VED 107 Contemporary Family Life

SOCIAL APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF FAMILY

(Structural Functionalism, Social Conflict, Symbolic Interactionist)
I. Learning Outcome
 Articulate understanding of the social approach to the study of the family.
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II. Getta Go! (Pre-Assessment)

Instructions: Identify the following emojis/ images or symbols/ letters to which they refer to.
1.)

Answer: ________________________________________________________________________

2.)

Answer: _________________________________________________________________________

3.)

Answer: __________________________________________________________________________

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4.)

Answer: __________________________________________________________________________

Great! Now that you have identified the emojis/ images or symbols/ letters, does the terms sound
familiar to you? It isn’t already new in this curriculum as it has already been introduced in our Senior
High School (SHS) in the subject Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics. We will be discussing
the first three (3) social approach to the study of the family, namely structural functionalism, social
conflict, and symbolic interactionist as they give emphasis on the function, know the inequalities/
conflicts, and unison in interaction thru the means of heritage/ communications. As we explore the
depths of this approaches, we would now understand how important it is to articulate these three
approaches.

II. Concept Notes

1. Structural functionalism
Sociologists refer to functionalism as a structural-consensus theory. Sociologists use the term
"structural" to refer to functionalists' belief that a social structure exists that impacts individual
behavior through the socialization process. (Nickerson, 2023). Functionalists believe that a successful
society is based on value consensus, people agreeing about a set of shared norms and values. In this
way, people can join forces in society to cooperate and work toward shared goals. (Holmwood, 2005).
a. Functionalist’s perspectives
George P. Murdock (May 11, 1897 – March 29, 1985)
Murdock was an Ex-professor at Yale University and University of
Pittsburgh and an American anthropologist. He was famous for his works in
anthropology and sociology and had surveyed 250 societies and determined
that there are four universal residual functions of the nuclear family: sexual,
reproductive, educational, and economic. He is remembered for his
empirical approach to ethnological studies and his study of family and
kinship structures across differing cultures.
MURDOCK’S FOUR FUNCTIONS OF THE NUCLEAR FAMILY
1. Sexual – regulatory institution for socially acceptable and controlled
sexual relations between adults. (Murdock, 1949)
2. Reproduction - gives way to reproduction, which, Murdock argues, is
necessary for ensuring the survival of society.
3. Socialization - Families train children for adulthood by teaching societal
and cultural norms, values, beliefs, and attitudes through socialization and

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 enculturation; parents pass on their values through teaching manners and
civility.
4. Economic needs - families have instrumental and expressive roles, with
men handling financial support/status roles & and women handling emotional
support/childcare roles; deviating from these roles can disrupt family
harmony.
Talcott Parsons (December 13, 1902 – May 08, 1979)
Parsons is an American sociologist of the classical tradition, best known for
his social action theory and structural functionalism. He published an article
that stated that "functional" and "structural functionalist" were inappropriate
ways to describe the character of his theory. Parsons is considered one of the
most influential figures in sociology in the 20th century. A new generation
of sociologists criticized Parsons' theories as socially conservative and his
writings as unnecessarily complex.
PARSONS’ FUNCTIONS OF THE NUCLEAR FAMILY
1. Primary Socialization - Primary socialization during childhood
shapes attitudes, values, and behaviors according to culture, setting the
foundation for future socialization, and functionalists emphasize gender role socialization
during this stage.
For example: If a child sees his/ her father make a compliment towards an individual, the child may
internalize that this person is good and therefore, the child should also have this compliment to that
individual.
2. The Stabilization of Adult Personalities - also known as the Warm bath
theory describes the emotional stability and security in marriages that help adults manage stress and
enjoy childlike activities. Nuclear families also have roles, like expressive and instrumental, that help
them function.
b. post-Analysis/ criticism from the functionalist perspective of the family
Murdock's assumption that all nuclear families function well overlooks the existence
of dysfunctional families and internal conflicts, while feminist sociologists argue that traditional
family structures often disadvantage women.
Parsons' view of instrumental and expressive roles is considered outdated due to
contemporary shifts in women's roles, and anthropological research demonstrates that some cultures,
such as the Nair, do not conform to the traditional nuclear family model. Criticism of Parsons' idea
that the nuclear family solely performs basic functions has led scholars like Fletcher to argue that
families also fulfill essential roles in education, health, and welfare, supported by state institutions,
although the nuclear family has largely lost its economic function and shifted towards being a major
unit of consumption. Furthermore, historians have criticized Parsons' simplistic interpretation, noting
evidence of varying industrialization patterns in different industrial societies, such as Japan's
emphasis on job longevity and extended kinship networks. Historian critics says Parsons'
interpretation is simplistic; evidence suggests industrialization patterns differ in different industrial
societies.

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2. Social conflict
For many, family concerns love/ affection and comfort; Marxist perspective call it otherwise
(StudySmarter, n.d.) The family contributes to social inequality by reinforcing economic/ social
inequality and by reinforcing patriarchy. Family problems stem from economic inequality and from
patriarchal ideology. The family can also be a source of conflict, including physical violence and
emotional cruelty, for its own members. (LumenLearning, n.d.)
Karl Marx (May 05, 1818 – March 14, 1883)

 Father of social conflict theory

 Karl Marx was a German philosopher from the nineteenth century.
He specialized in political philosophy and was a well-known
communist supporter. (Britannica, 2024)
MARXIST PERSPECTIVE OF SOCIAL CONFLICT IN THE
FAMILY
Social conflict theory is a perspective in sociology that emphasizes the role
of power struggles, inequality, and conflict between different social groups in
shaping society. This theory is primarily associated with the works of Karl
Marx, Max Weber, and C. Wright Mills. The idea that the family maintains
the capitalist superstructure is an integral part of this theory, as it highlights
the ways in which different social institutions contribute to the perpetuation
of power imbalances and social inequalities.
In the context of social conflict theory, the role of the family in maintaining the capitalist system
becomes a focal point for understanding how social structures and power dynamics interact. By
analyzing the functions of the family within this framework, we can identify the ways in which it
contributes to the reproduction of social inequality and the perpetuation of the capitalist system.
Class conflict: The family's role in socializing children into capitalist values and ideologies can create
or reinforce class divisions. Children from working-class families may be socialized to accept their
lower socioeconomic status, while those from upper-class families may be encouraged to maintain
and expand their wealth and power. This class conflict is central to the social conflict theory.
Gender and race inequalities: The traditional gender roles enforced by families contribute to the
perpetuation of gender inequalities, where women often face lower pay, limited career opportunities,
and unequal access to resources. Similarly, families can pass on racist beliefs and practices that
maintain racial inequalities. These inequalities are crucial elements of social conflict theory, as they
highlight the power struggles between different social groups.
Conflict theorists have also viewed the family as a social arrangement that benefits men more than
women, allowing men to maintain positions of power. Most cultures' traditional family structures are
patriarchal, which contributes to gender inequity. Males typically have more power than females.
Traditional masculine tasks and responsibilities are considered higher than traditional female roles
(e.g., housekeeping, childrearing). The conventional family is also an unequal framework for women
and children. For example, more than 60% of all moms with children under the age of six are
employed. Even though these women spend as much (or more) time at paid employment as their
spouses, they also perform more housework and child care. (LibreTexts, 2021)

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Control and domination: Social conflict theory emphasizes the ways in which dominant social
groups maintain their power and control over subordinate groups. The family's role in reinforcing
capitalist values and ideologies can be seen as a means of social control, ensuring that individuals
remain compliant with the existing power structures.
Resistance and agency: Social conflict theory also acknowledges the potential for resistance and
change within society. By understanding the role of the family in maintaining the capitalist
superstructure, we can also recognize the opportunities for individuals and groups to challenge these
structures and strive for social change.
The idea that the family maintains the capitalist superstructure is an essential aspect of social conflict
theory. It highlights the ways in which social institutions contribute to power imbalances, social
inequalities, and the reproduction of the capitalist system. By analyzing the family's role within this
framework, we can better understand the complex dynamics of power, conflict, and resistance in
society.
A recent study, conducted last April 2021, authored by Khoshimjanovna, N.D., that there are other
social conflicts that is happening within the family. This may include:

 conflicts between spouses

 conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law
 conflicts between mother-in-law and son-in-law, and;
 conflicts between parents and children.
3. Symbolic interactionist
Symbolic interactionism is a micro-level philosophy that focuses on the meanings associated with
verbal and nonverbal human interaction, as well as symbols. Communication—the interchange of
meaning via language and symbols—is thought to be how humans make sense of their social
environments. (LumenLearning, n.d.) It is a process that is enlivened the reciprocal meaning and
values by aid of the symbols in the mind. (Aksan, N. et.al, 2009)
According to (LibreText, 2021) symbolic interactionists also investigate the changing meanings
associated with family. They contend that shared activities assist to strengthen emotional attachments
among family members, and that marriage and family relationships are built on negotiated meanings.
According to the interactionist viewpoint, symbolic mechanism rituals such as family meals and
holidays help to strengthen and revitalize relationships within families.
George Herbert Mead (February 27, 1863- April 26, 1931)

 a major American philosopher by virtue of being—along with John

Dewey, Charles Peirce and William James— one of the founders of
pragmatism.
 Mead also made significant contributions to the philosophies of
nature, science, and history, to philosophical anthropology, and to
process philosophy.
MEAD’S PERSPECTIVE OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
Mead believed that our thoughts, self-concept, and the wider community we
live in are created through communication—symbolic interaction. (Griffin,
E.M., 2012)

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In particular, Mead concentrated on the language and other forms of talk that happens between
individuals. The “self” — a part of someone’s personality involving self-awareness and self-image —
originates in social experience. (Nickerson, 2023)
There are three (3) stages that a child would be developed because of social interactions through their
respective families are as follows:
1. The preparatory stage is the era in which children copy their family members. Through imitation,
infants learn about societal symbols such as gestures and basic human communication terms. Waving,
for example, might imply "hello" or "goodbye".
2. Play stage- children understand the essential symbols of society while playing, and they begin to
use them and pretend to be other people. They pretend to be doctors, patients, moms, fairytale
characters, and so on while playing. Mead believes that role-playing is essential at the play stage.
3. At the game stage, children can distinguish between social settings and connections. They are
mindful of their own social status and that of people around them. When they interact with others,
they act on this knowledge. Mead contended that children's behavior at this period is influenced by
their awareness of what he termed 'the generalized other'.
A quick recap, prominent symbolic interactionist, like Charles H. Cooley, that is also regarded to have
founded symbolic interactionism. He established his theory of how people's sense of self develops
through social interactions, arguing that people form a sense of self by understanding how others react
to them. Cooley called this the 'looking-glass self' idea (1902). The development of the looking-glass
self occurs in three stages:
1. People imagine how their behavior appears to others. (ex. a child might think about how their
parents would view their actions during a family dinner. If the child believes their parents see them as
well-mannered and polite, they may feel good about themselves and try to maintain that image in
future interactions.)
2. People observe the reactions of others and make conclusions on how others evaluate them. (ex. a
teenager could observe their siblings' reactions when they help with chores or offer assistance. If the
siblings show gratitude and appreciation, the teenager might conclude that they are seen as helpful
and considerate. This understanding can positively influence their self-perception.)
3. People develop a self-concept and start to have feelings about themselves based on how they
interpret other’s reactions. (ex. in a family setting, a grandparent might feel loved and respected when
they receive warm greetings and affection from their grandchildren. Interpreting these gestures as a
sign of their importance, the grandparent develops a self-concept as a cherished family member. This
understanding can lead to feelings of happiness and contentment.)
Though, Cooley’s theory focuses on the ‘self’, it may also have relations if we take this perspective in
the family context. Examples are being provided to pattern each of the aforementioned statements
above.

SUMMARY
a. Functionalism and family: Functionalist perspectives, such as those of George P. Murdock and
Talcott Parsons, emphasize the importance of the nuclear family in maintaining social order and
stability. They argue that the family serves essential functions, including sexual, reproductive,
socialization, and economic roles. However, criticism suggests these theories overlook dysfunctional
families and do not account for changing gender and societal roles.

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b. social conflict and family: According to Marxist and conflict theories, such as those of Karl Marx,
the family perpetuates social inequality and contributes to class, gender, and race conflicts. Families
socialize children into capitalist values and ideologies, reinforcing class divisions and maintaining
patriarchal structures. Conflict theorists also highlight the control and domination exerted by
dominant social groups through family structures.
c. Symbolic interactionism and family: Symbolic interactionists, like George Herbert Mead, focus
on the meanings and symbols exchanged within families. They argue that shared activities and rituals
strengthen emotional attachments and that relationships within families are built on negotiated
meanings. Symbolic interactionism also influences the development of the self through social
interactions, as seen in Charles H. Cooley's "looking-glass self" theory.
In conclusion, the study of families and their roles in society can be approached through various
sociological perspectives, including functionalism, social conflict, and symbolic interactionism.
Functionalists like Murdock and Parsons emphasize the importance of the nuclear family in
maintaining social order and stability, while critics argue that this perspective overlooks dysfunctional
families and changing societal roles. Social conflict theorists, such as Marx, contend that the family
perpetuates social inequality and contributes to class, gender, and race conflicts by reinforcing
capitalist values and ideologies. Symbolic interactionists, like Mead and Cooley, focus on the
meanings and symbols exchanged within families and the development of the self through social
interactions. Each perspective provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of family
structures and their influence on individuals and society as a whole.

Now that you have understand and articulated the first three (3) social approaches to the study of the
family, you are now ready to sought out the post-Assessment test below. Check it out!
III. Post-Assessment
Instructions: Choose the BEST answer from the given questions.
I. Multiple Choice
1. "Families have instrumental and expressive roles; men handle financial support/status while women
handle emotional support and childcare and deviating from these roles can disrupt family harmony."
According to Murdock, to what function of the nuclear family does this statement refer?
A. Socialization
B. Economic
C. Sexual
D. Reproduction
2. Family leads to gender and race inequality, social inequality (class conflict, control & domination),
& resistance of agency. What kind of social approach/ theory does it refer to?
a. Marxism
b. social conflict
c. social exchange
d. All of the above
3. Why structural functionalism also refers to structural-consensus theory?

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A. A certain social structure molded the individual through socialization & commonality of norms,
values, and goals.
B. Functionalist believe that it is value-consensus having shared norms, values, and goals.
C. It is “structural” because a certain social structure had impacted an individual’s behavior
D. None of the above
4. Is a micro-level theory that focuses on meanings attached to human interaction, both verbal and
non-verbal, and to symbols.
A. De Fleur communication
B. Warm bath theory
C. Symbolic interactionist
D. Schramm communication model
5. Which group/ type of sociologist criticized Murdock’s function of the family as ‘disadvantageous
to women’ in a traditional family?
A. Patriarchal
B. Historians
C. feminists
D. Fletcher
II. True or False. Write TRUE if the statement is true and write FALSE if the statement is false.
6. The play stage (according to Mead) is the era in which children copy their families.
III. Identification/Enumeration
(For 7-8) Two prominent symbolic interactionist.
IV. Reflection
(For 9-10) In two (2) sentences, what for you is the essence of family?

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IV. References

Aksan, N., Kısac, B., Aydın, M., & Demirbuken, S. (2009). Symbolic interaction theory.
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 902–904.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2009.01.160

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2024, January 25). Karl Marx. Encyclopædia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Karl-Marx

Introduction to sociology. LumenLearning. (n.d.). https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-

introductiontosociology/chapter/reading-symbolic-interactionist-theory/

Khoshimjanovna, N. D. (2021). Types of Social Conflicts In The Family And The Causes of
Their Own . Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education, 12(3). 1533-
Article%20Text-2849-1-10-20210407.pdf

Libretexts. (2021a, February 20). 12.3a: The Functionalist perspective. Social Sci
LibreTexts.
https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Introduction_to_Sociology/
Sociology_(Boundless)/12%3A_Family/
12.03%3A_Sociological_Perspectives_on_Family/12.3A
%3A_The_Functionalist_Perspective

Libretexts. (2021b, February 20). 12.3b: The conflict perspective. Social Sci LibreTexts.
https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Introduction_to_Sociology/
Sociology_(Boundless)/12%3A_Family/
12.03%3A_Sociological_Perspectives_on_Family/12.3B
%3A_The_Conflict_Perspective

Libretexts. (2021c, February 20). 12.3C: The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective. Social Sci
LibreTexts.
https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Introduction_to_Sociology/
Sociology_(Boundless)/12%3A_Family/
12.03%3A_Sociological_Perspectives_on_Family/12.3C
%3A_The_Symbolic_Interactionist_Perspective#:~:text=Symbolic%20interactionists
%20argue%20that%20shared,as%20family%20meals%20and%20holidays.

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McLean, P. E. Dr. T. (2016, March 25). Social problems. 10.2 Sociological Perspectives on
the Family | Social Problems. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-
socialproblems/chapter/10-2-sociological-perspectives-on-the-family/

Nickerson, C. (2023, May 12). Functionalist perspective on the family. Simply Sociology.
https://simplysociology.com/functionalist-perspective-family.html

Sociology. StudySmarter UK. (n.d.-a). https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/social-

studies/families-and-households/marxist-perspectives/

Sociology. StudySmarter UK. (n.d.-b). https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/social-

studies/families-and-households/functionalist-perspectives-on-the-family/

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