Using your knowledge of the functionalist perspective, why may extended family networks be more established in less industrialized and rural countries?

• A. Extended families make it easier to determine inheritance.
• B. Extended families typically show more affection for each other, therefore giving more emotional support.
• C. Extended families can provide more social and financial support compared to nuclear families.
• D. Rural areas tend to have lower birth rates, leading to more established extended families.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the functionalist perspective in sociology, which views society as a system of interconnected parts that work together to maintain stability and social order.
2. Step 2: Recognize that in less industrialized and rural countries, economic and social structures often rely heavily on family networks for support, as formal institutions like welfare or social services may be limited or absent.
3. Step 3: Analyze how extended family networks provide essential social functions such as shared financial resources, labor for agricultural work, and caregiving, which help maintain the well-being of family members and the community.
4. Step 4: Consider that extended families offer a broader support system compared to nuclear families, which aligns with the functionalist idea that social institutions exist because they fulfill necessary roles for societal stability.
5. Step 5: Conclude that extended family networks are more established in these contexts because they effectively meet the social and economic needs of individuals, thereby contributing to the overall functioning and cohesion of society.