Structural Functionalism In Family Research Paper

Structural-functionalism “examines what is functional and dysfunctional to the social order, as well as which functions are manifest and which are latent.” (Rhoades 2) With the order between my family, whether it is functional or dysfunctional, I have witnessed between my relatives hands on as examples of structural functionalism. Structural functionalism is in my opinion the make of a society, such as the parts of a puzzle that all work together to make the “big picture.” (Rhoades 1) In my family, each relative has a certain role per-say. From major roles as to motherly/fatherly duties, or simple tasks such as certain people who are assigned what to bring to Thanksgiving meal, as witnessed in my family, along with others. Just like the

It’s like building blocks, if you are missing one of those blocks or it is not doing what it should do, it will make it difficult to support or build, and this applies to both society and minority such as family. Theorist Robert K. Merton bases his thoughts on routines, practices, and events in an institution to see if they serve as functional or dysfunctional, as said earlier, to that society, and that it’s clear/obvious, also known as manifest functions are observed. Furthermore, another perspective of society that I can also compare to family is conflict theory. Conflict theory sees “social differences as inevitably leading to social oppression and inequality”, and also they are based off “structural inequality built into the relations between groups.” (Rhoades 2) Karl Marx’s theories such as “who dominates, controls, hordes, exploits, or oppresses others and how it’s expressed” (Rhoades 1), is a key thought to the social dynamics,

The ideas of theorist Herbert Blumer is based off “what meaning people/ groups in an institution attach to their roles and how their actions express and re-create this meaning.” (Rhoades 3) The perspective is used in families with things such as marriage, interaction and socialization with one another, the roles performed by each relative and how the family is built. The aspects of symbolic interactionism can be influenced by the individual realities of the relatives, values, perceptions, different feelings, and behaviors influenced by interactions. Examples of this perspective in families, and also in mine are aspects such as marriage, mate selection, parenthood, retirement, cohabitation, adoption, step families, or even things such as religious and political views, or simply the interaction to be expected between siblings. Over the years, as the world changes with things such as war, revolutions, modernization, civil rights, etc., the different roles, behaviors, values, and perceptions are all changed along with it. For example, 50 years ago the wife was to stay