What are the ‘basic and irreducible’ functions of the family as proposed by Talcott Parsons? Explain.. (UPSC CSE Mains 2024 - Sociology, Paper 1).
Functionalists regard society as a system made up of different parts which depend on each other. Different institutions each perform specific functions within a society to keep that society going, in the same way as the different organs of a human body perform different functions in order to maintain the whole. In functionalist thought, the family is a particularly important institution as this it the ‘basic building block’ of society which performs the crucial functions of socialising the young and meeting the emotional needs of its members. Stable families underpin social order and economic stability. Talcott Parsons a best-known functionalist sociologist. wrote a classic text on the sociology of families and households. Parsons suggests that there are two irreducible functions: 1) primary socialisation and 2) the stabilisation of adult personalities.
1) For functionalists, socialisation is the process through which people learn how to behave in society - what is normal and what is important. This is an essential process for society to work: there needs to be broad agreement about these things to prevent people behaving in an antisocial way. Parsons divides socialisation up into primary and secondary socialisation: primary socialisation takes place in the family, where we learn the particular norms and values of our family and community. Later, we learn universalistic values through school, the media and other agents of socialisation.
2) Parsons argued that families performed an important role for individuals and society in keeping people stable. Life is difficult and challenging and frustrating: the family can help to deal with this. Family members give each other care and support and help each other through difficult times. Parsons particularly described this in terms of a man coming home from a difficult day at work and relaxing into his family, like a warm bath.
Parsons argued that these functions are irreducible because they cannot be effectively performed by other social institutions. He believed that the nuclear family, consisting of parents and children, was best suited to fulfill these functions in modern industrial societies. While Parsons’ theory has been influential, it has also faced criticism for its functionalist approach and limited view of family diversity. Nonetheless, it remains a significant contribution to understanding the role of family in society.
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