Functionalism and the Family - 637 Words

Took 45 minutes to complete about 659 words Using the material from 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†¦show more content†¦Overall , Functionalists have a large contribution to our understanding of the family as they provide functions which most families , especially nuclear families still follow to a certain extent. However , Feminists and Marxists have had a large contribution to our contribution and understanding of the family as well as functionalists as they highlight the family darkShow MoreRelatedFunctionalism in Family1739 Words   |  7 PagesThe affects of Functionalism, Conflict and Interactionist Theory on Family SOC101 Emily Frydrych May 24, 2010 A social institution is â€Å"an organized pattern of beliefs and behaviors centered on basic social needs† (Schaefer, 2009). I believe that family is one of the most important social institutions. Family is a social institution that is always changing. My family has changed greatly over the past years. As a child I went from foster home to foster home. 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