...Eugenia Akumiah 12 G….Sociology, The functions of the family Assess the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of families and households. (24) Functionalists take a consensus view of the role of family. They see it as a universal institution that performs essential functions for society as a whole and all members of the family. According to Murdock, it provides important sub-system that provides stable satisfaction for the sex drive and therefore avoids social disruption. As well as this, Murdock says the family reproduces the next generation and thus ensuring current society to continue. Parsons sees a functional fit with the nuclear family fitting modern society’s needs for a geographically and socially mobile labour force. However critics argue that he is wrong about the relationship between industrialisation and family structure. Moreover Marxists, Liberal, radical and Marxist feminist all view the functions of the family in different ways, this essay will assess the different perspectives in which all these groups view the functions of the family. Functionalists believe that society is based on a value consensus- as set of shared norms and values; into which society socialises its members. This enables them to cooperate harmoniously to meet society’s needs and achieve shared goals. They regard society as system made up of different parts or sub-systems that depend on each other, such as the family, the education...
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...and elsewhere, assess the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of families and households (24 marks) According to functionalist sociologists, the family is a key institution of society. It performs vital functions for the maintenance of society as a whole and for the benefit of all its individual members. For example, according to George Peter Murdock, it provides for the stable satisfaction of the sex drive and thus avoids the social disruption and conflict that could be caused by a sexual ‘free for all’. Similarly, the family reproduces the next generation and thereby ensures the continuation of society over time. Functionalists tend to see the nuclear family as the ideal family type for modern society. For example, Talcott Parsons argues that it is the family structure best equipped to meet the need of industrial society for a mobile labour force. Similarly, the nuclear family performs two essential functions for its members and for society as a whole. However, not everyone accepts the functionalist view of the family and its role. Marxists and feminists reject its consensus assumptions about who benefits from the family. Similarly, historians and sociologists have put forward evidence to challenge Parsons’ view that there is a ‘functional fit’ between the type of society and the type of family structure found within it. When considering the question, we need to understand that functionalism has contributed towards our understanding of the family....
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...the Item and elsewhere, assess the functionalist contribution to our understanding of the family.(24 marks) Functionalism is a structural theory as it examines social institutions e.g. economy , education etc. It sees these institutions as a way of moulding and shaping the individual. Functionalism is also a consensus theory and tends to encourage sharing norms and values and promotes agreement rather than conflict , value consensus. Functionalists adopt and organic analogy. This is the idea of seeing society as a living system (human body) , e.g. the skin of our body is like our norms and values. Material from the item says that Murdock (1949) suggests the four main family functions are reproducing the next generation , then going onto to socialise the next generation they have reproduced into the shared culture , value consensus. The third family function Murdock suggests is the economic function , this function involves providing food , shelter and clothes in order for individuals to benefit. The final family function Murdock suggests is the sexual function , this involves adults' sexual needs being satisfied in a way that doesn’t disturb social order. However information from elsewhere has shown that Murdock assumes only the nuclear family can perform these functions. Parsons argued that as modern industrial societies have evolved and changed , the modern nuclear family has lost may of its former functions. Parsons argued that in modern societies , more and more specialised...
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...Assess the contributions interactionism has made to or understanding of society. Being an interpretivist theory, interactionism is “sensitive to the self conscience”, and contrasts dramatically with earlier structural theories such as functionalism and Marxism. Unlike these theories, interactionists believe that individuals are socially self conscious, and construct their social world through meaningful interaction and interpretation, rather than being the passive recipients of external social structures. As such, interactionist theory provides a refreshing explanation of society which overcomes many of the problems of earlier theories. It has made a massive contribution to sociology both on a theoretical and methodological level, although it is important to remember that “interactionism” is not a unified perspective, and actually has many different intellectual strands. Phenomenology for example, is a branch of interactionism which proposes that “things” have no intrinsic meaning in themselves, and mean only what they are taken to mean by social actors. Extending on this, ethnomethodologists believe that social order is extremely fragile, and only exists because people share “commonsense assumptions” about social life. When these assumptions are challenged however, stability can be undermined, as demonstrated by Garfinkel’s “breaching experiments”, where he got students to behave like lodgers in their own homes, which resulted in responses of confusion and anger. Such theories...
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...Sociology Assess the contribution of functionalism of our understanding of family and households Functionalists believe that the family is a vital function and component in our society that benefits individuals. In addition functionalists would argue that with family as an institution it gives us social roles which in turn give the whole society social order. For e.g. in a nuclear family a man would have the instrumental role and the women would have the expressive role, with these roles the family would work together and be happy and this would benefit the society overall. The two main theorists in functionalism are George Murdock and Talcott Parsons. Murdock believed that the family had four main functions. Firstly he argues that the family provides for the stable satisfaction of the sex drive and this helps relieve stress and minimises conflict. What we have to remember is that Murdock lived in a pre industrial society where rape in marriage was legal. In this modern society if a man wanted sex with his partner and she refused he couldn’t force himself upon her without breaking the law so this could cause tension and arguments. Secondly he believed that the family produced the next generation (children) and this cannot be disputed most of the time as the family is a stable place for most children to grow up and learn the norms and values of their parents. Thirdly Murdock continues his argument by stating that the family is an economic stability for the individuals as it...
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...Assess the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of society. (33) Functionalism is a consensus theory. It sees society as based on agreement among people about values, goals and rules in society. The job of the family is primary socialization. The family introduces norms and values to children, who carry these on to later years, where they are reinforced by religion and education. These norms and values allow people to move up the social hierarchy. For example, children are taught to conform by the family and education, which allows them to conform to the rules of wider society and become aware of what, is socially acceptable. Education also trains by teaching the skills needed for later life, for example punctuality, and interview skills. Unlike conflict structuralism, functionalists believe that society is based on merit, and those who work the hardest will be the ones to make it to the top, ensuring jobs are filled by those most capable, with the required skills. Those who don't work, will stay at the bottom of the hierarchy, and carry out the more menial, but equally essential jobs. In sociological research, functional prerequisites are the basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, and money) that an individual requires to live above the poverty line. Functional prerequisites may also refer to the factors that allow a society to maintain social order. A key functionalist is Talcott Parsons; he saw society as working like a human body, arguing that institutions...
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...Assess the contribution of Functionalism and New Right theories and research to our understanding of society today. (33 marks) Functionalism, devised by Durkheim and Parsons, is a structural theory focusing on the needs of the whole social system and how these shape society’s main features (e.g. social institutions, humans’ behavioural patterns). It is a consensus theory, seeing society as based on value consensus (agreement) between its inhabitants about their values, goals and rules. The New Right is a conservative, political perspective that shares similarities with Functionalism (e.g. believing some people are more naturally talented than others) but contradicts it in arguing that the state should have less involvement in society (e.g. by cutting welfare). Durkheim saw modern industrial society as based on a complex division of labour which promotes differences between groups, weakening social solidarity. He argued that the resultant freedom to the individual must be regulated by society to prevent extreme egoism from destroying all social bonds. Resultantly, he saw society as external and independent to individuals, being made up of ‘social facts’ that constrain and shape people’s behaviour to meet society’s functional prerequisites (needs). Durkheim further believed that if any one thing (‘social fact’) exists, it has a function which will help meet society’s needs, the key ones of which are goals (met through political institutions, e.g. parliament), adaptation (meeting...
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...“Religion today is more about believing than belonging.” Assess this view. Beliefs – religiosity, do you have to attend a place of worship to believe? Grace Davie – you can believe without attending a place of worship Religious organisations – some religious organisations are happy for people to follow without belonging - NRMs membership is increasing scientology, televangelism, NAM’s- crystal therapy, tarot card readings etc Believing: (people are believing, their practices have changed, not necessarily secular) • Decreasing church attendance – however people have private practice (David Voas) Grace Davie • Religious education • Laws are based on 10 commandments • NRM’s – people believe but don’t necessarily go for formal worship. Wallis • Rise in world faiths – their attendance stats aren’t considered • Postmodernist – religion is changing – televangelism, spiritual shopping, jesus in Disneyland, supply led religion, civil religion eg USA • Methodological evaluation of church stats – are they valid indicator of secularisation? Belonging: (secularisation is happening) • Wilson – secularisation – religious beliefs, practices and institutions are declining • Brierly • Bruce • Attendance, membership, age, women, social class • Rationalisation • Disengagement • Technological worldview – Weber • Structural differentiation – parsons • Social and cultural diversity • Religious diversity ...
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...Version 1.0 General Certificate of Education January 2012 Sociology SCLY4 2191 Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods; Stratification and Differentiation with Theory and Methods; Unit 4 Mark Scheme Mark schemes are prepared by the Principal Examiner and considered, together with the relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the standardisation meeting attended by all examiners and is the scheme which was used by them in this examination. The standardisation meeting ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’ responses to questions and that every examiner understands and applies it in the same correct way. As preparation for the standardisation meeting each examiner analyses a number of students’ scripts: alternative answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed at the meeting and legislated for. If, after this meeting, examiners encounter unusual answers which have not been discussed at the meeting they are required to refer these to the Principal Examiner. It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination paper. Further...
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...item 2b and elsewhere, assess the contribution of functionalist sociologists to our understanding of the family Functionalists believe that everyone has a role to play in society in order for it to work effectively. Not only does the family have practical uses like reproduction and primary socialisation, but also things that personally benefit each member of family like economic provision. Each individual has a different belief on the importance of family and how it impacts our lives; however, I think functionalism only covers the basic understanding of family and how we are impacted by our own. One functionalist who has a theory regarding family is George Murdock, who published his research in 1949. Murdock believe there are four functions to a family: sexual, reproductive, economic and educational. The sexual function is for the married parents. In order to stay together and uphold the traditional happy family, they enjoy a healthy sex life to prevent affairs and unhappiness within the marriage. This is important as it ensures the children of the couple are raised by their biological parents. The economic function is the means of the man going off to work in order to provide food and shelter for the rest of the family. Education is the primary socialisation of the children, they will have the expected norms and values of moral people, helping them to fit into society as they grow older. This ‘education’ will also help them learn their place in society, and so as they go into...
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...Assess the usefulness of these theories in our understanding of society. (20 marks) In this essay I will be writing about how useful macro and micro theories are in our understanding of society. Macro theories are explanations that look at society as a whole, and the effect society has on people within it. In academics, macro theories attempt to explain the entirety of a subject in general or broad terms and example of a macro theory is Marxism. Micro theories are explanations that look at individuals how they act and interact with others, and how they make sense on the world. Micro theories also focus in detail on more specific elements of the discipline. An example of a macro theory is Feminism which was first introduced by the Suffragettes which was solely focused on political equality and then brought light to the topic in 1918, when women were given the right to vote if they owned their own house and were over the age of 30, shockingly it took another 10 years for the age to lower to vote to 21. They focused on the gender division between men and women. Feminists characterise our society as patriarchal, which means male dominated, and they argue that mainstream sociology focus on the concern of men and not on the concern of women. There are many elements within feminist attitudes and this incudes Marxism feminists. Liberal feminists, Radical feminists and Black feminists all have a similar goal which is to end male patriarchy in society and free society of exploitation...
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...material from item A and elsewhere, assess the contribution of Functionalism to understanding of the role of education When studying education, Functionalists seek to discover what functions it performs to meet society’s needs. Durkheim identified two main functions of education: creating social solidarity and specialist skills. Durkheim argues that society needs a sense of solidarity, and that without solidarity, social life and cooperation would be impossible because each individual would pursue their own selfish desires. The educations system helps to create social solidarity by transmitting society’s culture, values and beliefs onto the next generation. Also, school acts as a ‘society in miniature’, preparing us for life in the wider society. For example, both in school and at work we have to cooperate with people who are neither family nor friends. Modern industrial economies have a complex division of labour, where the production of a single item usually involves the cooperation of specialist workers. For this to be successful, each person must have the necessary specialist skills knowledge and skills to perform their role. Durkheim argues that education teaches individuals the specialist skills they need to play their part in the social division of labour. Parsons sees the school as the ‘focal socialising agency’ in modern society, acting as a bridge between the family and the wider society. In both school and the wider society, a person’s status is largely achieved...
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...Assess the usefulness of the functionalist view for an understanding of the family today? Functionalism is a structural theory. In functionalism, social institutes like families are the key parts of the structure/system. These institutions are seen as working in an integrated way that keeps society in a state of consensus. Functionalists stress the positive role of a family for society and its members. They argue that the families’ role is universal and functional. A famous functionalist, called Murdock believed that the family is a social group characterised by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship. Murdock believes that the family has 4 important functions, sex, reproduction, economic and socialisation. The family however does not always execute all of these functions, but it makes an important contribution to all of them and no other institution has yet been devised to match its efficiency in this respect. Another key functionalist is Parsons, who accepted that modern families do have functions that they need to fulfil, however he believed that outside agencies had taken over some of the main functions of the family but that two irreducible functions remained. These functions are stabilisation of adult personality and primary socialisation of the young. He added that he believed children needed two clear, stereotypical role models. The man was the...
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...Using material from item A and elsewhere assess the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of the role of education. Functionalism is based on the view that society is a system of interdependent parts held together by a shared culture or value consensus (agreement) amongst individuals as to what values or norms are important in society. Therefore they take a positive view of the education system. As item A suggests they see it as a form of secondary socialism essential to maintaining society i.e. the values and norms transmitted by social institutions and groups which build upon those learnt in the family (primary socialism). The French sociologist Emile Durkheim (1903) identifies the two main features of education as the creation of social solidarity and the teaching of specialist skills which are both essential for life in society and work. The American functionalist Talcott Parsons (1961) sees society as one based on the principle of meritocracy unintentionally highlighting the inequality of how those they see as ‘the naturally more talented’ get the best jobs over others. In addition to this Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore (1945) also see education as the means for selection and role allocation but focus on the relationship between education and inequality amongst individuals. Similarly to the point, Peter Blau and Otis Duncan argue that a modern economy depends on the prosperity constant growth of using its ‘human capital’ and its workers skills...
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...------------------------------------------------- Scly1 Summer 2013 Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the contribution of functionalist sociologists to our understanding of the family. INSTRUCTIONS to candidates AS ESSAY – Scly1 Family/Households - 24marks – 24 minutes i.e. 2-2.5 pages average sized handwriting (2 pages typed) (AO1-10 & AO2-14) * ADD your Name/Option Group to the header * Size 12 font/calibri * Email a copy to MY. * Print /submit hard copy to your sociology teacher [print off the whole document] Essay Cover sheet MTG (circle): | A | B | C | Grade (circle): | A | B | C | D | E | Teacher Name: MARK YELLAND | Raw Mark: | | Unit (circle): | Scly | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Section (circle): | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Green Pen (when you ‘green pen’ add your comments/extra points in the box below) | Student self-evaluation (circle the numbers successfully completed) i.e. I have: 1. Used largely accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation. 2. Written 3/4/5 sentences for every paragraph, in continuous prose ( & No bullets & No hyphens & No forward slash) 3. Written 1 page every 10mins (e.g. 30mins=3 pages). 4. Written the first paragraph outlining the ‘big picture’ including key specialist vocabulary. 5. Referenced the key terms from the question in every paragraph (& underlined them in the question). 6. Used the majority of the key concepts/ideas from the MS (& ER). 7. Used at least 5 sources...
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