INDUSTRIALISATION, URBANISATION - and decline of extended family/family functions DEBATE

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Modern industrialisation societies are created by industrialisation and have high urban populations. Sociologists believe that this has led to more nuclear families and privatised families.

Urbanisation: growth of cities leading to higher proportion of the population living in cities due to the decline in country farming and more trading jobs.

Privatised family: Self contained, self-reliant family which is home-centred. Parsons calls this 'structurally isolated'.

Parsons : 'fit thesis' - nuclear families fit better to modern industrial society. Functionalists claim it is the best fit for modern society as it performs the essential functions. According to Parsons, for the need to strengthen family bonds to increase stability, nuclear family is better because your mutually dependant. Nuclear family more suitable to modern society also because:

Need for privacy autonomy: better stabilisation of adult personalities. Inter-dependancy of family members= social solidarity. The nuclear family is based on marriage and long-term stable relationship, promoting good, strong values to its members.

Need for geographical mobility: Larger division of labour. Also globalisation- international travel more common now so people need to be able to…

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