Functionalists and substantive theorists gave different definitions of a family. A family’s substantive definition is predicated on blood, shared genetic history, and law, which refers to societal acknowledgment and reinforcement of the relationship. Since these limits are explicit, it is possible to monitor who is connected to whom across time. The word “family” was interpreted differently by various functionalists. G.P. Murdock, for example, described a family as a social organization constituted by shared housing, financial integration, and procreation.
It involves individuals of both genders who preserve at least two sexual relations that are socially acceptable, as well as one or more offspring, either biological or adopted, of the socially cohabiting people. Functionalists maintain that households are critical social institutions that contribute significantly to society’s stability regarding the family’s responsibility in society.
Additionally, they see that family members assume status responsibilities inside a relationship or family. The family and its components serve several functions that contribute to society’s success and progress. Thus, individual employees of the research facility functioning in specific places of their competence are critical to achieving the research agency’s long-term mission and targets. According to functionalists, after children are born, the family is critical in preparing them for adulthood.
As a result, the first households at the research institute play a critical role in guaranteeing that we, the staff, receive enough training and adhere to the faculty’s standards and culture. As the critical socialization and assimilation mechanism, the family educates its participants on thinking and behaving following socio-cultural norms, ideals, convictions, and dispositions. Moreover, the first family should teach their employees proper manners and decency as well-behaved personnel reflects a well-behaved company.
According to functionalists, each family has a division of work comprised of transactional and relational functions. Therefore, work specialization is a critical component of a company’s economic operation. For example, men are more likely to take on instrumental tasks in the family, which often entail work outside the home that offers financial help and builds family status. On the other hand, women are more likely to take on expressive responsibilities, which often involve working within the family and providing psychological and physical support for children.
As such, the first households within the organization are entrusted with assuring that work is divided appropriately dependent on the type of the mission. According to functionalists, gender-based role differentiation ensures balanced and coordinated families. Each family member is viewed as fulfilling a specific task and purpose to keep the family operating wholly.