functionalist perspective of the family (parsons)

Question 1

why did parsons disagree with Murdock idea that the nuclear family was universal

Answer 1

he believes that as society changes, the type of family that ‘fits’ changes

Question 2

what are the two family structures the parson’s distinguished

Answer 2

the nuclear family and extended family

Question 3

according to parson’s what are the two types of society

Answer 3

modern industrial society and traditional pre industrial society

Question 4

what does he argue about these two types of society

Answer 4

the nuclear family fits the the needs of industrial society and the extended family fits the needs of pre industrial society

Question 5

what dud he argue about when Britain began to industrialise

Answer 5

the extended family began to give way to the nuclear because the emerging industrial society had different needs from pre industrial society

Question 6

what are the 2 essential needs parsons sees industrial society as having

Answer 6

geographically mobile workforce and socially mobile workforce

Question 7

why is it easier for a two generation family to move than a 3 generation extended family

Answer 7

becuase in pre industrial society, people often spent their whole lives living in the same village but in modern society industries constantly decline in diff parts of the country

Question 8

what does parsons argue society loses when it industrialises

Answer 8

many of its functions

Question 9

what does the family cease to be

Answer 9

a unit of production (family working together) and becomes a unit of consumption only

Question 10

what instituitions do they lose their other functions to

Answer 10

schools and the health service

Question 11

what’s parsons 2 functions of the modern nuclear family

Answer 11

primary socialisation
stabilisation of adult personalities

Question 12

what is primary socialisation

Answer 12

teaching children key skills, norms, and values

Question 13

what is stabilisation of adult personalities

Answer 13

a place where adults can relax and release tensions, enabling them to return to the work place refrshed

Question 14

one criticism of of parson’s theory

Answer 14

young and willmott (1973) argued the pre industrial families was nucear not extended as parsons claims
parents and children were working tofether, for example in cottage industries such as weaving

Question 15

another crticims of parson’s thoery

Answer 15

Peter laslett’s (1972) study of English households from 1564 to 1821

Question 16

what did laslett find

Answer 16

families were almost always nuclear

Question 17

what combination did laslett find

Answer 17

a combination of late child bearing and short life expectancy meant that grandparents were unlikely to be alive for very long after the birth of their first grandchild