She is a full time housewife, rather than a source of income. 3. Ethnic diversity has contributed to family diversity as some ethnicities have different family structures in comparison to the 'ideal' nuclear family. More extended families is an example of a different family structures, ie. most Asian families in Britain are nuclear, however the extended family still plays a big role in the culture and remains a source of support and identity.
This definition of the family is popular with right wing sociologists who believe it is the ideal type of family unit that every should want to have. They argue this because they believe the nuclear family is the best type of family for individuals and for society as a whole. They believe that it is the nuclear family that conducts primary socialisation the best out of all the different family units, making the nuclear family the best. However, functionalists tend to see the family as harmonious but this is clearly not the case in society today. Feminist criticise the functionalist view on the nuclear family by arguing that the nuclear family doesn't suit everyone within the family unit and can be more damaging than it is beneficial.
2. Assess the view that the nuclear family is no longer the norm. * People entering higher education; becoming more independent from parental control, causing a rise in cohabitation. * Changing position of women, allowed to divorce, producing lone and diverse families * Laws changed; civil partnership legal, hence same sex families developing. * Laws such as Child support agency, reinforce nuclear families; men paying for child.
It was assumed that the nuclear families members should be biologically related and it should be based upon heterosexual love and marriage. Additionally there should be a sexual division of labour based on natural differences. This implies Parson’s expressive role, (a functionalist perspective) that women should be primarily responsible for childcare and domestic responsibilities within the home. It also implies whilst women take upon this role, men take upon Parson’s instrumental role to be the breadwinner (the economic function) and head of home. The nuclear family is presented as being the most acceptable way of being and it is the nuclear family that has been prevalent in the mass media.
Murdock suggested that by living in a family which consisted of a mother, father and their biological child/ children, society would be enhanced ass teaching and learning the norms and morals of society would be best with a world which consisted of nuclear families. Since Murdock was a functionalist, he belied that the essential building block of society were the functionality of the economy, reproduction, sex and socialisation. George Murdock along with other functions had a consensus view that nuclear families accommodates the four key functions because it would stabilise satisfaction of the sex drive which would lower social disruption that could be caused by sexual tension. Another key factor was socialisation, specifically primary socialisation, which Murdock believed would be best in a nuclear family as primary socialisation is during the childhood of children, where they learn the norms and values of life, nuclear families were seen as the best setting for this. The functionalist view is extremely positive on its views for family’s and households due to their belief on the importance and influence nuclear families have on society.
Sociologists say that modern day families are no longer dominated as they were last century and before. In Talcott Parsons’ (1955) model of the nuclear family, the husband was an instrumental role providing for the family financially making him the bread winner. While the wife was an expressive role meeting the families emotional needs making her the homemaker, a full time housewife rather than a wage earner. However, other sociologists have criticised Parsons’ theory. Michael Young and Peter Willmott (1962) argue that men are now taking a greater share of domestic tasks and more wives are becoming wage earners.
Outline and evaluate the functionalist theory on the role of the family in society (33 marks) Functionalism is a macro theory which means it looks at a wider sociological view. It focuses on the importance of the nuclear family (mother and father married with their dependent children). Their theory on the role of the family in society is therefore supported by the New Right. Functionalists view the family as working like a human body, they see the family like the organs, vital for survival and all working together to perform. In particular they focus on the nuclear family.
Sociological Explanations of the Nature and Extent of Family Diversity Today In our modern society, there are different types of families including, but not limited to, the nuclear family, single parent family and divorce-extended family. This has caused sociologists to argue about whether this is a bad thing for society. Functionalists and the New Right argue that without pre-set roles in families, for example the male breadwinner and female homemaker, society would fall apart. These groups argue that the family that best serves society is the nuclear family consisting of a father, mother and dependent children. Opposed to this, feminists and postmodernists argue that the shift from the traditional family to the family today is a good thing because it provides individuals more choice and allows them to pursue their own wants and needs.
The family has the responsibility of transmitting a society’s way of life, norms and values to the younger members. Talcott Parsons is also an important person within this topic. He supported Murdock, in some ways, and the nuclear family. However, he meant that after revolution, the family would change from an extended family to a nuclear family. In pre-ind, the family were producers, the workplace was at home and the family was extended.
It will be also interesting to observe what each symbol means for Piggy, the Reason, Jack, the Savage and Ralph, the one somewhere in between. Building a society: civilization or savagery? As the story progresses the reader experiences the formation of two societies. The first, to which all children belong initially, is established in order to create rules and democracy as the children think it works in the adults’ world. Rules mean order and order might mean comfort for children without grownups.