Exploring the Functions of the Extended Family

One of the central debates in sociology of the family is whether the family has become privatised. In other words, whether it has retreated into the nuclear household and lost many of the functions it once performed. This question has fascinated sociologists for decades, and it sits right at the heart of understanding how families interact with wider society.

Research Background

The Extended Family in Pre-Industrial and Early Industrial Society

  • Michael Young and Peter Willmott (1957) in Family and Kinship in East London argued that even as Britain became more industrial, extended kin networks were still very important. For example, grandparents, aunts, and uncles often lived nearby and helped with childcare, advice, and even financial assistance.
  • The extended family acted as a support system, especially for working-class communities, helping families cope with housing shortages, childcare needs, and unemployment.

Parsons and the Privatised Nuclear Family

  • Talcott Parsons (1950s) took a different view. He argued that the family has become increasingly structurally isolated (or “privatised”) in modern industrial society.
  • According to Parsons, as society modernised, institutions such as schools, the health service, and the welfare state began to take over many of the functions once performed by the extended family.
  • The modern nuclear family, in his view, is now specialised to perform just two key roles:
    1. The primary socialisation of children.
    2. The stabilisation of adult personalities (providing emotional support).

The Debate Today

  • While some sociologists argue that the extended family is still significant (especially through modified extended families where support networks exist via technology rather than co-residence), it’s hard to deny that state institutions, the market, and community organisations now provide many of the services once supplied by kin.
  • This activity will help you compare what the extended family used to do with who does it now.

Activity Instructions

Task: Compare Extended Family Functions with Modern Institutions

On the left-hand side, list the traditional functions performed by the extended family. On the right-hand side, identify which modern social institutions perform these roles today.

Here’s your list of key functions to work with:

  • Childcare
  • Health
  • Education
  • Economic support
  • Domestic labour

Example Table to Complete:

Extended Family FunctionWho Performs This in Contemporary Society?
Childcare (e.g., grandparents looking after children while parents work)Nurseries, childminders, after-school clubs, paid nannies
Health (e.g., caring for sick family members at home)NHS, private healthcare providers, care homes
Education (e.g., teaching children basic literacy and skills)Schools, colleges, online learning platforms
Economic support (e.g., lending money, helping pay rent)Banks, credit cards, welfare state (Universal Credit, housing benefit), charities
Domestic labour (e.g., family helping with housework, laundry, cooking)Paid cleaners, takeaways, ready meals, domestic appliances

Extension Questions

  1. Does this shift show that the family is less important, or has its role simply changed?
  2. Is the nuclear family more vulnerable now that it cannot rely on the extended family in the same way?
  3. Do you agree with Parsons that the family is structurally isolated, or is Young and Willmott’s view of the modified extended family still more accurate today?

By completing this activity, students should be able to see how the family’s role has been transformed by modern institutions, and you’ll be able to take a more critical position in essays about family functions and the privatisation of the nuclear family. The handout for use in class can be downloaded below.

Privatising the familyDownload

References

  • Parsons, T. (1951) The Social System. Glencoe: Free Press.
  • Parsons, T. & Bales, R. (1955) Family, Socialisation and Interaction Process. Glencoe: Free Press.
  • Young, M. & Willmott, P. (1957) Family and Kinship in East London. London: Routledge.
  • Willmott, P. & Young, M. (1973) The Symmetrical Family. London: Routledge.

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