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Universality of the Family

Murdock (1949)

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Universality of the Family

Is the nuclear family universal? Murdock studied 250 societies Murdock Identified four functions of the

family.

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Functions of the Family

Sexual: the family provides environment for regulating sexual desires.

Reproduction: essential for survival of human society

Socialisation: learning the norms and values of society.

Economic: shelter, division of labour.

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Murdock’s main argument….

The nuclear family is the most efficient arrangement for performing all of these vital functions

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Quotes from Murdoch

Use these in your essays and try to learn them for exams

‘The family is a social group characterised by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults’.

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Quotes from Murdoch…

‘The nuclear family is a universal human social grouping. Either as the sole prevailing form of the family or as the basic unit from which more complex forms compounded, it exists as a distinct and strongly functional group in every society’.

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Criticisms of Murdock’s view

We can find exceptions that suggest the nuclear family is not universal (Nayar, Matrifocal, Kibbutz and Gay)

The functions of the nuclear family can be equally performed in different family structures.

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Counter arguments to support Murdock

The exceptions are few in number and are not statistically significant.

Alternatives family forms can be seen as the nuclear family gone wrong.

The nuclear family is the ideal.

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Argument for an essay/exam Whether the nuclear family is universal depends

on how it is defined

‘Relationships are universal, so is some form of co-residence, of intimacy, sexuality and emotional bonds. But the forms they can take are infinitely variable and can be changed and challenged as well as embraced’.