Parsons

• What are the 2 irreducible functions of the family?

  1)Primary Socialisation

  2)The stabilisation of adult personalities (warm bath theory)
• What is the warm bath theory (stabilisation of adult personalities)

  Woman provides emotional support for her husband and give the man an opportunity to relax and de-stress from work as unstable personalities threaten social order
• What is a geographically mobile workforce

  A workforce with families who can move to the towns and cities where the work is(harder to do with extended families)
• What is a Socially mobile workforce

  Achieving new status through hardwork
• What is meant by Parsons functional fit society?

  Institutions in society are all independent (organic analogy).When there is social change in one part of society, other institutions (eg family)must adapt to fit in with society as it it rather than as it was
• What did Talcott Parsons say about the family?

  He discussed the functional prerequisites for society's survival and the role of the family.
• What are functional prerequisites according to Parsons?

  They are the requirements for society to survive and thrive, such as providing basic resources and ensuring cooperation among societal parts.
• How did Parsons describe the family structure in pre-industrial times?

  He described it as extended families responsible for caring for elderly relatives and educating children.
• What change in family structure did Parsons note in modern industrial societies?

  He noted that families have become isolated and nuclear, with traditional functions taken over by specialized institutions.
• What institutions have taken over the traditional functions of the family in modern societies according to Parsons?

  Specialized institutions such as social services and schools.
• What does Parsons mean by a geographically mobile workforce


  A workforce with families who can move to the towns and cities where the work is. Which is harder to do with extended families.
• What did parsons mean by a socially mobile workforce


  In industrial society people can achieve new status through hard work.
• How was the pre-industrial family a multi-functional unit

  .All family members would contribute-everyone was an economic asset

  .Older relatives who were not economically active could assist in childcare ,education and healthcare
• What happens to the functions of the family as society becomes industrialised

  .The state took over many of the function (education)

  .Nuclear families fulfill fewer functions,and are left with two irreducible functions
• What is Primary Socialisation

  .one of the irreducible functions of the nuclear family

  .the first and most important part of socialisation process whereby individuals learn the shared norms and values of society

  .Without this there would be no value consensus ,social solidarity or social order
• What is The stabilisation of adult personalities

  .one of the irreducible functions of the nuclear family

  .in the family adults cab de-stress from all the tensions of daily life

  .The woman provides emotional support for her husband and children give the man opportunity to relax and de-stress from work

  .important as unstable personalities threaten social order

  .also known as ‘warm bath theory’
• What is Pre-industrial society

  .included extended families

  .agricultural society-families worked together on farms,so labour can be shared

  .caring responsibilities for children and elderly are shared

  .family units are self -sufficient and rely on each other for food ,protection,and other basic needs
• What is Post-industrial society

  .includes nuclear family

  .industrial society-people moving int towns and cities to work in factories ,smaller nuclear families become more functional

  .extended families are more difficult to relocate

  .institutions like schools,hospitals and social services took over many function’s that the extended family once provided-reducing the need for the large family network