What functions do families perform for individuals and for society?
The functions of families, including Murdock's four functions and Parsons' two basic and irreducible functions, and the functionalist view of the family as a positive institution.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE Sociology families topic, covering the functions of families through Murdock's four functions and Parsons' two basic and irreducible functions, with the functionalist view of the family.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to explain what functions the family performs, using the functionalist sociologists Murdock and Parsons, and to understand the functionalist view that the family is a positive and necessary institution. You should be able to list Murdock's four functions and Parsons' two functions accurately and attach them to the right thinker.
Murdock's four functions
George Murdock carried out a comparative study of 250 societies and concluded that some form of family was found in all of them. He argued the nuclear family is universal because it performs four essential functions that meet the needs of both individuals and society.
A useful memory aid is that Murdock's functions cover sex, reproduction, money and socialisation. Note that his claim of universality is contested: critics point to societies and households organised very differently, so the claim is not accepted by all sociologists.
Parsons' two functions
Talcott Parsons argued that as society industrialised, the family lost some of the functions it once had (such as production and education) to specialised institutions like factories and schools, but kept two functions it performs better than any other institution.
The functionalist view
Functionalists see the family as a positive institution that benefits both individuals and society. It socialises the young, supports adults emotionally and helps maintain a stable, ordered society based on shared values (consensus). This view assumes that what is good for the family is good for everyone in it. It is precisely this assumption that Marxists and feminists challenge, by arguing the family can serve capitalism or men rather than all its members, and by pointing to the dark side of family life.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20184 marksIdentify and explain one function that the family performs for society.Show worked answer →
A four-mark Paper 1 item: identify a clear function, then explain it with a named sociologist.
One function is primary socialisation: the family teaches young children the norms and values of their society, such as language, manners and right from wrong. Parsons argued this is one of the family's two basic and irreducible functions.
Develop the point: without primary socialisation, children would not learn the shared culture that holds society together, so the family helps maintain social order. Markers reward a named function, a clear explanation and a relevant sociologist.
AQA 20214 marksIdentify and explain one of Murdock's functions of the family.Show worked answer →
A four-mark item: name one of Murdock's four functions and develop it.
One is the economic function: the family meets its members' material needs, such as food, shelter and clothing, and shares resources between them.
Develop the point: Murdock studied 250 societies and argued the family is universal because it performs four essential functions (sexual, reproductive, economic and educational), so meeting economic needs is part of why functionalists see the family as necessary. Markers reward a correctly named Murdock function, an explanation and ideally the link to his wider argument.
Related dot points
- The diversity of family forms, including nuclear, extended, reconstituted, lone-parent, same-sex and single-person households, and the reasons for increasing family diversity.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE Sociology families topic, covering the main family forms (nuclear, extended, reconstituted, lone-parent, same-sex) and the reasons for growing family diversity in Britain.
- Conjugal roles and the division of domestic labour, including segregated and joint roles, the symmetrical family, the dual burden, and decision-making and power within couples.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE Sociology families topic, covering conjugal roles, the symmetrical family thesis of Willmott and Young, Oakley's critique, the dual burden and power within couples.
- Changing family patterns, including trends in marriage, cohabitation, divorce, childbearing and the ageing population, and the reasons behind them.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE Sociology families topic, covering changing patterns of marriage, divorce, cohabitation and childbearing in Britain, and the social and legal reasons behind them.
- Criticisms of the family, including the Marxist and feminist views, the dark side of family life, and the conflict perspective on family roles and inequality.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE Sociology families topic, covering Marxist and feminist criticisms of the family, the dark side of family life, and conflict views on inequality within families.
- The functionalist and Marxist perspectives, including the consensus and conflict views of society, the key ideas of Durkheim, Parsons, Marx and Althusser, and how each explains social institutions.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE Sociology key concepts topic, comparing the functionalist consensus view (Durkheim, Parsons) with the Marxist conflict view (Marx, Althusser) of how society works.
Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Sociology (8192) specification — AQA (2017)