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Gender roles in family life
Sociological Approaches To The Study Of The Family
Functionalism theory in society
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Q: Examine the sociological evidence concerning the idea that there is contemporary diversity in the structure of the family.
The family is often seen as the corner stone of society. In pre-modern and modern societies alike it has been regarded as the most basic unit of social organisation and one that carries out vital tasks, such as the socialisation of children.
Functionalists’ approaches to the family are based on the assumption that society operates on the basis of consensus and that there is a balance between various parts of society so that they work together harmoniously. Functionalists assume that social institutions must have a function or purpose; therefore the family is examined in terms of the functions it performs for the benefit of society and the individual.
Functionalists view the family a little like a machine with many different parts all contributing to the smooth running of the whole (if one part breaks down there’s a chance that the whole thing wont work), therefore functionalist theories stress the interrelationship between the family and other social institutions.
E.g. the family prepares children to become adult workers and take on roles in the economy to support themselves an their dependents.
Functionalist consensus theorist, Talcot Parsons, sees two functions of the family as being basic and irreducible, these are:
· The primary socialisation of children
· Stabilisation of adult personalities
For Parsons the nuclear family is the ideal institution to perform these essential functions in industrial societies.
New Right thinkers also see the Nuclear family unit as the ‘normal family’. John Redwood a conservative mp stated in 1993 that the two adult family caring for their children was the ‘natural state’, these perspectives reflect the sociobiological view that the family is a natural institution based on biological requirements.
Another functionalist George Peter Murdock made the claim that the family is a universal feature in all society in his study entitled “social structure”, he made this claim following case studies and anthropological work on 250 societies, Murdock defines the family as follows.
The family is a social group characterised by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction, it includes adults of both sexes, at least two...
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...erance of difference. There is no eternal right or wrong about the family; it has always been a changeable institution, and will go on changing whether we like it or not, according to material conditions in the world outside and not according to ideas of morality. Overall there are clear patterns of continuity with the past but within an overall trend towards increased diversity.
References
The family is a social group…. Murdock (1949)
Some view the mother only family … Mclanahan and Booth (1991)
Most adults still marry… Chester (1985)
In 1996 73% of households were… Silvia and smart (1999)
Families in Britain today… Rapoport & Rapoport (1982
International diversity
Gay and Lesbian diversity WWW.ask.co.uk
Cultural diversity
Bibliography
Taylor, P., et al Sociology in focus, (1995), cause way
Haralambus, M., Themes and Perspectives, fifth edition (2000), Collins Educational.
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, Third ,, (1990), ,, ,,
Kirby, M., et at, Sociology in perspective, (1997), Heinemann.
O’Donnell, M., et al, Sociology in practice, (1990), Nelson.
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the use of the family in society and how it can take pressure from the
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According to Roni Neff, Marie Spiker, and Patricia Truant, up to 40% of all food produced in America is thrown away (Neff, Spiker, & Truant, 2015, p.2). This wasted food is worth hundreds of billions of dollars that is lost each year in the United States alone, and creates many threats to our country. Food waste is an important and widespread issue in the United States because most of the food thrown away is perfectly fine, it could be used to feed the hungry, and the waste hurts the environment.
Industrialization and Formation of the Nuclear Family Some have argued that as industrialisation and modernisation continue to shape our society, the classic extended family is breaking and kin-ship based society becoming increasingly rare. In its place is the privatised nuclear family form. Parsons claims 'the isolated nuclear family' has taken over. The nuclear family places no emphasis on a wider system of kinship relationships hence it is structurally isolated.
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Sociologists look at society from either a macro or micro view and the theories that define their work are based on those perspectives. There are several family theories that we learned about this semester. Briefly, Structural-Functionalism and Conflict Theory are “macro” theories in sociology. Structural-Functionalism sees society as a living machine made up of different parts which work together for the good of society. Individuals, as well as Institutions work together, and the family is the key to the well-functioning machine. Emile Durkheim, considered the Father of Sociology argues social solidarity, where people do the right thing, create harmony and have shared values. According to Durkheim the nuclear family is the only type of institution that can achieve that. Conflict Theory sees society as a pyramid with those at the top having more power and influence than those at the bottom. Males in society have more power than females. There is a power imbalance, which could lead to oppression o...
Throughout history, families have served as an essential social unit amongst all cultures. It has served as a way of preparing its members with the necessary behaviors, skills, and knowledge to enter society. This assignment will discuss and address the ten concepts when assessing families. While assessing the family component, it is important to understand the different roles and responsibilities held by the all its members and the impact they have on one another. Structural Functionalism is a theory that views society as a complex system whose parts work together to support solidarity and stability (CITE).
Families are crucially important to society without doubt. Most British people are born into families and then raised by a family. Most of these very same people grow up to form families of their own and take the responsibility of being a parent. Many people see the family as the normal way of life and watch television programs which revolve around family life. For many the nuclear family has always been viewed as the proper way to bring up children and to live life.
“The family is a social group characterised by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted of the sexually cohabitating adults.” MURDOCK (1949)
A few days later, my family were all gathered around for lunch when Emily began questioning me about Santa Claus. She appeared so enthusiastic and happy for Christmas that I did not want to ruin it for her. So I started telling her about The North Pole and the flying reindeers and anything associated with Santa. Deep down, I chastised myself for tricking her, but I thought a little white lie will not hurt anyone. I looked up and my mom gave me “the look”, and I knew that was not a good sign.
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