Examine the effects of industrialisation on the structure of the family

Authors Avatar

Examine the effects of industrialisation on the structure of the family

The pre- industrial family was said to be an extended family consisting of three generations, the children, parents and the grandparents. The family would all work together in the farms to help provide for the entire families needs, children as young a 5 or 6 would have been found work to do. However this was until the Industrial revolution when factories become the main source of work and development. The pre-industrial societies were largely based on extended kinship networks; land and other resources were commonly owned by a range of relatives that extended well beyond the unit of the nuclear family. It was very common for families to work alongside their cousins and even live with them. This extended family was responsible for the production of the shelter, food and clothing for the family. Roles in the family were usually ascribed to the offspring rather than being achieved. These roles would hardly ever be rejected and in return for this commitment, the extended network would perform other functions for the members. The family gave its members the skills and the education in which to take their place in the family division of labour. The family functioned to maintain health for its members, as there was no universal health care, they also provided welfare; those in the family who would make it to old age would have been cared for in exchange for childcare services.

Then came the industrial revolution. Industrialisation is a process of  and  change whereby a human  is transformed from a pre-industrial to an industrial state. Parsons was an armchair sociologist who didn't carry out much practical research and instead concentrated on theoretical concepts. He believed that the industrial revolution brought about the dramatic change from the extended family to the nuclear and three fundamental changes to society. Industrialisation brought the geographically mobile workforce and no longer was the ascription of jobs important, instead achievement became the main and most important method once education had been introduced. Parsons believed that the separation of extended families caused nuclear families to be formed in order to take advantage of the new job opportunities that had been brought about. He also argued that the second fundamental change to the family was that they no longer needed to produce their own materials and food as specialised agencies gradually took over and the home and workplace became separate as people became wage earners. The state eventually took over the functions of education, health and welfare and so consequently the nuclear family was able to specialise in child centred functions like socialisation. Thirdly Parson also argued that the new nuclear unit provided the husband and wife with very clever social roles. the husband was the 'breadwinner' and was responsible for the economic welfare of the family whilst the wife was primarily responsible for the socialisation of the children and the emotional care and support of family members.

Join now!

William Goode supported Parsons theory that the family became nuclear as a result of industrialisation. Although this was not the only reason for the rising of the nuclear family as by conducting surveys Goode was able to get a thorough insight into relationships within the family unit, and also many other changes since the industrial revolution.

Young and Willmott believed that there were four stages of the family and from those four there were three main stages. They studied family life in London (1950’s – 1970’s) using historical research and social surveys, this allowed them to obtain both qualitative ...

This is a preview of the whole essay