The Functionalist View of the Family
It is undoubted that functionalism has contributed to the general
understanding of the family, even if you don’t believe the
functionalist view-point to be correct, it still plays an essential
part in the topic of sociology by simply being there to conflict the
Marxist view of the family.
The functionalist view of society makes the assumption that every
society has a range of basic needs. Functionalists would say that if
these needs are being met then the society is functioning and it is
more likely to survive over a longer period of time.
Functionalist view is considered to be a consensus theory because it
tends to accentuate the “need” for shared norms and values.
Several functionalist sociologists have tried to explain the
relevance of families in society, and the reasons (other then the
obvious biological reason) as to why they exist. One such sociologist
is American Talcott Parsons (1955). Parsons based his views on a
sample of “modern North American” families, he...
“Leave it to Beaver” was a popular sitcom about a traditional nuclear family played out through the perspective of an adolescent boy whose curiosity and antics often got him into trouble (TV.com). Despite the show promoting positive family values, it also inadvertently shed light on a historically dark period of time in American history. One such instance was the lack of diversity on the show. Nearly 100% of the show’s characters were white throughout the six-season, 234 episode series. In the single episode that depicted an African-American, the character was a servant, further a reflection of the times when African-Americans where predominantly seen and treated as second-class citizens (Leaveittobeaver.org). However, this 1950’s ideal serves as a reference point to what typical families looked like and how vastly different they look now.
There are three types of theoretical perspective. 1. Functionalism, 2. Conflict, 3. Symbolic Interactionism. All of the theses functions help preserve social stability and keep a society working. These perspectives are very important to analysis the important factors about family values and family structure. According to the book first, primary rules for social function of the family is socializing children. Second is to have an emotional and practical support which related to Functionalist perspective. Meaning provides shelter, food, clothes, love, comfort and etc. The functionalist perspective emphasizes the interconnectedness of our society by mostly focusing on how everyone is included with the others in society. The other sociological aspects from the family perspective are the Conflict Perspective. In contrast, the conflict perspective views society as composed of different groups and interest competing for power and resources. This theory explains the various aspect of our social world. For an example: feminist argue that we live in the society where only men have the power or control in the relationship. The last but not least is the symbolic interactionist perspective, which explains how the social problems are affected at the
The family structure is made up of individuals living together in intimate groups with the purpose of caring and supporting each other. Rules and boundaries, spoken and unspoken, are developed by the family members. Family rules and boundaries change and shift over time in order to evolve and grow as a family unit. Some changes are subtle, but some events force major change within the family system. This paper applies the concepts of systems theory to the family system in the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Reese Witherspoon (Melanie Smooter) and Josh Lucas (Jake Perry) star in this heart-warming film telling a story of a young woman who flees from Alabama to reinvent herself in New York City as a high fashion designer. She leaves behind her redneck husband and white-trash upbringing. Melanie finds herself engaged to the cities most eligible bachelor and has to return to Alabama to request a divorce from her first love and confront her past ("Alabama," 2002).
THOSE OF US WHO grew up in the 1950s got an image of the American family that was not, shall we say, accurate. We were told, Father Knows Best, Leave It to Beaver, and Ozzie and Harriet were not just the way things were supposed to be—but the way things were
It is a common theme throughout history that children “owe” it to their parents to do right by them by any means necessary in return for the parents years of hard work, personal sacrifices, and parental obligations to the child; whether that be through personal sacrifices or simply lending a helping hand. Modern philosophy attempts to disregard the ties of family entirely in order to prove that children do not voluntarily ask for sacrifices of their parents, or even the more dramatic claim – “life.” More conservative philosophers such as Christina Hoff Summers defends the moral duties of the more traditional sense of family and the personal morality involved in the family unit. The ideas presented on the tradition that family duties are stronger bonds than those of friends could potentially affect the overall quality of life in adults. In this paper I am going to argue that the traditional sense of family and its duties are stronger than the duties demanded of friendship.
This paper will examine sociological theories and how they relate to the social institution of the family. We typically view society as a group of people, but in sociology, society is not a group of people but a social organization. People are molded by society to fit within the accepted societal bounds. Society must be understood using “the meanings that people put on their values and beliefs” (Bartle, 2010). Within sociology there are three major perspectives. These are the Functionalist, Conflict and Interactionist Perspectives. Each perspective views society in different manners, with each being correct and relevant since social institutions are too complex to be defined by any one theory. Each perspective will be used to explain the perspectives’ relevance to the family.
Functionalism is when society is stable and running as anorderly system with interrelated part. At this point, this type of society is considered to be the example of a perfect functioning society. However, when aspects of society are functioning incorrectly, this is when social problems occur.Divorce is very controversial issuewhen addressing it as a social problem due to the many different beliefs. Many people in society believe that divorce often has negative effectson the family intuition that affects society as a whole. Meanwhile, others believe marriageand divorce does not affect society as a whole and divorce is a part of life and only affects the individuals involved. Today, functionalists often see divorce as a major failure in society.It is a general notion that institutions are causing divorce rather than the individual. An institution should not establish how a marriage operates. Instead, the individuals are expected to conform to a higher societal standard. Functionalist ...
A functionalist perspective suggests that our society is made up of interdependent parts and that gender roles support its social stability, balance and equilibrium. According to “The Sociology of Gender: Theoretical Perspectives and Feminist Frameworks” by Linda L Lindsey, “In preindustrial societies social equilibrium was maintained by assigning different tasks to men and women. Given the hunting and gathering and subsistence farming activities of most preindustrial societies, role specialization according to gender was considered a functional necessity.” During this time survival was a more difficult task and so men and women had to rely on each other to live. In today’s society, these roles have begun to shift and it is more common to find females providing while males stay at home, but for the majority, our original gender roles are still intact. The functionalist theory even in a contemporary society finds that the survival of the family unit relies on conservative gender roles. This theory is not realistic in today’s society because women are more motivated to be educated and career based, instead of devoting their life to motherhood. Lindsey claims, “ Such a divide is artificial and dysfunctional when families need to cope with the growing
According to Richard Charles (2001) “the effectiveness of family systems theory rests not much on empirical research but on clinical reports of positive treatment outcomes, the personal benefits experienced by the families that underwent this kind of treatment, and the elegance of Bowen’s theory” (p. 279). Bowen’s family systems theory views the family as an emotional unit and is a theory of human behavior. Systems thinking are used to describe the complex interactions in the unit. However, the client’s ability to differentiate himself/herself from the family of origin is the basis for Bowen’s family systems theory. In addition, the primary focus for growth within the emotional system is differentiation of self. Differentiation of self will be explored as well as how it relates to a church congregation.
Functionalist View on Same-Sex Families What is Functionalism? Functionalism is the belief that members of society form relationships with each other through rules and regulations i.e. the law. They also believe society is based on a consensus and there is no time for conflict, although it is acknowledged but is seen as only a temporary disturbance, which can be resolved. They believe it is the basis of social life without it there would be conflict and disorder. Society is seen like the human body, institutions within society playing a significant role to ensure its upkeep like schools.
During World War II, a lot of America women became Rosy the Riveter. When the war ended and the men returned home, they wanted to return to the traditional ways but many women did not want to give up their jobs and the supply of money they were making. This created a huge shift in the role of women in society that is still taking effect today (Griffiths et al., 2015). The traditional gender roles are still believed to work by some functionalists (Shepard, 1993). Famed sociologists Talcott Parsons and Robert Bales believed that “Families… require one adult in an ‘instrumental’ role and another adult in an ‘expressive’ role. The husband-father, who usually assumes the instrumental role, is responsible for family in the occupational, political, and economic situations. In preforming the expressive role, the wife-mother is concerned with maintaining relationships within the family, taking care of children, and providing emotional security for all family members”(pg. 300). Even though this may have worked at one time, many sociologists do not believe with Parsons and Bales; they think that modern society treats people not based on their role, but their abilities. Many sociologists believe that the functionalist perspective is outdated and only explains how gender roles came to be, not what they
The structural theory of Functionalism is a vast perspective in social science which directs to the attention of the social structure of the function and its components. Those components are called norms, values, status and role. Structural theory is also called Macro theory. That theory or perspective enables us to analyze the way our whole society works and fits together. The sociologist TALCOTT PARSONS used a different system of approach. What he done was to view all the different societies as distinguished and able to supply to their own needs without external assistance. T...
What do you personally believe are the most important functions of family? Why or why not be specific. The most important functions I will say is social unit. This shows a person from a child to adult what it means to be part of society. There not just one specific function that makes a perfect family. There are many factors that help make a better family. According to www.hrsbstaff.ednet.ca_of_the_family.htm “ A functional family is one in which family members fulfill their agreed upon roles and responsibilities, treat each other with respect and affection, and meet each other needs. To better understand family functions Talcott Parson a sociologist stated “that the main functions of the family were, “ to ensure that new babies actually
Functionalists emphasise the harmonious nature of the nuclear family, believing it provides a more stable environment for the family and its individual members but also for society as a whole. It draws attention to the positive aspects of family life, fitting in with many people’s experience and expectation of the family as somewhere they are safe and cared for. Functionalists see the father taking an instrumental role, supporting the family by earning a wage with the mother taking the expressive role, caring, nurturing and taking main responsibility for the home and childcare. New Right agrees segregated conjugal roles are human nature and are reinforced by society’s norms and values.
In order for society to meet the basic social needs of its members, social institutions, which are not buildings, or an organization or even people, but a system whose of social norms, mores and folkways that help make people feel important. Social institutions, according to our textbook, is defined as a fundamental component of this organization in which individuals, occupying defined statues, are “regulated by social norms, public opinion, law and religion” (Amato 2004, p.961). Social institutions are meant to meet people’s basic needs and enable the society to survive. Because social institutions prescribe socially accepted beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors, they exert considerable social control over individuals.