Pre-Industrial Family

Industrialisation had a huge impact on families between the 1750s and 1900s. Prior to industrialisation, society was characterised by extended families who were self-supporting and multi-functional (Steel et al, 2011). The pre-industrial family worked together as a productive unit that ensured the family had what they needed to survive. Production was a result of the family labour working on the land (Fulcher et al, 2011).
Factory production in the 19th century replaced the domestic system and people began to go away to work in factories or mines. The main type of family at this time was the early industrial family which Young and Wilmott describe as “torn apart family” due to men being drawn out of the home and into employment while the women stay at home. Early industrialisation had strengthened the extended family links due to …show more content…
Parsons argued that the industrial society has two needs; a geographically and socially mobile workforce. In pre-industrial society, people spent their lives living in the same place, however, in industrial society people had to move to where the jobs were; this is easier to do with a nuclear family than an extended family. Modern society is based on changing science and technology and, therefore, need skilled workers. It is important for people with skills to gain promotion and achieve status. A nuclear family is better in today’s society as the sons leave home which reduces conflict if their workplace status is higher than their fathers. Talcott Parson argues that the nuclear family is a better fit for today 's society. However, Marxist - feminists are dubious about Parsons’s claims that the nuclear family satisfy the needs of the industrial society. Marxist - feminists believe that the nuclear family benefit the capitalist society and exists at the expense of the working class (Langley et al,