According to Parsons:

The nuclear family was more useful to industrial society. A nuclear family was more able to focus on socialisation of children into the norms and values of an industrial society, and because they were smaller it allowed them to be more geographically mobile, so they could move to wherever work existed. Parsons saw how the expressive (feminine) and instrumental (masculine) specialised roles had developed within nuclear families and argued that these were the most beneficial to society.

Functionalism is the belief that each part of society has a function to make sure that society runs smoothly and everything stays in harmony. Parsons, Willmott and Young were all functionalists. Willmott and Young were also march-of-progress theorists; they believed that all changes within the family have bettered it.

How did industrialisation shape the family?

Expressive vs. Instrumental Roles The expressive role was fulfilled by the adult female of the family. It was a role fulfilled exclusively inside the family, and involved the socialisation of children (especially the female child, so that she would grow up to be able to fulfil this role herself), and emotional labour, such as stress management and mediation. The woman would also be expected to take care of the household. The instrumental role was fulfilled by the adult male of the family. It was a role fulfilled outside the family, and involved financially supporting the family through the selling of labour, and therefore the management of all the familys finances. The male would also play a lesser part in the socialisation of children (especially the male child, so that he would grow up to be able to fulfil this role himself) and would be expected to make all of the familys major decisions.

Laslett, or Why Parsons Was Wrong:

Laslett studied parish records that showed the structure of families in pre-industrial society. He found that, between 1564 and 1821, only 10% of families were larger than nuclear families. This is a criticism of Parsons assertion that all families in the pre-industrial society were extended. Why? The lack of extended families was all due to life expectancy by the time a couple had been married for a few years, both partners parents would have died.

Willmott and Young

Willmott and Young carried out two studies, one in Bethnal Green and the other in Essex, to look at family structure in British society in the 1950s to the 1970s. According to them, there were three stages of society and, therefore, family structure.

Stage One: Pre-industrial (Extended): before industrialisation, a family would work together as a solitary economic production unit. Stage Two: Early Industrial (Nuclear): In the early stages of industrialisation, extended families became broken down into individuals who left home to work. Stage Three: Privatised Nuclear (Symmetrical): The family is now based on consumption rather than production, and husbands and wives have joint (otherwise known as symmetrical) roles.