1. Theories of the Family:
Get you thinking tasks
List 4 things your family does for you as a individual
Stretch and challenge: Then list 4 things you think families do for society
Theories of the Family:
Functionalism
Today’ title

2. To KNOW & UNDERSTAND what functionalism is.
Lesson Objectives
Thinking Ladder…
To KNOW & UNDERSTAND what functionalism is.
To KNOW & UNDERSTAND the functions of the family.
To APPLY the functionalist approach to explaining the family using sociologists’ names and studies.
Functionalist theories ofthe family

3. How will I know if I am learning? By the end of the lesson…
Success Criteria
How will I know if I am learning?
By the end of the lesson…
E-D
Will be able to define Functionalism. C
Will be able to explain the functions of the family. A
Will be able to apply functionalism to the family and explain it using sociologists and studies.
Functionalist theories ofthe family

4. Think carefully:
How does Society compare to a Human Body and it’s Organs?

5. Human Body: The functionalist organic analogy
1)Imagine the heart: What is its role in the body, what happens if the heart stops functioning?
2)For functionalist’s the family is like societies heart. What does this suggest to you about how important they view the family for a healthy society ?
3) The heart is vitally important but on its own is it enough to maintain a healthy body?
4) What do you think this means for functionalist theory? What else might be needed to create a healthy society?

6. Society Functionalists think the same of Society
Functionalists believe that society is made up of different subsystems (just like all the different organs in a body) which depend on each other. Each subsystem as a function and together they are vital for the running of society.
Imagine this circle is society.
What could all the different subsystems be?
How do they work to make society function?
How are they all connected?
Society

7. Functionalism Argue that society is based on a value consensus:
Key term! Make sure you have it defined in your notes
Argue that society is based on a value consensus:
Set of shared norms and values
Allows individuals to cooperate harmoniously to meet societies needs and achieve shared goals
Society is made up of parts that depend on each other (social institutions or agents!) e.g. the family, education system and the economy
Think of a ‘British value’ (shared belief and attitude)
How would it be shown in the way people behave? (norms)
How do we learn about these?

8. Functionalism Social Institutions including the family…
These institutions make up the structure of society, they like are the organs of body

9. Knowledge to really impress the examiner
Functionalism
Knowledge to really impress the examiner
Is functionalism Structural or Social Action theory? Why?
Is it Conflict or Consensus? Why?

10. Functions of the Family
For functionalist each of these institutions (organs) have their own role and functions (things they do) for society.
We will now look at the role or purpose of the family and what it does for its members and society
What are the functions of the family?

11. Functions of the Family
What are the Functions of the family? How to they help society?
Use your book and the pictures in front of you…
What are the functions that they represent?

12. Functions of the Family (Murdock)
Think about Murdock’s Functions. Fill out the table using page 189 & your own ideas
What is the function?
How does it benefit individual members of society?
How does it benefit society as a whole?
Extension: Try and condense Murdock’s Functions down to 2 of the most important. Then condense these 2 down to 1. Which is the most important function and why?

13. Functions of the Family
George Murdock (1949) argues that the family performs 4 essential functions to meet the needs of society.
1) Stable satisfaction of the sex drive

14. Functions of the Family
George Murdock (1949) argues that the family performs 4 essential functions to meet the needs of society.
2) Reproduction of the next generation

15. Functions of the Family
George Murdock (1949) argues that the family performs 4 essential functions to meet the needs of society.
3) Meeting the economic needs of it’s members

16. Functions of the Family
George Murdock (1949) argues that the family performs 4 essential functions to meet the needs of society.
Key Term Alert!!!
“Socialisation”
The process of learning the culture, norms and values of society.
Norms? Values? Primary & Secondary Socialisation?
4) Socialisation of the young

17. Functions of the Family
Murdock studied 250 societies of different cultures. (Good breadth of study!)
Murdock saw that in each of these societies the nuclear family existed.
He saw the nuclear family as providing these 4 important functions!

19. Functionalist theories of society are based on the assumption that society operates on the basis of consensus (agreement) and that there is a tendency towards equilibrium (balance) between the various parts of society so that they work together harmoniously. Functionalists tend to assume that if a social institution exists then it must have a function or purpose. The family is therefore often examined in terms of the functions it performs for the benefit of society and the individual. Murdock’s analysis of the universal functions of the family is a good example of this approach, with its emphasis on the essential functions of the family.
Functionalists often see society as similar to a machine or a body, with many different parts contributing to the smooth running of the whole. Functionalist theories therefore stress the relationship between the family and other social institutions. For example, the family prepares children to become adult workers and take on roles in the economy to support themselves and their dependents. In this way the family system and the economic system are linked.

20. Functions of the Family (Murdock)
Now use your table to see if you can find anything wrong with Murdock’s arguments.
How could we criticise his functions?

21. Criticisms of Murdock
Some argue they could be performed equally well through other institutions or a non-nuclear family.
Is the family always harmonious and full of consensus? Or is this a rose-tinted view?

22. Criticisms of Murdock
Marxists and feminists argue that functionalism neglects conflict and exploitation
Feminists
See the family as serving the needs of men
Marxists
Argue it meets the needs of capitalism, not those family members or society as a whole

23. To Finish:
How far do you agree with the Functionalism view of the family so far? Why?
Strongly Disagree
Strongly
Agree
In the Middle

24. Parson’s functional fit theory

25. Talcott Parsons’ Functional Fit Theory
The family may meet other needs:
Welfare, military, political, religious functions
The functions it performs will depend on the social construction
Parsons (1955) argues there are two types of family structure:
Nuclear family
Extended family (three generations living under one roof)

26. Parsons’ Functional Fit Theory
Two basic types of society
Modern industrial society
Traditional pre-industrial society
The nuclear family fits the needs of industrial society and is the dominant family type in that society; the extended family fits the needs of the pre-industrial society
Post industrial revolution (late 18th C onwards) - extended  nuclear

27. Industrial society has two different essential needs:
A geographically mobile workforce
People need to move to where the jobs are
Parsons argues it is easier for the compact two- generation nuclear family, with just dependent children, to move

28. Industrial society has two different essential needs:
2. A socially mobile workforce
Modern industrial society is based on constantly evolving science and technology so requires skilled technically competent workforce
Essential that talented people are able to win promotion and take on the most important jobs
Status is achieved  makes social mobility possible

29. Parsons argues that the nuclear family is better equipped than the extended family to meet the needs of industrial society
The result of this is the mobile nuclear family which is structurally isolated from its extended kin without binding obligations towards them (unlike the pre-industrial extended family)

30. Loss of Functions
The pre-industrial family was a multi-functional unit
A unit of production
A unit of consumption
Therefore more self-sufficient
Parsons argues that when society industrialises the family not only changes its structure but also loses some of its functions
Family ceases to be a unit of production
Family becomes a unit of consumption only
Loses most of its other functions to other institutions such as schools and the health service

31. As a result:
The modern nuclear family comes to specialise in performing just two essential or ‘irreducible’ functions:
Primary socialisation
Stabilisation of adult personalities

32. Criticisms! Functionalists have been accused of idealising the family.
Ignoring conflict and abuse within families
Ignoring gender inequality within families
Ignoring the rising divorce rates
Ignoring growing family diversity