Title: FUNCTIONALIST THEORY OF THE FAMILY
1FUNCTIONALIST THEORY OF THE FAMILY
2Functionalist key concepts
3EVOLUTIONARY 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
4Durkheim The specialised family
- As society evolves and becomes more complex, the
institutions in society take on more specialised
roles.
5Parsons Geographically and socially mobile
nuclear family
- Easier to move around for work
- Greater class gaps between generations
6Parsons The Warm Bath theory
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.
7Parsons Instrumental and Expressive leaders
Successful groups need a decision maker and a
problem sorter
8Parsons Two basic functions of the Isolated
nuclear family
- Socialisation
- Stabilization of adult personalities