The functionalist perspective of the family.
Durkheim
Argues there are two key reasons the nuclear family is essential for
society,
Primary socialisation and Sense of belonging.
Parsons
Warm Bath Theory:
Suggests when a man comes home from a busy day of work his
family provides him with relaxation / calmness just like a warm
bath,
Links to the instrumental and expressive gender roles,
The family doesn’t preform the “warm bath” functions for
everyone People with no family members / Prisoners / Abusive
families / Homeless people / Women in the family / People who
don’t know their family / Someone who’s experienced negative
things from their family.
Functional Fit Theory:
Argues that there are 2 key features of the nuclear family that
make it “functionally fit” for modern society,
A geographically mobile workforce In modern industrial
society, jobs often require people to move where work is
available. The nuclear family is better suited than the extended
family because it is smaller therefore can move easily without
the burden of many relatives,
A socially mobile workforce The nuclear family allows children
to gain a higher status than their parents, e.g. moving into
professional jobs, without the creation of tension that can occur
in the extended family where older generations expect authority /
respect.
Apart from the functions identified by Murdock, the family may
meet other needs too,
Argues these functions will depend on the society in which a
family is found,
Pre-industrialised society Extended family met needs like
subsistence farming (food grown just for the family) / taking care
of the elderly. Is a unit of production,
Industrialised society The nuclear family are geographically.
socially mobile so fits the needs of modern economy. Becomes a
unit of consumption.
Loss of Functions:
Durkheim
Argues there are two key reasons the nuclear family is essential for
society,
Primary socialisation and Sense of belonging.
Parsons
Warm Bath Theory:
Suggests when a man comes home from a busy day of work his
family provides him with relaxation / calmness just like a warm
bath,
Links to the instrumental and expressive gender roles,
The family doesn’t preform the “warm bath” functions for
everyone People with no family members / Prisoners / Abusive
families / Homeless people / Women in the family / People who
don’t know their family / Someone who’s experienced negative
things from their family.
Functional Fit Theory:
Argues that there are 2 key features of the nuclear family that
make it “functionally fit” for modern society,
A geographically mobile workforce In modern industrial
society, jobs often require people to move where work is
available. The nuclear family is better suited than the extended
family because it is smaller therefore can move easily without
the burden of many relatives,
A socially mobile workforce The nuclear family allows children
to gain a higher status than their parents, e.g. moving into
professional jobs, without the creation of tension that can occur
in the extended family where older generations expect authority /
respect.
Apart from the functions identified by Murdock, the family may
meet other needs too,
Argues these functions will depend on the society in which a
family is found,
Pre-industrialised society Extended family met needs like
subsistence farming (food grown just for the family) / taking care
of the elderly. Is a unit of production,
Industrialised society The nuclear family are geographically.
socially mobile so fits the needs of modern economy. Becomes a
unit of consumption.
Loss of Functions:
