Assess the View That the Nuclear Family Functions

Assess the view that the thermonuclear family functions for the benefit of the single(a) and night club. A nuclear family is familiar and consists of two generations of families a father, a mother and their small fryren, all told living in the same household. In this essay, I result be assessing the views that the nuclear family functions to benefit all its members and ordination as a whole, from a Functionalist, Feminist and a Marxist perspective.In order to assess these views, it is necessary to kickoff establish the functions that the nuclear family per multifariousnesss and then to assess whether these benefit the individual and the wider family. Sociologists such(prenominal) as George Peter Murdoch (1949) claimed that the family was a universal institution. This is a functionalist view, however Marxists feminists argues that it online met the call for of capitalists. Functionalists see society as playing a major favorable occasion in achieving social goals such as proving positive norms and values for the individual and society to reproduce consensus.They believe that institutions such as the family must defend a function which benefits society and its members. They believe that without consensus society will get out into chaos. Consensus and shared values enables the members of society to cooperate with each other providing unity. Functionalist sees society as an institution from which norms and values are shares providing harmony. Functionalists regard society as a system that depend on each other such as the institution of the family, the education system and the economy.They look at what the nuclear family does for the whole of society, not just for certain individuals. Functionalists consider the nuclear family as essential for societys smooth running. George Peter Murdoch (1949) claimed that the family was a universal institution. He studied 250 different societies and cultures and found that the family existed in one form or another. This suggests that families are necessary in some way whether it be for societies to survive, for individual well-being, or both. He believed that the family performed four vital functions.Sexual where adults can bonk healthy sex lives with their marital parenters preventing hoo-hah to society and conflicts that could arise from informal desires such as affairs and also allows tykeren to be raised by their natural parents. Reproductive the family allows the reproduction of the next generation without doing so, society will cease to exist. Economic the family ensures the survival of its members by providing food and shelter. Education the family allows immemorial assimilation without it there will be no consensus about societys norms and values.Functionalists have been criticised for ignoring the dark side of family life. Many families are places of disruption and violence from at least one of its members suffering from domestic violence, child abuse and divorce. Murdocks view s have been criticised to be conservative rather than universal. In different societys people have different methods of child rearing influenced by their religious teachings, class and different psychological approaches to the nurture of children. Talcott Parsons believed that the family performed two functions.Primary socialisation childrens personalities are moulded in terms of societys culture they learn normal and values from their parents for example communicative roles from the mother and an instrumental role from the father. Stabilisation of adult personalities marital parents provides each other with emotional support, idea that the man can relieve the breed of being insecure in his plyplace by allowing himself to relax by indulging in his childish side. Due to this taking place, it relieves adult family members and strengthens social stability.Parsons views can be criticised as his perceptions of society are outdated. Family diversity outright exits. Marxists would cri ticise of the nuclear family as they see the role of primary socialisation as exploiting the working class which promotes and maintains class inequality. A Hierarchal organize exists within the Nuclear Family, as the man is considered the breadwinner, the head of the household who has the function to go out and work to earn money for the familys needs.This building enables men to accept their perhaps low status at work which stops them from questioning the hierarchal nature of capitalism which only benefits the the right way and rich. Marxists Feminist would criticise the nuclear family as benefitting the capitalists system and therefore the reigning class. Men benefit from the Nuclear family and the capitalist system through the exploitation of women. Women are expected to have children and spend a lot of clock to raise them. They would argue that primary socialisation means that males will expect dominant and women will remain inferior even in the next generations.