SAGE Reference - The Social History of the American Family: An Encyclopedia

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Functionalist Theory

By: Jacki Fitzpatrick
In: The Social History of the American Family: An Encyclopedia
Edited by: Marilyn J. Coleman & Lawrence H. Ganong
Subject:American Studies, Family Studies (general)

Functionalist theory, also known as structural functionalism, commonly focuses on the roles and central tasks that family members should engage in. According to this theory, families with the proper structure were more likely to (1) be healthy, and (2) raise children ...

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  Fitzpatrick, J. (2014). Functionalist theory. In M. J. Coleman & L. H. Ganong (Eds.), The social history of the American family: An encyclopedia (Vol. 1, pp. 592-592). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781452286143.n250
  
  Fitzpatrick, Jacki. "Functionalist Theory." In The Social History of the American Family: An Encyclopedia, edited by Marilyn J. Coleman and Lawrence H. Ganong, 592. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2014. doi: 10.4135/9781452286143.n250.
  
  Fitzpatrick, J 2014, 'Functionalist theory', in Coleman, MJ & Ganong, LH (eds), The social history of the american family: an encyclopedia, SAGE Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 592, viewed 24 November 2020, doi: 10.4135/9781452286143.n250.
  
  Fitzpatrick, Jacki. "Functionalist Theory." The Social History of the American Family: An Encyclopedia. Eds. Marilyn J. Coleman and Lawrence H. Ganong. Vol. 1. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2014. 592. SAGE Knowledge. Web. 24 Nov. 2020, doi: 10.4135/9781452286143.n250.
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