Theories About The Conceptual Nature Of Institutions...

Introduction: Sociologists have various theories about the conceptual nature of institutions throughout Sociology, One such institution is family. Some concepts include; The Nuclear Family; The privatisation of the Family; and Structural Functionalism. These three concepts coincide with one another. Families can be found in various cultures and society in some form or another. Schaefer (2009) defines the family â€Å"as a set of people related by blood, marriage or some other agreed-upon relationship, or adoption, who share the primary responsibility for reproduction and caring for members of society.† The family serves different functions in society, depending upon which sociological theory is applied to it, even though the family itself remains the same, despite operating under alternating perspectives. Speaking in a broader sense, the functionalist perspective has mainly focused on the operations of family within society, and the way it s functions affect various members. It looks at family as an institution, regarding how it maintains itself, including key aspects such as order, stability, and its personal significance of individual members. Two of the more well-known functionalists are George. P. Murdock and Talcott Parsons. Murdock (1949). conducted a sociological study of the family involving 250 different families from around the world. Using the analysis from this study he argues that the family operates using four basic functions, for each of the individualShow MoreRelatedCritical Social Theory : Power, Critique And Praxis3794 Words   |  16 PagesSCS730: Critical Social Theory: Power, Critique and Praxis Assessment Task 3: Major Essay ______________________________________________________ In order to delineate the nature of power and domination in understanding contemporary society, this major essay will provide an advanced critical and comparative analysis of the social theory ideas of Karl Marx, Michel Foucault and Dorothy Smith. 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