Industrialisation, Urbanisation and the family How the family has changed through history and why

Industrialisation, Urbanisation and the family

How the family has changed through history and why

• Key terms

• The family changed massively as a result of industrialisation and modernisation

• Industrialisation: Mass production of goods in factories.

• Modernisation: the social, cultural, political and economic changes that occurred ( religious belief systems being replaced by scientific ones.)

Pre – Industrialised Britain

• Kin based communities: A lineage or group of families who lived in a close knit community and worked together often on the land.

• Cottage Industries – Goods produced in the home by the family members. Usually the extended family

• Activity 8

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4gsD78eahg

• The family performed many roles that the government now provides.

• Political function: punishment of individuals and setting of values.

• Education function: job training and teaching norms and values.

The industrial revolution

• The rapid development of machinery to mass produce goods in towns and cities. This revolution required a workforce to move to the towns and cities.

The main changes to the family after the industrial revolution

• 1. Workforce moved from cottage industry to industrial work in towns.

• 2. Home based businesses could not compete with the factories and closed down

• 3. Towns and cities grew in size

• Activity 11

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Efq-aNBkvc&feature=related

Isolated nuclear family• Because people moved into the towns and cottage industry

and kin based societies stopped, the family changed.

• Industrial revolution led to the isolated nuclear family.

• Why did the family become nuclear?• Loss of function• Achieved status• Geographic mobility

• P78-9

Not all sociologists believe that the nuclear family was a result of the industrial

revolution

• Peter Laslett – Most families were nuclear BEFORE the industrial revolution

• He looked at Parish records from 1564 – 1821 and found that only 10% of people lived in extended families before the industrial revolution.

• How can Laslett’s study be criticised? p79

The industrial revolution made EXTENDED families stronger

• Michael Anderson

• 23% of households in Preston were made up extended family members AFTER the industrial revolution.

• Poverty and overcrowding meant that family members all lived together.

• Why else was the extended family popular at this time?

• Activity 12 and 13