that are related by marriage or blood. The founder of Functionalism was Emile Durkhiem. Functionalists share the same ontological view of Marxists, this view is the belief that man is weak, man is passive and society is strong. Functionalists believe that society is something that is based on value consensus (meaning a set of shared norms and values). Within the society, it socialises with its institutions and this gives the ability to meet the needs and goals of society.
The agencies of socialisation are identified as families, peer groups, education, and work. The content will also consider theories of socialisation such as functionalists and social action theorists. These too will be evaluated in the thesis. The members of society learning and sharing behaviour are known as culture. Mike O’Donnell (1997) describes culture as “the way of life of a particular society” (P475).
George Peter Murdock found that nuclear families are universal. He also believed in 4 function of the family. These included of the nuclear family supplying a sexual function, as being a couple stabilises satisfaction of the sex drive with a constant partner and prevents social disruption, too supplies a reproductive function as being a family ensures new members of society to keep society going and an educational function as parents socialise their young into the norms and values of society. Also, he believes that the family have an economic function as they meet the economic needs of food and shelter. However, Murdock’s view of the nuclear family eliminate any other family structures, which too are able to supply these functions, and also neglects the conflict and exploitation of family.
The interpretation of statistical evidence relating to family diversity. 3. The concepts of life-cycle and family structure in relation to various theoretical forms of family diversity. Chris.Livesey: www.sociology.org.uk Page 1 Family Life Unit 2: Family DiversityIntroductionIn this set of Notes we are going to consider family life in terms of the idea of familiesas a social group within different societies. In particular, the emphasis will be on theconcept of family diversity; that is, the different forms of family relationship it ispossible to note and outline.The Diversity of Contemporary Family LifeWhen we examined the "fit thesis" (see: Teachers’ Notes Unit 2: Family andIndustrialisation) in relation to the way family structures have changed over to past300 years in Britain, we noted that writers such as Laslett and Anderson focusedpart of their criticism on the notion that a single type of family structure could beconsidered "dominant" in whatever period of time one chose to examine (forexample, the idea that the "extended family" was the dominant (main) form in pre-industrial Britain or that the "nuclear family" is the dominant form in industrial Britain).As Andersons research clearly indicated, this "monolithic"
Another group is the Feminists who have different groups within them, some with very optimistic views, some with views that will agree with Marxists or some who will have their own ideologies and ways to demolish the generic nuclear family. This essay will explore the different functions performed by the family and see how that benefits individuals and society; whether that’s in a bad way or a good way. Functionalists believe that the family provides many functions for the individual and for society. Parsons and Murdock, two functionalists believe that the family is the primary agent of socialisation for an individual; the family is an important organ in the body of society. Murdock saw the family, the nuclear family in particular, an absolute need for society and he considered the four basic functions of the family to be the sexual, the reproductive, the socialisation and the economic.
Functionalists claim that society is a system with each part making-up the whole through a system of interdependence. The harmony and cooperation that is paramount to this view is maintained through value consensus. That is, for society to be successful, ordered and integrated, everyone must agree on what is important and good, achieved by teaching and promoting shared values which create a common identity (ibid). Murdock (1949) states that families perform four essential functions; regulating and stabilising sexual relationships; reproduction through procreation; economic provision and primary socialisation (ibid). Parsons (1955) argues that nuclear families in post-industrialised societies, are more ‘specialised’ and isolated, particularly as independent units of consumption, due to factors such as increased geographical mobility and the breakdown of the extended family.
Amongst family, community, religion, academia, business, media, and government are all equal but, when one gains predominance tyranny always emerges. Family ensures responsible citizens, preserve society, and balance desires of individual liberty. Therefore, preventing the centralization of power by keeping responsibility and decision-making close to the people in the community. Religion serves as a venue for citizens and their duties to and reliance on God. Along with academia advances culture through knowledge, helps to prevent sociology economic inequalities as it breaks through boundaries of human ignorance and fear.
According to Parsons, the family is a social system that is functional to our society. He believed that society is a system of interrelated parts that can create an equilibrium, which is the normal state of affairs. The social institutions such as schools, mass media, and political systems are examples of the interrelated parts of society from a functionalist perspective. He also views the family structure as a patriarchy. Parsons explains the four basic problems that a society must confront in order to survive.