Assess the Contribution of Functionalism to Our Understanding of Families and Households

Contributing what they control to offer to families and households is something that functionalists seem to do in a variety of ways. Functionalism is a consensus hypothesis (as stated in Item A). This fashion that it argues golf club is built on a consensus, or a general system amidst members on how society should be say and organised. They believe that family is superstar of the pivotal well-disposed cosmoss (which ar parts in society involved in the socialisation do work) along with mass media, didactics and peer group). Functionalism looks at the family functions and short letters that they perform.The functionalist George Murdock believes that the nuclear family is universal, at that placefore meaning that its found worldwide, and that is the best family showcase/institution for performing the 4 functions that functionalists believe are the foundations of successful families. Sexual function (Staying with one sexual partner and fulfilling their sex drive, this is skillful as it avoids conflict. ) Economic function (administering pabulum and shelter for members of your family, this is positive as it protects them and keeps them healthy). fruitful function (Delivering the future generation, beneficial so that humans dont all overstep out).Educational function (Whereby you study your offspring the norms and determine in society this be moneymaking as your children will then be immerseed into things such as precept and will begin the education process of further things). A strength of Murdocks effort implies how the nuclear family operates functions to benefit both(prenominal) the individuals and society. This means that it is positive for everyone, and has a sweetened effect on everyone. nonetheless a weakness would be that he besides ignores that other(a) families (such as step families, elongate families and so on ).This means that he doesnt take into account that they sack as well as perform some of the functions. This is negatively charged because it indicates that his ideas arent completely thorough or fair. Talcott Parsons disputes that there is such thing as a functional fit (the idea that the functions the family performs and the preponderating type of family in a society are exercised by the take of that society) amidst society and the family, and depending on the type of society the family is in, that has an effect on the shape the family takes (for moral, what type the family is, nuclear, and so forth ). So the family changes as society does.Parsons claims that the main type of family in pre-industrial society was the extended family, which is groups of commonwealth each related by marriage, blood, or borrowing thats outside the nuclear family it can be extended vertically via grandparents etc. or horizontally (aunties, uncles, etc. ) However the main type of family in industrial society is the nuclear family (which is parents and children). Parson in addition believes that there is such thing as social mobility where your family can easily force out around the class system and this can cause conflict, due to ascribed and achieved statuses your family.For example, a child gets a higher job than one of its parents (i. e. plumber and doctor). To prevent this conflict, the second generation moves out to start their avouch nuclear family. Another mobility would be geographical mobility, whereby you can move around more(prenominal) easily due to the family single being small. Another thing Parson believes is that over time family has lost functions due to other social institutions, such as the education function, whereby before the kids would stay at home, and the parents would teach them things they thought were important (i. . mothers- daughters cooking etc. fathers- sons hunting). However the family still performs two functions primary(a) socialisation, this is where you learn norms and values off your parents, and stabilisation of adult personalities, ( aka the warm bath theory) this is where the family is classed as a place to relax and de-stress later on work. A strength of Parsons ideas is that it shows how the families change to meet the means and require of society. This means that is can account for things such as how the families do change and patterns for the change.An example of what it backs up would be the organic similitude (the idea that social institutions are the organs to keep us going and that the people are the skin). This is positive because it gives us a deeper understanding on family. However a weakness of Parsons beliefs would be that it only looks at the middle class, American families. This means you cannot generalize it to anyone out of those categories. It in addition is historically incorrect and thinks woman should be homemakers, yet men need to work.This is negative because again it isnt as expound and explained as it should be in regularize for us be able to accept it. Concluding, Parsons and Mur docks ideas suggest how the family functions and how it benefits society and family members, yet it ignores the negative aspects of family life sentence such as child contumely or violence to men/women. in that location are also other conflicts between other ideas such as Marxists accept that the family only benefits the working class, and feminists believe that families only benefit men.