Comparing Two Sociological Perspectives

Sociological theories give us different ways to look at our societies. Sociological perspectives are used as a way of looking at human behaviour and how it has an effect on the society in which we live. They are used to interpret and provide sociological explanations for how individuals act and how it affects society as a whole. The “science of society” was developed by Auguste Compte in the 19th century. However, not all sociologists share the same ideas. This assignment will be considering two sociological perspectives in detail and comparing a third. The perspectives being considered are Marxism, functionalism, which took a macro view of society, and interactionism, which took a micro view on society. and the areas being considered are
He argued that “the nuclear family is a universal social grouping”. Murdock also stated that the nuclear family provided a stable, permanent, heterosexual relationship between couples, that there would be strong emotional bonds between children and parents thus meaning that the socialisation of the children would be more effective. Murdock along with Talcott Parsons was a great believer in gender division, the man was the breadwinner and provided financial stability while the mother was the home maker, and provided emotional and physical well being of the
The way society defines family has changed dramatically over the last hundred years. Murdock was quite limiting on his use of the term family. For example lone parents were not classed as a family as they were missing one parent. Same sex couples or those couples without children were also excluded from being called a family for the same or similar reasons. However, this has changed dramatically in the last hundred years or so. Society has gone from many generations of one family all living under one roof as an extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents and children to the smaller nuclear family that is known today of two parents and their children. The way families have been defined has also changed over the last hundred years. A nuclear family was stated to be one mother, one father and their biological children. In contemporary times we have same sex marriage, lone parent families and blended families where two families join together as one(step parents/children). Within this idea of a nuclear family, Murdock stated there were four family functions that if society ignored would lead to a breakdown of society. The four functions he stated were sexual, reproduction, education and economy, Talcott Parsons, another functionalist had a similiar view stating that there were two roles within the nuclear family, expressive and