Topic/Objective: Functionalist Views of the Family Starter Activity: Say What you see. Outline Functionalist Views of the Family – Using Key Words Compare and Contrast Murdock, Parsons and the New Right Critically evaluate these perspectives Value consensus Socialisation Functions Organism Industrialisation What word does this picture describe? What does it mean? Functionalist View http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIKsQ127 BWM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsKDdkD_ 1GY To start…some recap questions 1. What were the 4 functions of the family as suggested by Murdock? 2. Explain in detail one of the above functions. 3. Detail 2 features of a family, according to Murdock’s definition. 4. Who does Murdock exclude from his definition. 5. What’s the difference between a family and a household? 6. What is polygamy? 7. Define what is meant by reconstituted family Point to discuss: Is there such a thing as an ‘ideal’ family type? Functionalism • Society is based on a VALUE CONSENSUS. • Socialisation maintains social order. • Society is like a biological ORGANISM. • Everything has a PURPOSE or FUNCTION. • The Family is an important sub-system – a building block of society. George Peter Murdock (1949): The Family Performs 4 vital functions SEX REPRODUCTION Economic (Food / Shelter) Education / Socialisation Talcott Parsons (1959): ‘Functional Fit’ • Size and shape of family will depend on the society. Industrialisation Industrialisation refers to the process where society becomes developed by industry in order to produce secondary goods and services. This is the period of time when the secondary industry expanded. • Before the period of industrialisation jobs revolved around agriculture and were mainly home centred work. • Pre-Industrial families were mainly extended and the members of the family lived and worked together. •They often grew crops for themselves then extras they took to market to sell. •Once industrialisation took place it brought about the change of people leaving the home to work the cities. •In industrial society, the nuclear family became dominant. This occurred because the home became separated because of people leaving home to work in the cities. People became more ‘geographically mobile’ – they moved for work. Family Change Parsons (1959, 1965) •Extended Family Nuclear Family •Pre-Industrial Post-Industrial Why? • Parsons saw the reason for the family structure changing from extended to nuclear was because the nuclear family was more useful to industrial society. The nuclear family is more able to focus on socialising children into the norms and values of the industrial society. Industrial society took over many of the functions of the family such as education, healthcare and policing. Due to the nuclear family having less kin it makes them more mobile and therefore they can move about the country to where work exists. Socially Mobile Workforce Modern societies – high levels of social mobility. Nuclear families who are ‘structurally isolated’ from their extended kin are best suited. Otherwise – their may be conflict if sons earn higher status than their fathers in the same household Parsons saw how the following specialised roles developed in the family: •Men –Practical and Planning Leaders •Women – Emotional and Expressive Leaders of the Family Parsons argued that these roles were best for society and he gave them 2 names... The Expressive Role and... The Instrumental Role Which role is male and which is female? • Instrumental Roles = Male role Outside of the family in the public world. Taking part in paid labour to support family. Making important family decisions and sorting finances. • Expressive Roles = Female role Inside the family; stress management in the family and socialising children. Also involves taking care of the household. LEADER Adult Male (Father) Adult Female (Mother) INSTRUMENTAL ROLE EXPRESSIVE ROLE Male Child Female Child FOLLOWERS Parson’s Two ‘Irreducible’ Functions • Primary Socialisation of Children. The stabilisation of adult personalities. Warm Bath Theory • The pre-industrial family was multifunctional • The post-industrial family was more specialised Summary Activity – Use Key Words below to summarise the Functionalist view Murdock - Four Basic Functions Parsons -Functional Fit Industrialisation – Nuclear Family Geographical Mobility Social Mobility Expressive and Instrumental Roles Two Irreducible Functions Specialised functions. Murdock 4 functions Parsons Functional Fit Pre-industrial society Industrial society Socialisation Instrumental Role Expressive Role Warm bath theory Value Consensus Social Mobility Geographical Mobility Critique of Parson’s – Quick Questions • Can primary socialisation be provided by anyone other than family? • Are families always a warm bath? • Can one-parent families fulfill these functions? Evidence against Parsons Were extended families dominant in preindustrial society? Did the family become nuclear in industrial societies? Is the extended family no longer important in modern societies? Who disagreed with Parsons? • Laslett (1972): Study of parish records of UK households between 1564-1821, found that families were almost always nuclear. • Wilmott and Young (1972): Nuclear families of parents and children worked together before industrialisation • Anderson (1980): Studied families of the mid-industrial period and found that extended families were still common, because they provided support for one another against the harsh conditions of the time: Poverty, disease, infant mortality etc. • Hareven (1999): Studied French Canadian immigrants to America. Her historical research found that extended families also provided support, financial aid and security. Extended families were often geographically mobile because they helped each other find work. Laslett (1972) • Studied family life in pre-industrial society by studying parish records which recording the living arrangements of citizens. • 1564-1821 only 10% of households had kin (family) beyond the nuclear family. • What does Laslett’s research suggest in relation to Parsons? Therefore the family structure in preindustrial society was nuclear – this is a criticism of Parsons Laslett continued… Why were nuclear families so popular in preindustrial society? People married later in their lives... After about a couple of years of being married the parents of each partner would die... Therefore they would not live with them. Willmott and Young (1960, 1973) •Willmott and Young carried out two studies, which were mainly based in London (Bethnal Green) and Essex. •They aimed to look at family structure in British society over the 1950s to 1970’s. Willmott and Young… Stage One: Pre-Industrial (Extended) Stage Two: Early Industrial (Nuclear) Stage Three: Privatised Nuclear (Symmetrical) At this point the family works together as an economic production unit. Extended families became broken down into individuals who leave home to work. The family is based on consumption rather Why didthan the production. symmetrical family At this stagecome husband and wives about? had joint roles – this is known as ‘symmetrical roles’. Some questions to check your understanding... 1. Why did the extended family decline according to Parsons? 2. What does Parsons mean when he says that the industrialised society took over functions from the extended family...give some examples. 3. What do Wilmott and Young mean by the ‘symmetrical family’? 4. Who does the nuclear family benefit? Why did the symmetrical family come about? • Rising wages and welfare have lead to kinship/family-based support declining • Increased geographical mobility • Reduction in the number of children per family • More amenities and entertainment in the home therefore making it more of a attractive place. McGlone et al. (1996) • Families are very important to people in contemporary society. • Families are an important source of help and support. • Even though family members live further apart today they still continue to keep in contact. McGlone et al … • Working class have more frequent contact with family members than the middle class do. • McGlone et al’s study can be used to show what the family is like in modern contemporary society. New Right (1980s – Onwards) Conservative Commentators. Similar to Functionalists Critical of Single Parents Children need a male and female role model. Men should be breadwinners and women homemakers. Single parents cost too much in welfare benefits. New Right – The Underclass • Includes long term unemployed, welfare dependents and single parents. • They fail to socialise their children properly. Plenary: Plan Essay Question Evaluate the view that there is a relationship between the family and industrialisation [20]