What is the role of the family for the individual and society? » Functionalist views - changes in family functions over time

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

Understand the functionalist perspective on the family
Explore the traditional functions of the family according to functionalists
Examine how family functions have changed over time
Analyse the views of key functionalist thinkers like Parsons and Murdock
Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the functionalist approach

The Functionalist View of the Family

Functionalists see society as a system of interconnected parts that work together to maintain stability and social order. They view the family as a vital institution that performs essential functions for both individuals and society as a whole.

Key Definitions:

Functionalism: A theoretical perspective that sees society as a complex system of interdependent parts working together to maintain stability.
Social institution: An established set of norms and relationships that fulfil basic social needs.
Nuclear family: A family unit consisting of parents and their dependent children.
Extended family: A family group that extends beyond the nuclear family to include grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives.

Key Functionalist Thinkers

📖 George Peter Murdock

Murdock studied 250 societies and identified four universal functions that families perform across all cultures:

Sexual: Providing a regulated and socially approved context for adult sexual relationships.
Reproductive: Producing the next generation of society's members.
Economic: Meeting the material needs of family members through cooperation and division of labour.
Educational: Socialising children into society's norms, values and skills.

📖 Talcott Parsons

Parsons focused on the nuclear family in modern industrial society and identified two essential functions:

Primary socialisation: Teaching children the basic norms and values of society during their early years.
Stabilisation of adult personalities: Providing emotional support and stability for adults, helping them cope with the stresses of everyday life.

He also described two key roles within the family:

Instrumental role: Typically performed by the father - breadwinning and decision-making.
Expressive role: Typically performed by the mother - providing emotional care and nurturing.

Traditional Functions of the Family

Functionalists argue that in pre-industrial societies, the family performed a wide range of functions that were essential for both individuals and society:

🏠 Economic Functions

Families were units of production, with all members contributing to economic survival through farming, crafts, or family businesses. They produced most of what they consumed.

🎓 Educational Functions

Families were responsible for teaching children practical skills, trades and knowledge needed for adult life. Formal education was limited or non-existent.

🎄 Religious Functions

Families were responsible for religious education and practice, passing down spiritual beliefs and traditions to the next generation.

🏥 Welfare Functions

Families cared for the sick, elderly and vulnerable members, providing healthcare, financial support and physical care without state assistance.

🏋 Leisure Functions

Recreation and entertainment were family-centred activities, with families creating their own forms of leisure and entertainment together.

👮 Social Control

Families regulated the behaviour of their members, enforcing social norms and disciplining those who violated community standards.

Changes in Family Functions Over Time

Functionalists recognise that as society has evolved, particularly with industrialisation and modernisation, the functions of the family have changed significantly:

The Loss of Functions

Many sociologists argue that the family has experienced a "loss of functions" as other institutions have taken over roles previously performed by families:

Economic production moved from the home to factories and offices
Education became the responsibility of schools and formal educational institutions
Healthcare shifted to hospitals and medical professionals
Welfare functions were increasingly taken over by the state
Protection became the responsibility of police and legal systems
Religious instruction partly moved to religious institutions and schools

This process is sometimes called the specialisation of functions, where specialist institutions take over roles previously performed by the family.

Case Study Focus: The Symmetrical Family

In the 1970s, sociologists Young and Willmott identified the emergence of what they called the "symmetrical family" in the UK. This represented a significant change in family functions:

Both partners increasingly shared economic responsibilities (dual-income households)
More equal division of domestic tasks and childcare
Family becoming more home-centred and privatised
Focus shifting to consumption rather than production
Leisure activities becoming more family-based

This shows how family functions adapted to modern industrial society, with the family becoming more focused on emotional support and consumption rather than production.

Remaining Functions of the Modern Family

Despite the loss of many traditional functions, functionalists argue that the family still performs crucial roles in modern society:

💕 Emotional Functions

The family has become increasingly specialised in providing emotional support and security. Parsons called this the "irreducible functions" of the family:

Primary socialisation of children
Stabilisation of adult personalities
Providing love, security and emotional support
Creating a safe haven from the competitive outside world

Functionalists argue that no other institution can adequately perform these functions, making the family irreplaceable in modern society.

👪 Consumption Unit

While families are no longer primary units of production, they have become important units of consumption:

Purchasing goods and services for household members
Contributing to economic growth through consumption
Creating demand for housing, food, clothing and leisure activities
Pooling resources to achieve higher living standards

This economic function remains significant in maintaining the wider economy and society.

Evaluating the Functionalist View

Strengths of the Functionalist Approach

Highlights the important functions families perform for society
Recognises how family functions have adapted to social change
Explains why the family persists as an institution despite massive social changes
Identifies universal features of family life across different cultures

Limitations of the Functionalist Approach

Presents an overly positive view of family life, ignoring problems like domestic violence and inequality
Assumes that traditional gender roles are natural and beneficial
Fails to acknowledge diversity in family forms and experiences
Doesn't adequately explain family change and why new family forms emerge
Overlooks power relationships and conflicts within families

Alternative Perspectives

Other sociological perspectives offer different views on family functions:

Marxists argue that the family primarily functions to maintain capitalism by reproducing the labour force and teaching acceptance of inequality.
Feminists focus on how traditional family functions often benefit men while exploiting women's unpaid domestic labour.
Postmodernists emphasise the diversity of family forms and functions in contemporary society, rejecting the idea of universal family functions.

These perspectives challenge the functionalist view that family functions necessarily benefit everyone equally.

Conclusion

The functionalist perspective provides valuable insights into how the family's role has evolved over time. While many traditional functions have been taken over by specialist institutions, the family continues to perform crucial emotional and economic functions that help maintain social stability. However, this view needs to be balanced with recognition of family diversity, inequality within families and the different experiences of family life across society.