Functionalist Views on Family

Functionalist Views

• Functionalists see the family as vital for social stability and cohesion
• The family provides essential functions benefitting both individuals and society

Key Theorists & Ideas

• Murdock (1949) identified four key functions of the family
• Sexual function provides a stable sexual relationship for adults
• Reproductive function ensures society continues through childbearing
• Economic function provides for members' needs like food and shelter
• Educational function (socialization) transmits society's norms and values to children
• Parsons (1955) proposed two essential family functions
• Primary Socialization of Children: families instill shared values and integrate children into society
• Stabilization of Adult Personalities ('Warm Bath Theory'): the family provides emotional support, helping adults cope with stress
• Parsons' Structural Differentiation Theory suggests that as society industrializes, some family functions transfer to specialized institutions like schools and hospitals, leading to a "loss of functions" debate
• Parsons still viewed the nuclear family as essential

Evaluation of Functionalist Views

• Strengths emphasize the family's role in maintaining social order
• Acknowledges how the family supports individuals and wider society
• Recognizes the family's ability to adapt to social change
• Weaknesses include feminist criticism that it ignores gender inequalities within the family
• Marxist criticism overlooks how the family reinforces capitalism and class inequalities
• It assumes the nuclear family is the norm, ignoring family diversity

Marxist Views

• Marxists believe the family serves capitalism by maintaining and reproducing class inequalities
• The family benefits the ruling class while exploiting the working class

Key Theorists & Ideas - Marxist Perspective

• Engels (1884) suggested the nuclear family emerged alongside private property to ensure wealth was passed down through legitimate heirs
• This reinforced patriarchy, as women's roles became tied to monogamy and childcare to secure inheritance
• Zaretsky (1976) argued the family creates a false sense of security for workers
• While it appears to provide emotional support, it actually helps capitalism by maintaining an exploited workforce
• Althusser (1971) viewed the family as part of the Ideological State Apparatus
• Meaning it socializes children into accepting capitalism as normal and inevitable
• Cooper (1972) argued that parents teach children to be obedient and unquestioning
• Preparing them to accept hierarchy and authority in the workplace

Key Marxist Concepts

• Unit of Consumption: families are targeted by advertisers to buy goods, ensuring continuous profit for businesses
• Reproduction of Class Inequality: wealthy families pass down property and privilege, while working-class families struggle to improve their social position
• Exploitation of Women: women's unpaid domestic labor (housework, childcare) supports capitalism by maintaining the workforce without financial compensation

Evaluation of Marxist Views

• Strengths highlight the economic role of the family in maintaining social inequality
• Explains how capitalism benefits from both paid and unpaid labor within the family
• Recognizes that family structures have changed due to economic shifts
• Weaknesses include functionalist criticism, overlooking the positive functions of the family, such as emotional support and social cohesion
• Feminist criticism focuses too much on class and ignores gender inequalities within the family
• It ignores that some people genuinely find fulfilment in family life rather than seeing it as a tool of oppression

Feminist Views

• Feminists argue that the family reinforces patriarchy by maintaining male dominance and restricting women's opportunities
• They emphasize how traditional family structures disadvantage women

Key Theorists & Ideas

• Oakley (1974) found that gender roles are socially constructed through childhood socialization
• Girls are encouraged to be nurturing, and boys to be independent
• Delphy and Leonard (1992) argued that men benefit most from women's unpaid labor, as housework and childcare are forms of economic exploitation that serve men's interests
• Duncombe and Marsden (1995) identified the triple shift, where women do paid work, housework, and emotional labor (supporting their partner and children)
• Dobash and Dobash (1980) studied domestic violence and found that many cases were triggered by men asserting control over their female partners, reinforcing male dominance within the family
• Greer (2000) a radical feminist who argued that even in modern society, the nuclear family oppresses women
• Matrilocal households (where women live together) could be a better alternative

Key Feminist Concepts

• Domestic Division of Labor: women are expected to take on more household responsibilities, even when they also have paid jobs
• Gendered Socialization: children are taught traditional gender roles from an early age, reinforcing inequality
• Decision-Making Power: studies show that men often have the final say in financial and major family decisions

Evaluation of Feminist Views

• Strengths highlight gender inequalities and the power imbalance within families
• Acknowledge how unpaid labor disproportionately affects women
• Recognize the role of domestic violence in maintaining male dominance
• Weaknesses include Marxist criticism that it overlooks class differences
• Functionalist criticism ignores the positive aspects of family life
• Postmodernist criticism assumes all families are patriarchal, modern relationships are increasingly egalitarian