According to Parsons, without primary socialisation into shared norms and values, what would be the fate of society?

• A. It would become more egalitarian
• B. It would fail to reproduce itself or socialise new members
• C. It would instantly modernize
• D. It would abandon family life

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how Parsons sees primary socialisation in the family as the mechanism that keeps society alive across generations. In Parsons’ view, children learn the shared norms, values, and expectations within the family, and this process equips them to fit into adult roles and participate in social institutions. If this early socialisation didn’t happen, new members wouldn’t internalise the culture or the rules that bind people together, so the social system wouldn’t reproduce itself. In other words, society would fail to socialise new members and pass on its structure and cooperation to the next generation. The other possibilities miss the point: Parsons isn’t predicting a move toward more egalitarianism, instant modernization, or abandoning the family; he's highlighting that without primary socialisation, the continuity and stability of society are at risk because the next generation wouldn’t be properly socialised.