Parsons

• Writing from a functionalist perspective Parsons held the view that the American family performed two basic and irreducible functions which are common to all families in all societies. These are the primary socialisation of children and the stabilisation of adult personalities. Some sociologists have criticised his work as presenting an idealised picture of family life centred on the middle-class experience.
• Primary Socialisation: Families are the people who are responsible to teach the children the rules, patterns or behaviour and beliefs to improve them in society. Mothers have the expressive role while the fathers have the instrumental role.
• Stabilisation of adult personality: It is the family's job to relieve the stresses of everyday living. The family stabilises adult personalities by having a warm and loving home where the adults are able to relax and be themselves. Having the emotional support as well as the security in the family can reduce the stresses which strengthens social stability. This is the warm bath theory.
• Strengths:

  It shows an insight into the dynamics of families which is realistic for different family types. Shows how primary socialisation works.
• Weaknesses:

  His studies were based on Middle Class American families only which meant that his results are biased. It can ignore the dark side of family life as he had an idealistic view of the family. It could be outdated. It is not applicable across the world or in the modern era.
• Functionalist perspective
• Nuclear family provides two irreducible functions:

  1. Primary socialisation
  2. Stabilisation of adult personalities