Firstly, it should be small and compact in structure, composed of a mother, father and 2-3 children. Secondly, they should live together in a household. Also, the relationship between the adults should be heterosexual and based on romantic love. The children are seen as the outcome of that love. Another characteristic is that the male role is economic breadwinner and head of household, whereas the female role is nurturing and childcare. Lastly, the family members receive nurturing and un-conditional love and care. Similarly, New Right thinkers agree that the nuclear family is seen as a ‘cereal packet family’ in which it represents the nuclear family through cereal advertisements. The cereal adverts show a mother giving cereal to the children (nurturing) and the father getting ready for work (breadwinner).
In addition, Functionalism is a structural theory in that it believes that the social structure of society (social institutions such as economy, education, media, law, religion and family) is responsible for shaping us as individuals and determining our experiences and life chances. Functionalists are interested in how the family functions for the greater good or society and in particular, how it contributes to maintenance of social order.
Another Functionalist, Talcott Parsons (1965) have attempted to trace the historical development of the family in order to explain why the nuclear family form has been so dominant. Parson’s theory of the family focused on examining the influence of industrialization and the economy on family structures and relationships. Parsons argued that the economic systems of pre-industrial societies were largely based on extended kinship networks. Land and other resources were uncommonly owned or rented by a range of relatives extending well beyond the nuclear family unit. E.g, it was not uncommon to live with and work alongside cousins. This extended family was responsible for the production of food, shelter and clothing, and would trade with other family groups for those things they couldn’t produce themselves. Roles in these families were the product of ascription rather than achievement, meaning that both family status and job was the product of being born into a particular extended family known for a particular trade or skill.
Parsons continued to argue that industrialization meant that the economy demanded a more geographically mobile workforce. At the same time achievement became more important than ascription as mass education was introduced. Parsons argued that nuclear families were formed as people more away from their extended kin in the countryside in order to take advantage of the job opportunities brought about by industrialization in the towns. After the industrial revolution, specialized agencies developed which gradually took over many of the functions of the family. This meant families could buy food and clothing mass produced in factories. People no longer needed to rely on each other for everything.
There were specialized jobs introduced for different professions. E,g; there are now trained doctors to look after patients, whereas before, the extended kinship would work together to help the injured/ill person. Parsons claimed that the new nuclear unit provided the husband and wife with very clear social roles. The male is the ‘instrumental leader’, responsible for the economic welfare of the family group and protection of family members. The female is the ‘expressive leader’, responsible for the socialization of children and the emotional care and support of family members.
Grant Dawson.
