2. Family regarded as the cornerstone of society Until the 1960s few sociologists questioned the importance or benefits of family life Most believed family life was evolving as society progressed and changes in the family was made to best suit the change . A particular type of family the nuclear family ( based on 2 generation household of parents and thier children ) was seen as meetings the demands and needs of modern societies. Introduction
3. From the 1960s..... questions started to arise Whether the family was a beneficial institution – feminism and Marxism Dark side of the family Social changes was undermining traditional families Rising divorce rates, cohabitation before marriage , single parent families, single person household Individualism – modern society Some argue a break from the norm – nuclear family Some argue one type of family – the nuclear family cannot be seen as the norm in which other types of family are compared with
5. George Peter Murdock – 250 societies “ the family is a social group characterised by common residence , economic cooperation and reproduction , it includes adult 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 cohabiting adults . Murdock 1949
6. Variations in family structure Kathleen Gough (1959) – the Nayar society , in the pre-colonial India , describes women with several husbands who had no obligation towards their offspring Matrifocal ( female headed ) families – west indies, central America and the USA
7. AO1What do functionalist believe AO1 How does Functionalist theory apply to the family AO2 What strengths are there to the functionalists view of the family AO2 How have functionalist view of the family been criticised by other writers Learning objectives & outcomes
8. Functionalism – role and function of family : A CONSENSUS APPROACH Value consensus – shared norms and values Society system of different parts , a subsystem Family basic building block – role of socialization
10. Consider whether these functions of the family can be applied to: Extended Family - Reconstituted Family - Lone Parent Family - Discussion
11. Parsons The structure and functions of a given type of family was fitting the needs of the society in which it was found Pre industrial family – extended Industrial family – nuclear
