4.1.2 Functionalist accounts of the family

Fit theory - Functionalist

Murdock - nuclear family is universal, and having four fundamental functions

-        Reproductive

-        Sexual regulation

-        Economics

-        Educational

-        Critisism

- Failed to consider the increasing diversity of modern family structures and relationships.

Parsons – there is a functional fit in extended family and social requirements.

-        Better education to whatever skills that are specialized in the family

-        Taking health responsibilities.

-        Helping family members is a criminal justice system.

 

Parsons – extended families break down to isolated nuclear family in order to meet the five fundamental social changes to family.

-        Demanding more geographical mobility

-        Ascribe achievements is not such useful like pre – industrial ages.

-        Family members are more independent, and less likely to receive pressure from extended kins since in MIS, status is allocated in basic abilities instead of inheriting.

-        Productions have been separated from family units.

-        Society has become more formal and complex. Government would take over the sex regulation part.

 

Parsons – family should bear the main responsibility of socialization of children.

Parsons – warm bath theory

Parsons – expressive and instrumental role

-        Parsons see the relationship between husband and wives as complementary, are equally contributing to maintenance of family, just in different qualitative ways.

 

 

Criticism to the ‘fit theory’

-        Fletchers argue that although Parsons believe that extended families have gone ‘loss of functions’, but many families still provide basic education and health care in early stages to their children, and even their children left to marry, some of them would continue to welfare for their extended kins.

-        Parsons may had failed to consider that impact of global migration, nuclear family is no longer dominant as once before.

-        Historian suggest that Parsons was too simplified that changes of family functions in industrialization. For example, in Japan, 1980s, they finally experienced the industrialization, and the workers was encouraged to be working in the same company for life. Such values as been brought to their family values, so their attitude of extended kinship has successfully passed on.