The Functionalists looks at the family like a nuclear family structure, which usually is a mother, a father and one child, in some cases two children. The family meets the needs of the society by socializing norms and values leading to social stability.
Murdock believed that there is a nuclear family in every society. Murdock's defined the nuclear family as a universal human social grouping. Either as the sole prevailing form of the family or as the basic unit from which more complex forms are compounded. It exists as a distinct and strongly functional group in every known society, (Murdock cited in Haralambos, M. 1985. 326)
Within the framework of the nuclear family, Murdock also identified four family functions which would …show more content…
Marxist do not regard to a nuclear family as functionally necessary institution. Marxist identified three functions of the family that was seen as family fulfilment for capitalism. 1. Inheritance of property - It argues that families teaches their next generation of children to become the labour power for capitalism system that are family members or blood related. 2. Ideological function – Families socialise their children to get idea of bosses and workers within the capitalist society. 3. Unit of consumption- Family work and produce goods that makes it easier for them to have clothes and food to benefit the …show more content…
Nowadays, women become educated, start to work and get independent income. People are more likely to marry for love than for social obligation, with growing emphasises on emotional aspects of relationships and personal fulfilment for men and women.
Feminism
This approach is broken down in different perspectives. The Liberal feminists believe that men and women play the same roles, when it comes to the household within the family. Marxist feminists.-The family meets the needs of capitalism by socialising children to ruling class and leads to a submissive and obedient workforce. Fran Ansley (1972) that women are the ‘takers of shit ‘(Fran Ansley 1972)
Radical feminist's looks at the needs of patriarchy by socialising children to traditional gender roles with women as responsible house worker and child carer and the men as breadwinner. Women responsible work for domestic labour and child care was unpaid and led to exploit them. Therefore, many women went over for a paid employment to get independency. Thereby, it maintains an unequal patriarchal