Outline & Discuss the Function of Families in Contemporary Uk Society
Outline & discuss the function of families in contemporary UK society
The definition of the term ‘family’ has somewhat gone through radical changes over the past few decades in the UK, some 30 years ago a family was defined as being father, mother and children. Some referred to this as the “cereal box family” as this was typically the type of family to be shown on television commercials for cereal. This stereotype is more correctly known as the nuclear family, however changes over the years has meant that this “nuclear family” is no longer a typical family type within the UK. This has proven difficult for sociologists to provide a clear definition or generalisation of the term ‘family’ and such difficulties will be explored throughout this essay, covering different viewpoints and their criticisms.
In 1949, George Peter Murdock conducted a ‘Social Structure’ study and found that a form of family existed in every known form of society. He argued that the family is a function for society and the family members and that the society and individual members could not survive without it. His view was that the nuclear family was best in conforming to this and that the nuclear family performed four essential functions:
• Sexual – understanding and/or expressing different sexualities • Reproductive – rearing children in stable conditions • Economic – providing food and shelter for family members • Educational / Socialisation – teaching sociably acceptable behaviour
Murdock strongly linked the nuclear family with society whereby having an interrelationship between family and other social institutions had benefits to the society. He proposed that family prepares children for adult working life and surviving economy, thus linking the family with society and the nuclear family being the best type of family to pursue this. This is otherwise known as the ‘functionalist view’.
Talcott Parsons (1955) supported this theory in suggesting that the family, no matter
The definition of the term ‘family’ has somewhat gone through radical changes over the past few decades in the UK, some 30 years ago a family was defined as being father, mother and children. Some referred to this as the “cereal box family” as this was typically the type of family to be shown on television commercials for cereal. This stereotype is more correctly known as the nuclear family, however changes over the years has meant that this “nuclear family” is no longer a typical family type within the UK. This has proven difficult for sociologists to provide a clear definition or generalisation of the term ‘family’ and such difficulties will be explored throughout this essay, covering different viewpoints and their criticisms.
In 1949, George Peter Murdock conducted a ‘Social Structure’ study and found that a form of family existed in every known form of society. He argued that the family is a function for society and the family members and that the society and individual members could not survive without it. His view was that the nuclear family was best in conforming to this and that the nuclear family performed four essential functions:
• Sexual – understanding and/or expressing different sexualities • Reproductive – rearing children in stable conditions • Economic – providing food and shelter for family members • Educational / Socialisation – teaching sociably acceptable behaviour
Murdock strongly linked the nuclear family with society whereby having an interrelationship between family and other social institutions had benefits to the society. He proposed that family prepares children for adult working life and surviving economy, thus linking the family with society and the nuclear family being the best type of family to pursue this. This is otherwise known as the ‘functionalist view’.
Talcott Parsons (1955) supported this theory in suggesting that the family, no matter