Functionalist theory of the family: Evaluate the functionalist perspective on the family (20 marks)
Intro The functionalist perspective is seen as a structural theory because it claims that the social
structures in society (eg. family) perform a number of ’functions’ which shape and influence our
behaviour. They view these functions of the family as positive and that inevitably contribute to a
shared value consensus through primary socialisation. This brings about social order and thus creates
a society where people don't have conflicting norms and values, ultimately functionalists see this
function of the family as positive.
P1 POINT:
Murdock identified 4 positive and essential functions of the nuclear family which are extremely
important in retaining a value consensus - which functionalists see as crucial to prevent anomie.
KNOWLEDGE & APPLICATION:
Murdock: the four functions of the nuclear family
- Economic:
The family as a collective resource is able to satisfy the economic needs (eg, security, food, home and
money) of its members more effectively than a single individual living alone.
- Sexual:
The family allows the adults to fulfil their sexual needs, thus preventing deviant sexual
behaviour (eg, rape). The family (husband and wife) also socialises its members (ie, children) in the
accepted template for appropriate sexual relationships (eg, loving, marital and heterosexual rather
than homosexual or promiscuous).
- Reproduction:
The family provides a stable environment for producing and looking after children, which is essential
for society to exist.
- Educational:
The family teaches children the values and norms of acceptable behaviour in society.
EVALUATION:
- Ignores the dark side of the family - idealises the family and ignores the darker side of the
family eg domestic violence and sexual assault within a marriage eg sexual function.
- Alternate perspective: Postmodern - are outdated and no longer valid. This is because their
theory was based on an American middle-class society of the 1950s and therefore not
applicable to a modern multicultural society, which has a diversity of family and household
types (eg, single-parent, homosexual and cohabiting).
LINK: Functionalists argue that due to the 4 functions that the nuclear family provides, the family is a
positive and essential force in maintaining a value consensus.
P2 POINT:
Functionalists believe that the function that the family performs will depend on the kind of society in
which it is found, this will also influence the structure of the family. Parsons called this the ‘fit
theory’.
KNOWLEDGE & APPLICATION:
The ‘fit theory’ of the family states that the structure of the family changes overtime to ‘fit’ the type
of society that exists at the time.
- Pre-industrial family: The extended family was common and served multiple functions,
including caring for elderly, educating children, and farming for food.
- Industrial society family: The extended family shifted to a smaller nuclear family due to the
demands of industrialisation.
○ Geographical mobility: The nuclear family was more adaptable for relocation,
making it easier to move for work compared to the extended family.
○ Social mobility: Industrial society promoted upward mobility, allowing individuals
to change their social status. The nuclear family structure helped prevent conflict
between parents and children pursuing better opportunities, which could threaten
family stability.
EVALUATION:
- Questionable accuracy of theory: Laslett found that church records show only 10% of
households contained extended kin before the industrial revolution. This suggests the family
was already nuclear before industrialisation.
- Alternate perspective: Marxists - the family is a vehicle for the ideological control of the
working class. The nuclear family promotes values like obedience, hierarchy, and discipline,
which are useful for maintaining a capitalist system where the ruling class benefits from the
exploitation of the working class.
, LINK: Functionalists see the role of the family as important and adaptable across different societies.
P3 POINT:
As a result of industrialisation Functionalists like Parsons acknowledge the influence of other
institutions in performing the families roles. Parsons updated the theory to say that there are only 2
essential functions that the family performs.
KNOWLEDGE & APPLICATION:
Industrialisation also meant that the modern nuclear family lost some of its functions and now
performs two essential functions which Parsons refers to as two basic and irreducible functions:
- Primary socialisation of children –
the process that takes place during the early years of childhood when children are taught society’s
values and norms.
- Stabilisation of adult personalities (warm bath theory)–
The pressures of living and working in a modern industrial society to achieve success (wealth and
social status) can threaten to destabilise the personalities of both husband and wife (mental health).
Parsons suggests the family helps to stabilise their personalities when there is a sexual division of
labour in the family.
- The female is ideally suited to perform the expressive role: providing for the caring,
nurturing and emotional needs of the children and husband
- The man is more suited to play an instrumental role: being the breadwinner who provides for
the economic needs for the family.
Functionalists see the nuclear family as the ‘ideal’ and most ‘natural’ type for society. They see
divorce, the decline of marriage and alternative family types as threatening the stability of society.
EVALUATION:
- Outdated: roles of instrumental and expressive roles are outdated and based on
circumstances in the 1950’s. Feminisation in the 70s has changed attitudes and trends on
family arrangements. Eg. women can now be breadwinners.
- Alternative perspective: Feminist - feminists see the family life as unequal, the man
benefiting more than the woman. The role of the woman is mainly domestic duties, while the
husband spends more time on leisure activities. This suggests that the women's role in the
family was one of oppression and exploitation, which feminists see as wrong.
LINK: Functionalists see the family as performing 2 essential functions. Both men and women have
different roles that each contribute to the function of the family. Ultimately these functions can only
be performed by the family and therefore functionalists see the role of the family as important.
Concl In conclusion, in a contemporary society characterised by globalisation, the idea that the nuclear
family has important and sole functions that other institutions cannot account for is outdated. And the
view that the role of the family is to reinforce a value consensus in a multi-cultural society is not as
applicable as it previously was in the 1950s. However Feminists would still argue that the
instrumental and expressive roles of the family are still applicable and oppressive to women.
Therefore some aspects of the functionalist perspective on the family are still relevant for
understanding the family today.
, Marxist theory of the family: Evaluate the marxist perspective on the family (20 marks)
Intro The marxist perspective is seen as a conflict theory because it sees capitalist society consisting of 2
main social classes, the bourgeois and the proletariat. Marxist see the relationship between the two
classes as unfair, in their view the family perpetuates this as it benefits capitalism. Ultimately
Marxists see the family as performing a negative function in reinforcing capitalism.
P1 POINT:
Marxists view the nuclear family as benefiting the bourgeoisie by means of inheritance, contributing
to class inequality.
KNOWLEDGE & APPLICATION:
Engels - allowing wealth to be passed on.
- Pre-industrialisation:
Early societies were classless and communal, with no formal family structure or sexual restrictions,
described by Engels as a "promiscuous horde."
- Post industrialisation:
A class of men became rich and secured control of the means of production (bourgeoise).
So came the development of private property.
This brought about the patriarchal, monogamous, nuclear family.
Friedrich Engels:
monogamy became essential because of the inheritance of private property (men had to be certain of
the paternity of their children). This however has led to a ‘world historical defeat of the female sex’,
where women have been turned into ‘a mere instrument for the production of children’.
EVALUATION:
- Theory lacks solutions: Marxist theory has yet to establish a viable alternative family type
that would benefit society. It could be argued that the nuclear family is presently the best
type of family for the child’s social and cognitive development.
- Alternative perspective: Postmodern: would argue that the theory may no longer be valid
because it is based on the traditional nuclear family and in a contemporary society this
arrangement is less common.
LINK: Marxists believe that the nuclear family was created for and maintains a capitalist society by
ensuring inheritance can be passed down families - benefiting the bourgeoisie.
P2 POINT:
Marxists see the family as serving an ideological function for capitalism because it teaches values that
are ideal for a submissive work force - ultimately benefiting the bourgeoisie.
KNOWLEDGE & APPLICATION:
Ideology for Marxists:
A set of ideas or beliefs that justify inequality and maintain the capitalist system by persuading people
to accept it as fair, natural or unchangeable
- The family socialises children into the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable.
Parental power over children accustoms them to the idea that someone is always in charge
and prepares them for work.
Eli Zaretsky: (false class consciousness)
Sees family life as a distraction from the exploitation of capitalism. The expressive role of the wife
(e.g. emotional support) helps distract the man from the oppression and exploitation of his work
environment. Thereby maintaining a ‘false-class consciousness’ - the man is not aware of his
exploitation.
EVALUATION:
- Ideas are difficult to test: Marxists claim that the family helps maintain a ‘false-class
consciousness'; but this is hard to operationalise and so validity is questioned.
- Alternative perspective: Feminist - Feminists criticise Zaretsky for ignoring women's
exploitation within the family, focusing only on class inequality and reinforcing gender
stereotypes by reducing the wife's role to supporting the man.
LINK: Marxists see the family as serving an ideological function for capitalism as it creates a
submissive workforce and distracts from oppression.
P3 POINT:
Marxists believe that the family serves the interests of capitalism by being one of the largest
consumers of the products it produces thereby supporting a capitalist society.
KNOWLEDGE & APPLICATION:
Intro The functionalist perspective is seen as a structural theory because it claims that the social
structures in society (eg. family) perform a number of ’functions’ which shape and influence our
behaviour. They view these functions of the family as positive and that inevitably contribute to a
shared value consensus through primary socialisation. This brings about social order and thus creates
a society where people don't have conflicting norms and values, ultimately functionalists see this
function of the family as positive.
P1 POINT:
Murdock identified 4 positive and essential functions of the nuclear family which are extremely
important in retaining a value consensus - which functionalists see as crucial to prevent anomie.
KNOWLEDGE & APPLICATION:
Murdock: the four functions of the nuclear family
- Economic:
The family as a collective resource is able to satisfy the economic needs (eg, security, food, home and
money) of its members more effectively than a single individual living alone.
- Sexual:
The family allows the adults to fulfil their sexual needs, thus preventing deviant sexual
behaviour (eg, rape). The family (husband and wife) also socialises its members (ie, children) in the
accepted template for appropriate sexual relationships (eg, loving, marital and heterosexual rather
than homosexual or promiscuous).
- Reproduction:
The family provides a stable environment for producing and looking after children, which is essential
for society to exist.
- Educational:
The family teaches children the values and norms of acceptable behaviour in society.
EVALUATION:
- Ignores the dark side of the family - idealises the family and ignores the darker side of the
family eg domestic violence and sexual assault within a marriage eg sexual function.
- Alternate perspective: Postmodern - are outdated and no longer valid. This is because their
theory was based on an American middle-class society of the 1950s and therefore not
applicable to a modern multicultural society, which has a diversity of family and household
types (eg, single-parent, homosexual and cohabiting).
LINK: Functionalists argue that due to the 4 functions that the nuclear family provides, the family is a
positive and essential force in maintaining a value consensus.
P2 POINT:
Functionalists believe that the function that the family performs will depend on the kind of society in
which it is found, this will also influence the structure of the family. Parsons called this the ‘fit
theory’.
KNOWLEDGE & APPLICATION:
The ‘fit theory’ of the family states that the structure of the family changes overtime to ‘fit’ the type
of society that exists at the time.
- Pre-industrial family: The extended family was common and served multiple functions,
including caring for elderly, educating children, and farming for food.
- Industrial society family: The extended family shifted to a smaller nuclear family due to the
demands of industrialisation.
○ Geographical mobility: The nuclear family was more adaptable for relocation,
making it easier to move for work compared to the extended family.
○ Social mobility: Industrial society promoted upward mobility, allowing individuals
to change their social status. The nuclear family structure helped prevent conflict
between parents and children pursuing better opportunities, which could threaten
family stability.
EVALUATION:
- Questionable accuracy of theory: Laslett found that church records show only 10% of
households contained extended kin before the industrial revolution. This suggests the family
was already nuclear before industrialisation.
- Alternate perspective: Marxists - the family is a vehicle for the ideological control of the
working class. The nuclear family promotes values like obedience, hierarchy, and discipline,
which are useful for maintaining a capitalist system where the ruling class benefits from the
exploitation of the working class.
, LINK: Functionalists see the role of the family as important and adaptable across different societies.
P3 POINT:
As a result of industrialisation Functionalists like Parsons acknowledge the influence of other
institutions in performing the families roles. Parsons updated the theory to say that there are only 2
essential functions that the family performs.
KNOWLEDGE & APPLICATION:
Industrialisation also meant that the modern nuclear family lost some of its functions and now
performs two essential functions which Parsons refers to as two basic and irreducible functions:
- Primary socialisation of children –
the process that takes place during the early years of childhood when children are taught society’s
values and norms.
- Stabilisation of adult personalities (warm bath theory)–
The pressures of living and working in a modern industrial society to achieve success (wealth and
social status) can threaten to destabilise the personalities of both husband and wife (mental health).
Parsons suggests the family helps to stabilise their personalities when there is a sexual division of
labour in the family.
- The female is ideally suited to perform the expressive role: providing for the caring,
nurturing and emotional needs of the children and husband
- The man is more suited to play an instrumental role: being the breadwinner who provides for
the economic needs for the family.
Functionalists see the nuclear family as the ‘ideal’ and most ‘natural’ type for society. They see
divorce, the decline of marriage and alternative family types as threatening the stability of society.
EVALUATION:
- Outdated: roles of instrumental and expressive roles are outdated and based on
circumstances in the 1950’s. Feminisation in the 70s has changed attitudes and trends on
family arrangements. Eg. women can now be breadwinners.
- Alternative perspective: Feminist - feminists see the family life as unequal, the man
benefiting more than the woman. The role of the woman is mainly domestic duties, while the
husband spends more time on leisure activities. This suggests that the women's role in the
family was one of oppression and exploitation, which feminists see as wrong.
LINK: Functionalists see the family as performing 2 essential functions. Both men and women have
different roles that each contribute to the function of the family. Ultimately these functions can only
be performed by the family and therefore functionalists see the role of the family as important.
Concl In conclusion, in a contemporary society characterised by globalisation, the idea that the nuclear
family has important and sole functions that other institutions cannot account for is outdated. And the
view that the role of the family is to reinforce a value consensus in a multi-cultural society is not as
applicable as it previously was in the 1950s. However Feminists would still argue that the
instrumental and expressive roles of the family are still applicable and oppressive to women.
Therefore some aspects of the functionalist perspective on the family are still relevant for
understanding the family today.
, Marxist theory of the family: Evaluate the marxist perspective on the family (20 marks)
Intro The marxist perspective is seen as a conflict theory because it sees capitalist society consisting of 2
main social classes, the bourgeois and the proletariat. Marxist see the relationship between the two
classes as unfair, in their view the family perpetuates this as it benefits capitalism. Ultimately
Marxists see the family as performing a negative function in reinforcing capitalism.
P1 POINT:
Marxists view the nuclear family as benefiting the bourgeoisie by means of inheritance, contributing
to class inequality.
KNOWLEDGE & APPLICATION:
Engels - allowing wealth to be passed on.
- Pre-industrialisation:
Early societies were classless and communal, with no formal family structure or sexual restrictions,
described by Engels as a "promiscuous horde."
- Post industrialisation:
A class of men became rich and secured control of the means of production (bourgeoise).
So came the development of private property.
This brought about the patriarchal, monogamous, nuclear family.
Friedrich Engels:
monogamy became essential because of the inheritance of private property (men had to be certain of
the paternity of their children). This however has led to a ‘world historical defeat of the female sex’,
where women have been turned into ‘a mere instrument for the production of children’.
EVALUATION:
- Theory lacks solutions: Marxist theory has yet to establish a viable alternative family type
that would benefit society. It could be argued that the nuclear family is presently the best
type of family for the child’s social and cognitive development.
- Alternative perspective: Postmodern: would argue that the theory may no longer be valid
because it is based on the traditional nuclear family and in a contemporary society this
arrangement is less common.
LINK: Marxists believe that the nuclear family was created for and maintains a capitalist society by
ensuring inheritance can be passed down families - benefiting the bourgeoisie.
P2 POINT:
Marxists see the family as serving an ideological function for capitalism because it teaches values that
are ideal for a submissive work force - ultimately benefiting the bourgeoisie.
KNOWLEDGE & APPLICATION:
Ideology for Marxists:
A set of ideas or beliefs that justify inequality and maintain the capitalist system by persuading people
to accept it as fair, natural or unchangeable
- The family socialises children into the idea that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable.
Parental power over children accustoms them to the idea that someone is always in charge
and prepares them for work.
Eli Zaretsky: (false class consciousness)
Sees family life as a distraction from the exploitation of capitalism. The expressive role of the wife
(e.g. emotional support) helps distract the man from the oppression and exploitation of his work
environment. Thereby maintaining a ‘false-class consciousness’ - the man is not aware of his
exploitation.
EVALUATION:
- Ideas are difficult to test: Marxists claim that the family helps maintain a ‘false-class
consciousness'; but this is hard to operationalise and so validity is questioned.
- Alternative perspective: Feminist - Feminists criticise Zaretsky for ignoring women's
exploitation within the family, focusing only on class inequality and reinforcing gender
stereotypes by reducing the wife's role to supporting the man.
LINK: Marxists see the family as serving an ideological function for capitalism as it creates a
submissive workforce and distracts from oppression.
P3 POINT:
Marxists believe that the family serves the interests of capitalism by being one of the largest
consumers of the products it produces thereby supporting a capitalist society.
KNOWLEDGE & APPLICATION:
