This can be an essay where I will attempt to evaluate the premise of whether a nuclear family is harmful to its people using differences between the Functionalist perspectives of the family up against the contrasting view of the Marxist and Feminist way. I will put together the main techniques from all three and bring a bottom line.
Sexual - The family legitimises making love for the adult people. This closed unit allows the man to fulfil his natural function and alleviates the need to find a partner. He has one at the center of his family.
Reproductive - This allows the adults to propagate the varieties in a safe and stable environment. Once duplication has been achieved the family legitimises the average person giving it a family group name and label with which it may enter society
Economic - The family supplies the workers for world to function. It offers the environment in which its associates spend their income therefore maintain a performing economy.
Educational - In order for a society to maintain balance and function the family educates its people to accept the norms and worth of population through key and extra socialisation. The adults begin main socialisation in the family before sending the children to university and nursery where they enter the secondary level.
Emile Durkheim was the founding father of the functionalist perspectives but he was joined by other sociologists who put into his founding idea. Talcott Parsons was one particular individual who increasing on Durkheim's ideas by arguing that the family loses a few of its functions to culture by growing into more complex units. It still however retained the fundamental differentiation to be natural, whilst preserving its position in a consensual society of values. In addition Parsons argued that this evolutionary process created a refuge from the rigours of a fast moving modern society. It allowed the people to return to the bosom of the family permitting them to relax and recharge the batteries. The word "warm bath tub" was used to spell it out the cloak of security and relaxing aspect of the close family device.
The view that the family is not really a natural creation, but an manufactured creation to serve societies powerbase is an exemplory case of the Marxist point of view.
The backbone of the Marxist approach is the separate between your ruling course and the working course. Family was made by society in order to supply a consistent supply of a labour force, so that the ruling class could maintain their beneficial position of gatherers of wealth and ability. The roles of the family unit were defined only for the intended purpose of maintaining a stable economy. The men (breadwinner) went out to work producing goods and was paid for his services. The female member, the carer, was "employed" by the proletariat through their husbands. Their main goal was to maintain the breadwinner was taken care of so that he was available for work.
The family was a breeding pot where the next era of personnel was produced and socialised so they could take their put on the proletariat conveyor belt. They could replace the primary breadwinner if he fell sick and struggling to work without interruption. The word "two workers for the price tag on one" is apt because the ruling classes realized they had the compliance of the whole family due this dependence on money therefore their subservience. This process is stark comparison to the functionalist approach of consensus.
Out of the Marxism grew the feminist movements. The Feminist Perspectives share commonalities to both Functionalist and Marxist methods but are markedly different. The feminist perspective attacks and outlines 4 key themes or templates which challenge the traditional notions of the family.
Firstly feminists struggle the idea of the family being "natural". They argue the family demographic is not predicated on the biology of the individuals but echoes the Marxist view of exploitation and discord. That women will be the "takers of shit" (Fran Ansley). They are there to soak up the frustrations of men and give them psychological support. Second feminists test the view that family is dependant on social organisation. It really is argued that because of ethnic anticipations and assumptions, girl do the home chores not because they're biologically suited to be the carer but because of the exploitation of men. The guy can equally be the carer and by virtue the female can be the breadwinner. She is merely denied this role by being socialised to accept her role and later on refused the opportunities credited to inequality.
Feminists also believe that girl and men are fundamentally different and so their prospects of what they want from society are different. This in turn creates conflict not consensus, which is the prime directive of the functionalist procedure. Lastly feminist task the notion that the family should be a "private sphere". These common beliefs allows those to be exploited which denies them freedom and opportunity.
The main feminist perspectives are split into four sub divisions of thought. They can be grouped the following. Liberal, Marxist, Radical and Socialist.
Liberal - Liberal feminists are concerned with the discrimination of female and fight towards legal reforms to get over it
Marxist - Marxists feminists argue that the major reason behind the oppression of female is made for the exclusion of female from public production in culture. The emancipation is an essential part in the overthrowing of capitalism.
Radical - Radical feminists see male control as the main problem in modern culture. Women themselves must deal with to free themselves from the bonds of male slavery.
Socialist - These feminists argue that the oppression of women is the merchandise of capitalism and male control. The finish of capitalism won't lead to the emancipation of female but it needs a battle to free them form patriarchal control.
In bottom line, the functionalist method of the family is based on a social contract that everything is consensual. The family unit have all been socialised to accept the same principles and ideology. The feminist on the other hand shares the prices somewhat of the Marxist view of turmoil. It highlights the oppression of the powerless in society, and targets women in particular. It advocates this conflict to allow female to "break her bonds" and gain flexibility. Feminists claim in the segregation, in a few part, of girl. Functionalists advocate togetherness. From a feminist point of view the functionalist strategy shows passivity in female and ensures children are socialised to simply accept their devote the hierarchy of the family, perpetuating the cycle. The functionalist methodology assumes a woman's role in family and modern culture are extensions of her natural talents therefore her functional practicalities in an ordered modern culture.
The nuclear family has developed to the magnitude that in modern society it rarely is available. The feminist movements through the age groups has empowered woman to struggle inequality and culture has changed to match. Many women need not seek the sanctity of marriage to empower them. They have grown to be increasingly self-employed. Many families are now single parent families and laws have been changed to echo the growing tendencies. A nuclear family serves its members diversely, is good for some and damaging for others depending through which perspective you consider it.
