Critically assess functionalist theories of the family
Functionalists all agree on the basic norms and values of society, they also agree the status and roles, so society operates efficiently and there is a consensus of opinion on the various social institutions and on what is normal and what is deviant. The functionalists believe there is a specific pattern of family organisation, corresponding to different types of society, meaning there is a particular family form that best suits the conditions of industrial society.
Functionalists argued that the traditional nuclear family is a far more efficient form of family compared with a one parent family. The nuclear family is socially approved to have a sexual relationship and to have several children if they wish because a nuclear family was thought to be a lot more stable, where as in a one parent family it was not socially approved due to it not been stable enough and if they had several children they may have different fathers which was looked down on. Also a nuclear family got more income because they had one full time worker (the male) playing the instrumental role and one full time house wife (the female) playing the expressive role, which was efficient unlike the one parent family where they got less income due to having a dual burden or sometimes a triple shift, however they did get benefits to help but it was only a small amount that didn’t go that far, it also changes the way a child can be brought up with a lack of discipline. The nuclear family had gender roles and traditional norms and values unlike a one parent family which had different norms and values causing the family to be dysfunctional.
