1. FUNCTIONALIST THEORY OF THE FAMILY

2. Functionalist key concepts

3. EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH
PRE INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
Agricultural economy
Extended family
INDUSTRIAL-ISATION
URBANISATION
Manufacturing economy
Nuclear family
Labour intensive production.
Family as producers
TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT
Machine intensive production.
Family as consumers
Teacher notes - Functionalists adopt an evolutionary approach to the family. They believe that as society has moved from agricultural to Industrial the family has become smaller in order to suit this change.
Families are no longer required to work together as a group to produce goods. With industrialisation individuals moved into factories. Eventually women moved into the home and children moved into education. The extended family therefore broke down into a smaller nuclear family.

4. Durkheim: The specialised family
As society evolves and becomes more complex, the institutions in society take on more specialised roles.
Teacher notes - The family no longer has responsibility for a wide number of processes as other institutions have taken over e.g. The NHS has taken over the health care role, the education system has taken over educating, the welfare state has taken over the care and financial support role. The family is left with socialisation.
This can be highlighted with the growth of a small business. In a small business one person is responsible for wages, cleaning, ordering stock, marketing etc. As the business grows individuals take on each of these roles and they become specialised.

5. Parsons: Geographically and socially mobile nuclear family
Easier to move around for work
Greater class gaps between generations
Teacher notes –
The nuclear family is more suited to industrial society. It is easier to move around geographically for work with fewer family members. Families are now more commonly separated from extended relatives geographically. This is also a result of better transport and communication.
As a result of better education and training, individuals are moving up the social class ladder away from their relatives. In the past children would be likely to take on the same job as their parents and therefore they would remain the same social status. This is not the case anymore, and class barriers between family members make the nuclear family closer and more isolated.

6. Parsons: The Warm Bath theory
Teacher notes –
Teacher notes-
Parsons believes that the family is good for society as it provides comfort for individuals and protects them from the harshness of life. The family is supportive and comforting.
The family is like a warm bath which an individual can sink into to forget all his stresses and frustration. The family makes life worthwhile.

7. Parsons: Instrumental and Expressive leaders
Teacher notes –
The nuclear family includes a husband and wife. Men are seen to be the decision makers and leaders in the family, while women are the carers and emotional workers. Parsons believes this works because a successful social group needs to have members with these characteristics.
e.g. In a ski party you need someone at the front to make decisions and guide, and someone at the back to make sure people are OK and push them along.
Crit – Is the assertive male role/ caring female role natural?? How does this compare to students own family situation? Can’t an individual be both? What about expressive males and instrumental females. This view is very stereotypical.
Successful groups need a decision maker and a problem sorter

8. Parsons: Two basic functions of the Isolated nuclear family
Socialisation
Stabilization of adult personalities
Teacher notes –
Parsons believes that this all boils down to 2 basic functions that the family performs. Because of these key functions the family is essential for the maintenance of stability in society.
Socialisation (Primary) – The teaching of norms and values to the next generation
Stabilization of adult personalities – The family protects adults from the stresses and strains of life. It has a stabilizing force.