The study of families has piqued the interest of social scientists and professionals, who have investigated families from various theoretical perspectives to gain a better understanding of their functioning, relationships, and dynamics. This paper will look at a family from four different theoretical perspectives: structural functionalism, family life course development, family systems theory, and family ecology. Each theory will be summarized and then applied to the family in this essay. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the various ways in which families can be viewed and analyzed, as well as to comprehend how various theories can provide unique insights into family life.
The chosen family consists of a mother, a father, and two children,
…show more content…
This viewpoint emphasizes the importance of family stability and order, as well as how each member plays a distinct and important role. A structural functionalist would see the family as a functional unit, with each member responsible for specific tasks and roles. For example, the father is responsible for financial stability and the economic well-being of the family, whereas the mother's role is to maintain the home and provide emotional support to the family. Furthermore, the teenage daughter may be focused on academic achievement, peer socialization, and future career planning, whereas the young son may be focused on developing physical and social skills through activities such as soccer. Overall, structural functionalism suggests that each family member's role is critical in maintaining social stability and carrying out the functions of the …show more content…
This theory emphasizes understanding family relationships and dynamics. A professional with this viewpoint would see the family as a network of interconnected individuals, with each member influencing the others. For example, the father's successful business can have a significant impact on the family, as it can provide financial stability and security, allowing the family to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. Furthermore, the father's job may require him to work long hours away from home, which can have an impact on family dynamics and relationships. The family's routines and schedules may have to be adjusted to accommodate the father's work commitments, which can cause stress and tension. On the other hand, the father's business success can benefit the family by raising their social status and reputation in the community. Overall, family systems theory emphasizes the significance of comprehending the complex interplay of individual family members as well as the impact of external factors, such as the father's business, on family dynamics and
Stone writes about three essential functions of family stories– to pass on the family’s standards, to identify family characteristics, and coping strategies. The first of the three functions is the standards of the family since the family act as the “first culture,” teaching people what their family values and their opinions on certain situations like marriage and illness, mental or physical (Stone 384). The second factor is the family’s characteristics and their traits that bind them together, which act as the family member’s confidence boost (384). Furthermore, this boost makes them value themselves more than the next family, so that the family members contently remain together (384). The third factor is influencing how families cope; these “teaching stories” tell each family how to function outside of the family (385).
There is a growing complexity and diversity in families. Family systems theory provides a foundation for analysis of such complex and diversified families, making it easy to understand for effective therapy (Zastrow &
The nature of family relationship's, as analyzed in the Cumberland Packing Company, shows that family businesses are defined by a profound sense of entitlement. Richard's resentment towards Marvin's family and his attachment to his mother Ellen show that relationships define issues, perspectives, and problems differently, depending on how well the individuals get along. Despite the divergence of perspectives, the inability of a coherent family management and enterprise system, play an important role in the continuity of Cumberland Packing
Looking at society as a whole with individual units that work together to make society function efficiently is the structural functionalism concept. Each unit has a part and is describe as institutions such as family, religion, education, politics, economy and inequality. Because structural functionalism looks at social structure and patterns of behavior it is able to create values for society. As well as, distinguish between visible and suppressed problems within the social structures that may need to be addressed. For instance, homelessness is indication of dysfunction in structural functionalism system.
One main point of the structural functionalism theory is that the erection of a family directly impacts their likelihood of living in poverty. According to Macionis et al stated that the structural-functionalist perspective, poverty, and economic inequality serve several positive functions for society (Macionis et al 2015). Davis and Moore (1945) argued that because the various occupational roles in society require various levels of ability, expertise, and knowledge, an unequal economic reward system helps to assure that the person who performs a role is the most qualified.
For family relationships, I will present how parent-child relationships and marital relationships are established by French parenting. Family System Theory Throughout
Family structure talks about family arrangement and composition which includes the roles and interactions (Edelman, 2014). According to Minuchin (2012), the family structural theory emphasis on the important of the family structure and its changes that occurs and how the individuals in the family relate collectively over time to put up and accept each other. Minuchin says further that a well-functioning family will choose how to solve and handle the family experience with a positive outcome. The goal of a structural family is to express the strengths in each other in critical moments, and helping each other through it. Developmental theory is the methods used as the viewpoint of family tasking and development through phases of life (Edelman, 2014).
The traditional American family consisted of the father as the breadwinner, the mother that was in charge of raising children and doing domestics, and their biological children, all living together. However, that image has been replaced with a diversity of other images “Family structure in the United States”. The source of weakness is the breakdown of the structure of the family. It is when children leave their parents` house searching for an autonomous life before they are financially and emotionally self-sufficient. After departing parents’ house, children will have a lack of social support which results in an unstable life for the young individual when exposed to life new challenges.
The theory looks at many aspects of the family such as atmosphere, constellation, and goals, plus, respect is given to both children and adults. In this system interventions are suggested for children and adults. The limitations of the Family Systems Theory are, too much is focused on homeostasis at the expense of change and patterns at the expense of unpredictability. Moreover, on the system at the expense of the individuals.
The structural aspect of a family is that since laws and rights have come into fruition, it has led to an increase in couples having civil marriages and partnerships. Currently, the frequency of partners who are gay and lesbian has also increased and has therefore wilted of what was once recognised a ‘traditional family’. Parents who live on their own and taking full responsibility of their children has taken a gradual rise in and around the World, this has also the paved the way towards a lesser representation on how a traditional family would look like to a certain
Structural-Functional Approach: is a structure for building theory that sees society as a complicated system whose parts work together to encourage solidarity and stability. Example, Chris wanted to change his position that society sees him by getting a better job. Even if he change his life style and get more money, Chris will believe that framework is stable. 14.
Families can be regarded as the foundation of society. For Fleetwood (2012: 1), the importance of families is highlighted by the fact that it would be difficult to comprehend a society that could function without them. In addition, even though families and their compositions vary across societies and cultures, the family can be viewed as a universal social institution (Macionis & Plummer, 2012: 625. Specifically, according to Macionis and Plummer (2012: 625) and Neale (2000:1), it has the ability to unite individuals into cooperative groups via social bonds (kinship) and is ultimately experienced differently from individual to individual. However, the family can be a source of conflict, tension and inequality, which is why one of the key practices
This essay discusses how the family is viewed by two different sociological perspectives- functionalism and conflict theory. Firstly, ‘family’ is defined. Secondly, the main ideas of functionalism will be discussed followed by how this theory perceives the family. The main ideas of Conflict Theory will then be examined and how conflict theorists perceive the family.
The positive side of Murdock’s view is that is show an insight to the importance of families, as it critically examines its functions in society. Another functionalist perspective of family comes from Parsons, who believes that the functions a family has to perform will affect its shape or structure. Parsons looks at two types of family structures, the nuclear family and the extended family. His argument on extended family was that extended family has multiple functions, consumption and production included, whilst the nuclear family seemed to fit the needs of modern
“The Changing American Family” by Natalie Angier states, “Fictive families are springing up among young people, old people, disabled people, homeless people, and may well define one of the ultimate evolutions of the family concept, maximizing, as they do, the opportunities for fulfillment of specific social and economic needs outside the constraints of biological relatedness.” The ever changing social dynamics and circumstances of this life have opened the definition of family to encompass individuals who can fill those deep-seated needs