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What did he believe?
Isolated nuclear family has evolved historically as a result of changes to the social structure and economy to become the most common type of family today.
What is functional fit theory?
Functionalists, like Parsons, argue the family performs essential functions but these are dependent on the type of society in which the family finds itself.
What was pre-industrial society like?
Extended family composed of nuclear families plus other kin such as uncles, cousins and grandparents is the norm.
Extended families: self-sufficient agricultural units that functioned to produce their own housing, clothing and food.
Members of the family group felt a strong sense of duty and obligation to each other, and consequently have a collectivistic or group-oriented outlook.
The extended family was multi-functional: as well as producing its own food, shelter and clothing, it also took responsibility for the education, health and welfare of its members because no other institutions existed that had the resources to do this.
Adult males and females perform similar roles. Older children and grandparents are responsible for housework and childcare.
What is industrial society like?
Nuclear family is the norm because industrial society demands a workforce that’s geographically mobile. Nuclear family is also suited to the upward social mobility which is often the outcome of industrial society.
Nuclear families: mainly live in urban areas and consequently are no longer self-sufficient. Their members are wage-earners. Have to buy housing, clothing and food produced by others.
Members of nuclear family become isolated from wider kin. Members are more individualistic in outlook.
Structural differentiation: specialised agencies developed and took over many of the functions of the family, such as:
Manufacturing businesses took over the function of producing food, shelter and clothing.
State agencies took over the functions of health, welfare and education.
Nuclear family was left with two specialised ‘basic and irreducible’ functions:
Primary socialisation of children into common agreed values, norms, etc.
Stabilisation of adult personalities – family soothes the stresses of its adult members, e.g parents de-stressing by playing with children.
How does Parsons see the nuclear family?
Sees males and females in nuclear families as equal but different:
Female is the expressive leader responsible for both the socialisation and stabilisation functions.
Male is the instrumental leader responsible for the economic upkeep of the family.
