Outline and evaluate functionalist’s views of the role of the family in society.

Functionalism is a structuralists theory with the belief that the institutions and organic analogy is what keeps the society in agreement and working properly. Religion plays a big part in the family and society; if a family is religious this will be taught to the new members of family, the family may choose to send a child to a religious school, which is the family teaching the child the role of religion due to there choice. Law is also an agent of the family’s role, the family all have to abide by certain rules there for the offspring and new members will be taught this by the family maintaining social order. Parsons (1995) said the family is a cause of ‘personality factories’ which means the children off the family are sharing norms and values and are committed to belonging to society, being the same as there parents. The family is a big cause of social control, they control the family to maintain consensus in society, and marriage for example has functions to control sexual relationships. Hetro sexual sex for example within marriage is defined as acceptable behaviour as it is inside a marriage and prevents chaos and un-regulated relationships. He also said that the family has functions to relieve stress of day to day living. Referred to as the ‘warm bath’ theory. Meaning the family should make a relaxing environment for the male to come home too and relax, just like a warm bath. These are all functions that the family use within there role of the family. There are gender roles in a family, for example the male should be the bread winner, going to work and etc. While the female stays at home as a house wife, and is keeping the house tidy making dinner looking after the children etc. The children should be at school learning, and all meal times should be held together as a family. This is described as the ‘cereal packet’ family, 2 parents with children all working and living in peace together. This is a functionalist view of how the family should be in society,