SOCY1002 Lecture 10: Relationships, Intimacy and Sexuality
[Lecture Ten]
Relationships, Intimacy and Sexuality
1. FAMILY
FORMS OF FAMILY
As a reminder:
• If family would be only a matter of biology/psychology, then it would be statistically random
• If family would be only a matter of biology/psychology, then it would be the same in all
cultures and historical periods
Families can be classified by:
• Authority – patriarchal, matriarchal, egalitarian
• Residence – patrilocal, matrilocal, neo-local
• Descent – unilateral (patrilineal, matrilineal), bilateral
• Inclusion norms – monogamous, polygamous, polyandrous
• Cohabitation norms – nuclear, extended families
• Various norms – emotions, sexuality, work, money, etc.
Family trends in the West:
• Nuclear family (2 generations: 2 parents + children)
• Single parents family (2 generations: 1 parent + children)
• Extended family (3 generations)
• Reconstituted family
SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO FAMILY
The functionalist approach (Murdock, Parsons)
• Functionalist approach – trend in sociological research which consists on looking at the
functions of the social phenomenon
• In relation to family its looking at the sociological functions of family
• Murdock – tried to examine family lives in different cultures and tried to identify similar
functions
- Murdock distinguished between 4 functions of family:
1. Sex
2. Reproduction
3. Socialization
4. Economic
• Murdock’s theory was that family exists because it allows us to fulfill 4 functions
• Parsons is known to be the most important functionalist sociologist in history
- He tried to adjust Murdock’s theory
- He highlighted that we can describe the families’ of the West as “isolated and
nuclear families” as most families are organized around the basic needs of the
couple (nuclear) and this kind of families try to isolate themselves from other families
– e.g. grandparents, uncles
- Parson’s distinguished only 2 functions of these isolated and nuclear families:
Document Summary
If family would be only a matter of biology/psychology, then it would be statistically random. If family would be only a matter of biology/psychology, then it would be the same in all cultures and historical periods. Families can be classified by: authority patriarchal, matriarchal, egalitarian, residence patrilocal, matrilocal, neo-local, descent unilateral (patrilineal, matrilineal), bilateral, cohabitation norms nuclear, extended families, various norms emotions, sexuality, work, money, etc. Family trends in the west: nuclear family (2 generations: 2 parents + children, single parents family (2 generations: 1 parent + children, extended family (3 generations, reconstituted family. The functionalist approach (murdock, parsons: functionalist approach trend in sociological research which consists on looking at the functions of the social phenomenon. In relation to family its looking at the sociological functions of family: murdock tried to examine family lives in different cultures and tried to identify similar functions.
