Assess the Usefulness of Functionalism for an Understanding of the Faimily

Assess the usefulness of functionalism for an grounds of the family. Functionalism is a structural outset in that it means that the social structure of familiarity (social institutions such as economy, education, media, law, trust and family) is responsible for shaping us as individuals. Functionalists atomic act 18 interested in how the family functions for the greater good or society and in particular, how it contributes to maintenance of social wander. Functionalists view of families and households is chiefly a positive view. In this essay, I will task the understanding of families and households through a functionalist view. All over the demesne family demeanor is differs by huge variation and diversity. But in the UK and concord to functionalists who take the more traditional view of family believe it should be a small company of people supporting together, including the stimulate father and usually two or tether children and are biologically related. The children should be the product of romantic love. A notable sociologist George Peter Murdock (1949) defines the family as: A social group characterised by common residence, scotch cooperation and reproduction. It should consist of adults of both sexes with at to the lowest degree two who maintain a socially approved relationship, which has created single or more children of their own.

Therefore Murdocks definition is found on the nuclear family a unimaginative two-generation family made up of a heterosexual couple with open offspring. This definition was everyday with functionalist sociologists who suggested that this is the ideal type of family which people sho! uld get hold of to have. Murdocks four key functions are: Stabilisation/ regularisation of the sex jampack (sexual) Reproduction of the next generation (reproductive) .Socialisation of the adolescent (educational) Meeting its members economic needs, providing food shelter etc (economic) Sociologists criticise Murdocks antenna on the family verbalism its to rose-tinted, which means...If you want to get a skilful essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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