Functions of Families and Family Diversity: Parsons, Rapoport and Rapoport
What does the family do for society, and why do families come in so many forms? Learn the functions of the family, the two irreducible functions named by Parsons, and the five aspects of family diversity named by Rapoport and Rapoport.
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What is a family for? 👪
Sociologists ask two big questions about the family. What does it DO for society and for its members, and why do families come in so many different forms? This module looks at the functions of the family, the ideas of Parsons, and the five aspects of family diversity named by Rapoport and Rapoport.
Kinds of family 🔑
Families take many forms. Learn four of the main ones first.
Two ways to study the family ⚖️
The two sociologists in this module look at the family in different ways.
Match the function 🔗
- Sexual function
- Reproductive function
- Economic function
- Educational function
- Gives adults a stable and approved relationship
- Produces the next generation of children
- Provides food, shelter and money for members
- Teaches children the norms and values of society
Two functions from Parsons 🎯
Which of these is one of the two irreducible functions that Parsons described?
- Primary socialisation of children
- Producing money for the government
- Creating family diversity
- Making the laws of the country
Five kinds of diversity 🌈
Rapoport and Rapoport (1982) said families are diverse in five ways: organisational, how the household divides its roles; cultural, different beliefs and values; class, how wealth and class shape family life; life course, the stage a family has reached; and cohort, the historical period a family grows up in. This challenges the functionalist view, which critics say gives an idealised, middle-class picture.
Match the aspect of diversity 🔀
- Organisational
- Cultural
- Class
- Cohort
- How the household divides its roles and tasks
- Different beliefs, values and traditions
- How wealth and class position shape family life
- The historical period a family grows up in
Aspects of diversity ✅
Which THREE of these are aspects of family diversity named by Rapoport and Rapoport? Choose all that apply.
- Cultural
- Class
- Cohort
- Economic
- Nuclear
The family life course 🪜
An interactive activity.
Complete the sociology 🧩
Teaching children the norms and values of society is called primary _____. A family of two parents and their children is a _____ family. A step-family is a _____ family. Rapoport and Rapoport named five aspects of family _____. The aspect about the historical period a family grows up in is _____.
Spot the true statements 🖍️
An interactive activity.
A common criticism 🔎
What is a common criticism of the functionalist view of the family?
- It gives an idealised, middle-class picture
- It says the family has no functions at all
- It only describes lone-parent families
- It ignores children completely
Which aspect of diversity? 🧭
An interactive activity.
Explain functions and diversity ✍️
An interactive activity.