Family (THEORIES)
FUNCTIONALISM - general view.
Consensus view of family, arguing it plays a vital role in providing functions to meet the needs of society and its individual members.
FUNCTIONALISM - Organic Analogy
Human body made up of different parts that function together to maintain it. Functionalists believe society does same, in which it is made up of parts (eg. education, government, religion) that work together to maintain the system as a whole.
FUNCTIONALISM - Murdock
FOUR essential functions:
- Socialisation
- Satisfaction of economic needs
- Reproduction
- Stable satisfaction of the sex drive
FUNCTIONALISM - Parsons 'functional fit'
The functions of family depend on type of society they are in:
- Pre-industrial society = extended family, function of production and consumption.
- Modern society = nuclear family, function of mobility.
FUNCTIONALISM - Parsons
TWO family functions:
- Primary socialisation, learn basic skills and norms and values.
- Stabilisation of adult personalities, letting adults to relax so can go to work and be effective.
MARXISM - general view
Marxists take a conflict view of the family, arguing it helps maintain class inequalities.
MARXISM - Engels
The family exists so men can pass their private property onto their biological offspring, notably a son.
MARXISM - Zaretsky
There is a function of the family called ‘cult of private life’ - belief that we can only gain fulfilment from family life, distracting attention from exploitation.
MARXISM - Poulantzas
Nuclear families brainwashed into thinking capitalism is fair, teaching lower gens to conform with the capitalist system.