![]() People will understand societal norms and be aware of society’s expectations from them. Socializing will bring a sense of happiness in people and improve their well-being. Individuals will put efforts in improving themselves which as a result will be beneficial for both the person and the society. Through interacting with others one will realise what their interests are and work towards it. It allows one to know another person better as well as himself/herself. Socializing instills discipline, obedience, and responsibility in people. Feminists are critical of this approach because it assumes that gender roles are fixed, ignoring the changes that have taken place.Fletcher (1988) argues that Parsons was wrong to suggest that the family had lost its functions during industrialisation, as it still continues to provide social, economic and educational support. It does not consider the ways in which functions may be performed by other institutions, such as the education system rather than by the family. ![]() Also many social policy initiatives stemming from conservative politicians have their origin in functionalist theories. However, many people still have a desire to live in the kind of nuclear households outlined by Murdock and Parsons. ![]() By stressing the idea that the nuclear family is universal, this approach ignores other types of Family and household and seems to assume that they are inadequate, such as, lone-parent families and matrifocal families.This perspective tends to ignore the conflict and exploitation stressed by Marxists.It only focuses on the positive side of society and not the negative aspects. The approach is too optimistic as it looks at family as always happy and harmonious. It stresses only on the nuclear family and ignores other family structures. The family is seen as very important in passing on the shared norms and values which are universal in society.This approach stresses the great importance of the family, as it is a basic building block of society.It provides a very harmonious view of society and the family.Functionalists show how each of the parts of society are interrelated, each contributing to the well-being of society.It shows that conflicts in society are minimized by socialization and social order. Spreads values and norms to younger generations and so on. It stresses on the importance of family in society. Meets both the individual and societal needs. Enable individuals to take risks, make decisions and solve problems on their own. Help individuals in understanding their roles and responsibilities in the society. Foster moral and ethical values in the children for the welfare of the society. Help individuals to realize their interests, strengths, weaknesses and work towards it. ![]() Transmit knowledge, values, culture, traditions, etc to the next generation and so on. Make humans understand the societal norms and be aware of society’s expectations from them. Child abuse is a major social problem in the UK – 1 in 14 children have been physically abused, according to NSPCC in 2011. Cheal (2002) claims that functional relationships can easily slip into damaging relationships. It suggests that family life is always good and happy. Weakness: The functionalist approach is too optimistic. Strength: The functionalist approach illustrates how a social institution can work at two different levels – both fulfilling the needs of each individual and meeting the needs of the whole society at the same time It is also crucial in the development of an individual’s personality. Socialization helps in the transfer of knowledge, values, culture, expected behaviour to the next generation and so on. It enables individuals to play their roles in society. For society to exist, socialization is necessary. There would be no society without socialization. Socializing is crucial for the existence of society. It deals with teaching the values, norms, and beliefs to children. This theory focuses on socialization to fulfill society’s several needs. Structural Functionalism consists of (a) socialization, (b) social integration, (c) social placement, and (d) social and cultural innovation. What are the Principles, Strengths and Weaknesses of Structural Functionalism? Back to: Educational Studies UGC NET – Unit 1
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