Download Sociology Bridging Project

AS-Level Sociology
Bridging Activity: To investigate the
view functionalist sociologists take
of the family and to evaluate this
viewpoint.
Mind map the functions you
can identify which the family
provides both to the
individual and society.
Some functions of the family…
Emotional Support
Educational
Economic
Nurture
Functions
of
the
Family
Guidance
Security
Objectives
• To gain an understanding of the
functionalist viewpoint of the family.
• To be able to use examples of
functionalists to back up the views they
hold of the family.
• To be able to critically assess the
functionalist viewpoint and its views of
the family.
A Household or A Family?
What is a household?
A household is a group of people who live
together, they may or may not be
related through blood or marriage.
What is a family?
A family is a form of household where all
the people who live together are related
through either kinship ties or marriage.
Functionalism
Functionalism is a theory
which views society as
being a system of
interconnected parts and
they compare society to
the human body.
The Body – Society
Body Parts – Institutions
within society, the family
being one of these!
Functionalism
Functionalists see both humans and
societies to have certain basic needs
which must be met in order for society
and humans to survive.
Social institutions meet these basic needs
and therefore for a social institution to
be functional it needs to contribute to
the survival of the whole society.
Think…
What needs do individuals and societies
have which the family as an institution
could contribute to in order to help
meet these needs?
Task
In box one on worksheet 1A, draw what functions
you think the family may provide to the individual
and society in order to help them meet there needs.
Functionalism
Family – Institution in Society
For Functionalist’s the institutions in
society are important as they help
maintain social order and social
cohesion.
Functionalism
Murdock (1949)
- Studied 250 societies of different cultures. (Good
breadth of study!)
- Murdock saw that in each of these societies the
nuclear family existed.
- Below are the four functions Murdock saw the
family to provide.
Sexual
Stable sexual relationship for adults
Reproductive
Continuing to create society members
In conclusions Murdock claimed the family is universal and
Economic
to provide
for
each
inevitable andPools
that resources
families exist
in every
society.
other
Educational
Teaches norms and values of society
Functionalism
Parsons (1950’s)
Parsons saw the family as being a
factory that
produces only
the next batch of
- Compared to Murdock,
Parsons
citizens.
provides two vital functions of the family.
Primary
Teaches children the norms and
Socialisation values of society.
Stabilises personalities and
Stabilisation emotional relationships. Parents
also provide security to help
individuals cope in wider society.
Think…
Is the family all hunky dory as the
functionalists seem to assume it is?
Evaluation
Write down one strengths and one weakness of
the functionalist viewpoint of the family. You
may wish to use other sociological
perspectives to critique functionalism.
Ensure you put at the top strength or weakness!
Strength
Weakness
Criticisms
• Functionalists are criticised for ignoring
the negative aspects the family can
bring such as child abuse, neglect and
violence.
Criticisms
• Marxist Feminists would argue that
women end up staying at home being a
housewife and not getting paid for this.
Criticisms
• Some parents fail to bring up their
children to make them socially
acceptable and they may be bad role
models for the young.
Plenary
Return back to worksheet 1A and in box
two draw how you now see the family
through the functionalist perspective.
Be prepared to justify what your drawing
shows so your knowledge of
functionalism applied to the family can
be shown.
The Family – how did we get
to where we are?
Recall Task – according to
Murdock what are the 4 main
functions of the Family?
Parsons, USA, 1960s – the
‘privatised nuclear family’ fits
the needs of the society it is in.
‘functional fit’ theory
Pre industrial society
Industrial society
Most people worked at home, ‘cottage’
industry’ like weaving/farming for
themselves
Children usually followed in their
parent’s footsteps –geographically and
occupationally
The family were the carers for those
unable to care for themselves
The family were the main source of
education
According to Parsons this left families with only 2 real
functions – what are they?
The nuclear family fits our societies
needs because we need
A smaller family
leads to stronger
bonds
The welfare
state taken on
some of the
families
functions
like…
Geographic
mobility
meaning…
We have
more
social
mobility
which
means….
How does a warm bath make you
feel?
‘warm bath theory’
‘warm bath theory’
Anything wrong with Parson’s
‘warm bath’ theory of the family?
Anything wrong with Parson’s
‘warm bath’ theory of the family?
• ‘rose tinted’ –ignores abuse, violence, conflict.
Leach argues that the family’s isolation has not led
to stronger bonds but rather to stress functionalism ignores ‘the dark side’
• Out of date – lots no longer living in nuclear
families – men often have expressive rather than
instrumental roles and vice versa
• Exploits women according to feminists
Task
Make notes on the following
• Parsons
• Murdock
• Warm bath theory
• Be prepared for sample exam questions