...size of their family. Parents have to consider whether it is better for their children to grow up in a large family or to grow up in a small family. Still, I believe there is no best family size. A large family and a small family both have their own advantages and disadvantages in the aspects of family’s finance and child companionship. A family financial condition is tightly related to the size of the family. The living cost for a large is surely much higher than the living cost for a small family. As the result, children in a large family would have less financial supports from their parents. In contrast, in a small family, parents can give more resources to their children. For instance, their children can receive better education, or have more opportunities to develop some costly interests, such as piano. My friend, Dave, is the only child in their family. Their parents always support him to do whatever the things he wishes to do, such as traveling aboard and developing his interest in music. On the other hand, I, growing up in a large family, do not have as many chances to do things I want as Dave do. From this example, I believe children in a small family can receive more supports from their parents than children in a large family can receive. Although children in the large family might not receive much supports from their parents, they have more companies to talk to and to play with. That is definitely a great advantage for children in a large family. They will not...
Words: 479 - Pages: 2
...understanding of families and households. Functionalism is a macro approach to society. It is based on a consensus that society as whole is run by and for the benefit of all its members. Early Functionalists such as Durkheim believed that society is made up of many institutions which work together to function. Regarding families, Functionalists believe that the nuclear family is best for society. Functionalists look at what the functions the family performs and they therefore say that the nuclear family is best for society. For example functionalists believe that traditional domestic roles (for the male to play an instrumental role as the breadwinner and the female to do the dual-burden) are necessary to ensure that children are socialised correctly with both male and female role models. Functionalists believe that the nuclear family is perfect for bringing up a geographically mobile workforce which allows families to move about for work easily, for example Functionalists believe during the industrial revolution nuclear families became more common as it was easier for families to move to an urban area in search of work than if it was for example an extended family. Conflict theories such as Marxism and Feminism challenge the Functionalism and the consensus of society by taking a more critical view. Social historians such as Laslett and Anderson also criticize the functionalist view of a ‘Functional Fit’ in the family. The main supporters of Functionalism in the family are Murdock...
Words: 3354 - Pages: 14
...sociology view of the family relationships between the industrialisation (24 marks) Talcott Parsons argued the reason the family structure was changing from an extended family to a nuclear family was because the nuclear family was more useful to industrial society, he says this because it is more efficient and fits the needs of society as it’s geographically and socially mobile therefore promotions are easier to get through their own efforts. Parsons saw how the rolls of men and women had developed in the families and he said it was best for society. Parsons argued there are 2 types of basic society that will fit the needs: modern industrial society and traditional pre-industrial society. When Britain changed from a rural society to one where people move to the cities and work in factories and mills, the structure of the families had to change. Parson had said pre-industrial society was made up of extended families but the modern industrial society brought the idea of a nuclear family. Laslett studied family life in the pre-industrial society in 1972. His theory was that in 1564-1821 only 10% of households had kin beyond the nuclear family, therefore structure the family in pre-industrial society was nuclear this criticises parsons theory. Nuclear families are more popular because people married later in their lives after a couple of years of marriage the parents of each partner would die; therefore they wouldn’t live with them. Anderson studied families in Preston. He said...
Words: 525 - Pages: 3
...EVIDENCE THAT THE NUCLEAR FAMILY IS NOT DEAD -MCGLONE – found that unemployment, poverty, community care for the elderly and increasing numbers of young people living at home longer, means that there is a need to family mutual support systems. –nuclear families feel a strong sense of obligation towards extended family in times of family crises. -FINCH –found that in working class are areas, the extended family is still common. Her study pf the East End of London found that adults often live only a few streets away from their close relatives and partners- visit regularly- especially if they have daughters. -MASON (1993)- study of Greater Manchester found that over 90% of the sample had given or received financial help from relatives and almost 60% shared a household with an adult relative other than their parents at some point in their lives. The term MODIFIED EXTENDED FAMILY is used to show how the nuclear family and individuals still have ties to extended kin. EVIDENCE THAT THE NUCLEAR FAMILY IS NOT DEAD -MCGLONE – found that unemployment, poverty, community care for the elderly and increasing numbers of young people living at home longer, means that there is a need to family mutual support systems. –nuclear families feel a strong sense of obligation towards extended family in times of family crises. -FINCH –found that in working class are areas, the extended family is still common. Her study pf the East End of London found that adults often live only a few streets away...
Words: 3030 - Pages: 13
...report investigating family diversity What is a family? Sociologist Brown defined a family as “a group of people who are related by kinship ties: relatives of blood, marriage or adoption” (Brown, 1998). But many people might argue this statement is not right anymore as this only defines a traditional family. There are many different types of family which include Nuclear, Cereal Packet, Extended, Single Parent, and Reconstituted. Over the years family life has become more diverse. There is a lot of evidence that there is no one particular family type in Britain. In this report I will be looking at the impact of diversity on the family; such as Social Class, Ethnicity, Sexuality and cultural differences in relation to family diversity. Types of families The statistics of families in modern Britain show that there is increasing diversity, which in turn suggests that the nuclear family is decreasing in importance. The types of family that are increasing include Lone parent families, Reconstituted families and Extended families. These are the main types of families in the UK. Because of increasing diversity in family life in modern Britain, there are more types of family: Cohabiting and Homosexual. In this section I will look into diverse range of families and household types. “In 2012 there were 18.2 million families in the UK. Of these, 12.2 million consisted of a married couple with children.” (http://www.ons.gov.uk) This family type is called Nuclear Family and is the most common...
Words: 1750 - Pages: 7
...Family Life in the 21st Century! Family life has become more stressful – two working parents, blended families, single parent homes, adolescent challenges, child safety concerns. Gender roles in relationships have become less defined. Children don’t arrive with an instruction book! Parenting is the only job for which there is no required education or training. Couples often have to balance career goals with personal goals. Older children moving back home and intergenerational relationships profoundly affect families. Research points to creating strong relationships as an essential ingredient for happiness and longevity. Effective communication is a foundation for relationships and is challenged by our instant message, sound byte society. Family Structures The following types of families exist today, with some families naturally falling into multiple categories. For example, a single parent family who lives in a larger, extended family. While these types of families are distinct in definition, in practice the lines are less clear. Nuclear Family The nuclear family is the traditional type of family structure. This family type consists of two parents and children. The nuclear family was long held in esteem by society as being the ideal in which to raise children. Children in nuclear families receive strength and stability from the two-parent structure and generally have more opportunities due to the financial ease of two adults. According to U.S. Census data, almost...
Words: 1732 - Pages: 7
...Functionalists explanations of the family (24 marks) Functionalists believe that society is based on a set of shared values and norms; this is known as a value consensus. These norms and values socialize its members, which enables them to cooperate with each other so society’s needs are met, this creates social order. It offers a structural and macro view of the family which is top down. Functionalists see society as being similar to a biological organism for example the human body. This is called the organic analogy. The human body is made up of various different parts that function together, each part is necessary for the normal functioning of the whole body. Society is made up of various institutions (for example education or family), Functionalists believe that these institutions rely on each other each other which helps maintain social order. If one institution is quickly modified or fails to work with other institutions, society would be dysfunctional and would end up in anarchy. Functionalists compare this with the human body because if one component is unable to work, this often affects other components in the body, which could result in death. Functionalists believe that a family is a vital institution, which contributes to maintaining social order because it meets the needs of other institutions such as the education system, which enables society to function in a unified manner. Functionalists believes that the nuclear family fits society’s needs, however several...
Words: 1331 - Pages: 6
...Nuclear Family: Definition, Merits & Demerits Definition So, what does that mean? In simple terms, a nuclear family system is a family structure that consists of two parents living with their children, also known as an immediate family. For example, in The Simpsons, Homer and Marge are the parents and they live with their children, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. This system is different from an extended family system, in which the household may include non-immediate family members, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles. Many believe that a nuclear family is the best arrangement, yielding numerous advantages. However, with any system, there are also disadvantages. Advantages Financial Stability In today's traditional nuclear families, it is common to have dual incomes. Both parents work to providefinancial stability for the household, creating a larger cash flow to supply the basic family needs of housing, food and healthcare. Financial stability also allows the parents to provide additional extracurricular opportunities for their children, such as music or athletic lessons. These opportunities allow children to flourish socially and develop a higher level of confidence. Increased Consistency in Child Rearing A two-parent household is more likely to have higher consistency with raising their children. By reaching agreements on discipline and modeling appropriate behavior, parents act as a team to strengthen and reinforce child behavior. Children get consistent messages about behavioral...
Words: 509 - Pages: 3
...marriage: A marriage which is arranged by the parents of the marriage partners, with a view to compatibility of background and status. More a union between two families than two people, and romantic love between the marriage partners is not necessarily present. * Beanpole family: A multi-generation extended family, in a pattern which is long and thin, with few aunts and uncles, reflecting fewer children being born in each generation, but people living longer. * Birth rate: The number of live births per 1,000 of the population per year * Cereal packet family: Sociologists also sometimes talk about ‘the cereal packet family’ - a certain type of nuclear - this refers to the image most people hold of the family. It is also the picture of the family that the media tends to present, especially in adverts. The cereal packet family comprises of Parents and Children. The woman is a housewife and full time mother and the man is the 'breadwinner' i.e. he is the one who has to go to work to earn money. * Classic extended family: A family where several related nuclear families or family members live in the same house, street or area. It may be horizontally extended, where it contains aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., or vertically extended, where it contains more than two generations. See also modified extended family. * Commune: Self-contained and self-supporting communities, where all members of the community share property, childcare, household tasks and living accommodation...
Words: 1243 - Pages: 5
...Sociology Essay… A family is a group of people that live together and are related to each other through kinship ties or marriage. Kinship means being related through blood or birth. On the other hand, a household is a group of people who live together but are not related to each other through kinship ties or marriage. It is believed that families make up the majority of households but there are others for example, students or friends sharing a flat/house. There are five main different types of families: * Nuclear Family: Two generations living together (mother, father and dependent children) * Traditional Extended Family: Three or more generations of the same family living together or close by, with frequent contact between grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, cousins etc. * Attenuated Extended Family: Nuclear families that live apart from their extended family, but keep in regular contact e.g. via email or phone. * Single Parent Family: A single parent and their dependent children. * Reconstituted Family: New stepfamilies created when parts of two previous families are brought together. George Murdock (1949) was a famous sociologist that argued that some form of the nuclear family existed in all of the 250 different societies he looked at. He argued the family performed four basic functions – sexual, reproductive, economic and educational (social). Murdock’s definition of a family is: A social group characterised by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction...
Words: 533 - Pages: 3
...The nuclear family was commonly seen in many countries of the world due to its practicality and replaced the extended family in most societies. The nuclear family is defined by George Peter Murdock as a married male and female couple raising one or more children in one household. This structure became the norm in modern society as it fulfils Murdock’s 4 functions of the family: Sexual; helps maintain a healthy and stable relationship between the parents, Reproductive; to continue the population and produce workers for society, Economic; to support the family by working in society and sharing roles between the man and woman, Education; to serve as a source of primary socialisation for children so that they may function properly in society. Sociobiologists believe that our behaviour is due to biological instincts. The nuclear family proved that it worked so was continued to be used as it was seen crucial to the survival of our species and zoologist, Desmond Morris mentioned that ‘Most successful cultures use the nuclear family’. The ‘cereal packet family’ is a term given by Edmund Leech in 1967 when he recognised the power of the image of the nuclear family. It’s a socially constructed model laden with assumptions of how families ought to be. Such an image creates a normalised social construction of what a family should look like. However, many other family structures are being used which suggests that the nuclear family is not the norm. For example, the Kibbutz lived in an extended...
Words: 532 - Pages: 3
...functions of the family (a) Consensus is a general agreement for example the functionalists sociologists see society as based on value consensus; that is, harmony and agreement among its members about basic values. (b) Two essential functions that Parsons sees the nuclear family performing is a geographically mobile workforce which is when people often spent their whole lives living in the same village and a socially mobile workforce which is constantly evolving science and technology. (c) Three functions that the family might perform are promoting social mobility to meet the needs of industrial society, promoting geographical mobility as they are better fitted to the need that modern industry has and also providing a reserve of army of female labour that can be taken on when extra workers are needed. Essay : Using material from item A and elsewhere, assess the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of families and households. In this essay, i will be focusing on the functionalist perspective of families and households. Functionalist believe that society is based on a value consensus which are a set of shared norms and values into which society socialises its members. I will look at both the strengths and limitations as well as the different perspectives such as Parsons and Murdock to examine the essay. Murdock argues that the sheer practicality of the nuclear family is a way of meeting four needs whereas Parsons says the family may meet more needs...
Words: 1048 - Pages: 5
...that, in today’s society, the family is losing its functions. Functionalism focuses on the positive roles played by different institutions of society, the main one being the family. Functionalism see family as a vital organisation in all societies, they are needed to meet basic needs. Functionalism stresses the positive role of the family, and its great importance for society. Functionalists argue that the family has essential functions which it must perform to meet the basic needs of society and its members. Murdock argues that this makes the family a universal institution. Murdock argues that the family perform four simple functions; 2 of which are identified in item 2B reproductive – this is where you reproduce for the next generation and socialisation – being able to socialise your children and teaching them the norms and values of society. The other main functions of the family are sexual – this is where you satisfy your needs with one partner, economic – for example food and shelter. Murdock argues that the importance of these functions are so vital that they have to exist everywhere. Other sociologists such as Parsons argue that the family may meet other needs too. For example it may perform welfare, military, political or religious functions. In the view of Talcott Parsons, the functions it performs will depend on the kind of society in which it is found. He distinguishes between two kinds of family structure. Firstly the nuclear family – just parents and dependent...
Words: 958 - Pages: 4
...The family is a social group characterized by common residence, economic and co-operation and reproduction, according to George Murdock. The term of traditional family includes heterosexual relationship between two parents, being married (preferably first marriage), having children, living together, division of labor by sex (father is the breadwinner and mother is the homemaker), taken father's name by wife and children. These type of families are more than a social unit, it is given "holy" status in society. Nuclear family is a type of traditional family and requires adapting to a life that requires high mobility, isolating husbands and wives from their kin (neolocal residence), a strong dependence of individual members on one another. In fact the traditional type of families, family includes multiple meanings because of this reason there are alternative family forms such as single parent (majority are female headed households, common between West Indians and Puerto Ricans), blended and reconstituted (formed by adults who have married previously and who bring their children from their previous marriage to the new marriage, forming a new family unit), extended (based on common descent, commonly consists of a married couple and one or more married children), cohabiting couples and complex families (co-wives' economic and political interests, especially with regards to their children, their labour, and their allegiances to their kin, often conflict). These type of families are...
Words: 938 - Pages: 4
...Asses the contribution of functionalism to our understanding of families and households. (24 marks) A family is hard to define but some of the characteristics of a family are: they live in the same accommodation (although not always), they share their wealth and resources, they socialise their children and prepare them for later life by teaching them skills and also they tend to reproduce children. There is many different types of families: nuclear families, lone parent families and even extended families. The nuclear family is based on two adults of the opposite sex and 1.8 children. Other relatives may be added to create an extended family. If grandparents and even greater grandparents so that there is three or four generations then the family is vertically extended. If the parents have adult brothers and sisters living with them then the family is horizontally extended. A household on the other hand is a group of people who live under the same roof and share certain actions, such as cooking/ eating together but these people are not necessarily related. Examples of households are care homes, foster homes and also student accommodation. Functionalists concern themselves with two main areas: the functions that the family provides its members and the functional relationship between the family and other social system for example the economic system. Functionalists argue society’s structure working together positively for the benefit of that society and this is known as...
Words: 827 - Pages: 4
