Above: Talcott Parsons (1902-1979), Functionalist sociologist
FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVES ON THE FAMILY
FUNCTIONAL FIT THEORY
Building on Murdock’s work, Talcott Parsons (1955) claimed that the functions a family performs depends on the socio- economic structure of the society that accommodates it. He described the key differences between the extended family as three or more generations under one roof and the nuclear family as parents and their kids in one household.
Before industrialization, families typically existed in it’s extended form and only towards the end of the 18th century and on-wards, Parson’s argued, the functions of the family changed, adopting the smaller, nuclear-family form we see commonly today. The new, smaller form performed two essential needs:
A geographically mobile workforce, smaller, compact families could move easily and settle where work opportunities were provided by new industrial developments
A socially mobile workforce, with fewer ties to the older generations, nuclear families were better suited to a meritocratic society, that allowed individuals to compete. The industrial economy needs a range of skilled, technologically competent workers, and ascribed statuses (fixed a birth) were harmful to progress.
LOSS OF FUNCTIONS
The extended, pre-industrial family was a multi-functional unit. It served as a unit of production and consumption. A family working on a farm would produce it’s own clothing, food and (relative) healthcare; it was largely self-sufficient. However, with industrialization, families discarded these functions as many were adopted by external institutions; production now took place in factories, education in (often state-run) schools and health-care in hospitals. Some of these functions are private, whilst others are performed by the state (public).
According to Parson’s, only two ‘irreducible functions’ remain (of Murdock’s four):
The primary socialization of children, parents impart a moral education and cultural norms to their children. This produces the value-consensus that functionalists believe holds society together.
Stabilization of adult personalities, the family serves as a space for adults to relax and relieve tension, enabling them to return to the workplace refreshed and efficient for the economy
