Parsons And Fletcher

• Parsons’ functions of the family

  The loss of some roles has made its remaining roles more important being primary socialisation of children and Stabilisation of adult personalities.
• Primary Socialisation

  Parsons argues that every individual must learn the shared norms and values of society. Without this there would be no value consensus
• Primary Socialisation

  Mother= Expressive Role.. Father= Instrumental Role
• Stabilisation Of Adult Personality

  •The Warm Bath Theory = Argues that a major role of the family is to relieve the stress of modern day living for its adult members.•The emotional security couples provide for each other acts as a balance to the stresses and strains of modern life.
• Warm Bath Theory Eval

  •For some, the family is a place of abuse and violence (dark side of the family).•For those (often women) who have to do the housework, the family is not very relaxing!
• Strength Of Functionalism


  •Functionalism show how different institutions are connected and interdependent on one another and how they impact on our lives.

  Throughout the world there are variations on the nuclear family so people must find it a positive way to live.

  Chester identified that during a person’s life cycle most people have experienced the nuclear family at some point.
• Weakness Of Functionalism

  •Feminists: highlight the negative effects of domestic responsibility on females. They reject the idea of different gender roles being natural, and they identify how the family benefits men more than women, transmitting patriarchal views. (Dobash & Dobash)

  •Marxists argue that the values and norms transmitted by the family in primary socialisation support capitalism.

  •Postmodernists argue that primary socialisation is now also influenced by the media