evaluation of the functionalist view on family

Question 1

Peter Laslett

Answer 1

• used historical documents to reject Parson’s views and found only 10% of families during 1564-1821 were extended
• he suggests the presence of the nuclear family allowed industrialisation

Question 2

Michael Anderson

Answer 2

argued that households have more diversity, if Parsons did more research then he would have seen he was wrong (armchair theorist)