Sociology note

Continuation from where we stopped

As industrialisation and urbanisation took place, the nuclear family were able to
meet the requirements of the economic system such that individuals with specialised
skills moved to cities to search for factory work where their skills were in
demand. The nuclear family size makes it easy to move and cope with frequent
movement across long distances.

Nuclear families with less family ties compared to the extended family is more
suitable for meritocracy as it leads to a reduced amount of nepotism (appointing
people in positions based on family ties rather than ability).

ARGUMENTS AGAINST PARSONS

According to Finch, the extended families created stronger ties among members where
support for each other was massive. History proves that the nuclear families
existed before industrialisation and urbanisation occur. Some Western Europe
societies had already witnessed industrialisation and urbanisation which opened the
market for family mobility and flexibility.

Life expectant was low (35-40 years), which made majority of the adults not live
long enough to be grandparents.

Another criticism, is the inheritance system which helped industrialisation to

expand in UK. First born sons inherited all the family wealth having the rest of
the children with nothing. The younger siblings moved to the cities to factory
work.

According to Anderson, a rational response to moving from rural areas into the city
was to move in with family. This helped economically but socially ( unlike the
rural communities they had moved from), these were neighborhoods where people
didn't know each other and so kinship connections were very valuable.

Lack of government support for the sick or unemployed meant that the working class
families depended on strong kinship networks.

Kinship networks helped secure jobs for family members who could not read and
write.

Relatives play a vital role in situations where parents worked by caring for the
young ones in the family.

Orphans easily absorbed into extended family structure.

Children working contributed to family income.

Evaluation of functionalist accounts of the family.

Criticism
1.The blocking of women's aspiration and careers by being steered into the
house wife role.
2.The limitation of men's involvement in the expressive and nurturing aspects
of family life because of the breadwinner role - factory work exploited men to work
intensively...
 3.Men dominated in decision making and exerted total control (power) over the
family since they were the heads of families.
4.The lack of support for family members in the privatized nuclear family from
wider kin and communities - grandparents could not discharge their duties when
parents have gone to work since both families live far apart from each other.
5.The possibilities of the nuclear family contributing to mental and other
problems.