Family 1

THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE FAMILY TO SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL CHANGE

Theoretical explanations of family and relationships 

Functionalists: 

• Murdock; understands the family as a typical nuclear unit- with a hetrosexual couple with one or more biological children. He identifies the functions of the family as:
  • reproductive; the family is needed to sustain life, and children sybolise their parents emotional commitment. 
  • sexual; sex within marriage creates a strong bond and encourages commitment. 
  • education; the family is vital to children's primary socialisation- so the family helps to transfer social values and norms- increasing value concensus in society. 
  • economic; parents become more productive workers in order to provide for children- helps the economy which in turn contributes to the organisation of society. 
• Critisms of Murdock; the definition of a nuclear family is only reflective of a certian time, place and class (ie a 1940s american middle class family). The theory is now outdated as social attitudes have changed, secondary socialisation may be becoming more influential. 
• Parsons; sees institutions such as the family becoming increasingly specialised (known as structural differentation). He identifies the two major functions of the family as; 
  
  • Primary socialisation; the family plays a large role in transfering societies values via socialisation to their children. This helps to internalize societies culture and structure the personality. 
  • Stabilisation of adult personalities; the family helps to relieve stresses of day to day living for all of its members- by providing a safe and stable environment where all members are able to let go and be themselves. 
• Critisms of Parsons; to many…