Parsons

• •Parsons (1955) believed that the functions the family performs will depend on the kind of society in which it is found. Its structure will ‘fit’ the needs of its society. He outlines two main types of family: nuclear and extended
• Parsons Outlined 2 Different Society

  Pre-industrial society – characterised by geographical and social stability and close social bonds. People work in small scale ‘industries’ like a family farm
• Parsons Outlined 2 Different Society

  •Modern society – characterised by a specialised division of labour, a mobile work force and weaker social bonds.
• Parsons – functional fit theory


  Parsons thinks that the nuclear family is the main family type because it is well suited to modern society. A geographically mobile workforce where workers can move across the country when new industries spring up. A socially mobile workforce – Modern society requires talented individuals to do the most important jobs and rise up the ranks.
• In modern societies, more and more specialised institutions evolve – he called this process structural differentiation
• Criticisms Of Parsons

  –Several studies have actually found that pre-industrial families were mainly nuclear. Short life expectancy meant grandparents were unlikely to be alive for long.–Extended families were actually popular in early modern society – with mothers and married daughters relying on each other for emotional and practical support.–Although the nuclear family is the main family type today, extended families are still important and other family types exist.