The family unit as we know it today is very diverse. Although there can be many types of family structures, one thing they all have in common is the connection between the people in it. We could begin to describe family as the main social institution. The family system addresses both the personal needs of individuals and fundamental needs of society. In the family the husband and wife contribute to procreate, protect and care for the young as the family members look to this structure for peace, security and guidance. These needs are met by the functions a family serves for society. The four main functions a family carries out is reproduction, protection and care of the young, and socializing. The first function a family structure serves is the biological function (the need to reproduce). “We must reproduce our species; otherwise our species will end”. This functions depends on the husband and wife of the family, although this action can be realized outside the family, it is not socially accepted. Despite this function being essential, in the last 20 years the amount of families having no children or fewer children have increased. This is possible due to contraceptive techniques. These effective methods of contraception have enabled women to delay having children to pursue a professional education and accomplish their career goals. Next in order is the function of protecting and caring for the children in the family. The parents must ensure that the children are cared for, protected and secure both mentally and physically so they may grow up to be valuable citizens in society. Lastly, the socializing function. This function instills the values, morals and beliefs of society. Within the family structure is where the child first lea... ... middle of paper ... ... more people are choosing not to marry, instead they choose to live together unmarried. The ones who chose to marry, most of them end up in divorce leaving a higher rate of singles caring for children and partners choosing to coexist. One of the reasons this practice is increasing is the desire to avoid legal complications at the time of a separation. The inevitable change of the family has forced society to rearrange the way we view the family structure. Regardless of the structure or the variety of the relationship, one thing is commonly important to all, the children within the family. It is today’s reality that both women and men regard higher education, choose to have children later on in life (if at all) and seek self-satisfaction concentration on leisure time, personal freedom and work satisfaction. Today’s struggle is the balance between self-fulfillment and
Marriage was once for the sole purpose of procreation and financially intensives. Living up to the roles that society had placed on married couples, more so women, is no longer the goal in marriage. Being emotional satisfied, having a fulfilled sex life and earning money is more important in marriage (Cherlin, 2013). Couples no longer feel the obligation to put the needs of their partner in front of their own needs. In the 1960’s and later it was the woman’s job to ensure that the house was clean, the children were bathed and dinner was prepared before the husband came home work. However, once more and more women began to enter the workplace and gain more independence, a desire for self-development and shared roles in the household lead way the individualistic marriage that is present in today’s society (Cherlin,
the use of the family in society and how it can take pressure from the
Cohabitants with children might avoid marriage because they are afraid of hurting the children; they want to diminish the prospect of getting hurt. Lewis believes that the decline in the male breadwinner model, and the increase in women’s employment, together with the change in family law are what cause the temporary coupledom. Dench and Lewis hold the same sentiments in this case. Both Dench and Lewis believe that women’s participation in the economy, them wanting more independence (individualism), and the decline of the male breadwinner model are the main causes of marriages that do not last. Having said all that, as mentioned before, family is still central to most people (Scott 1997). Beck & Beck-Gernsheim have stated, “when discussing the future of “the” family, people often start out from false premises. They compare the familiar pattern father-mother-child with a vague notion of “no family,” or assume that another kind of family is replacing the nuclear one. It is much more likely … that instead of one kind replacing the other there will be a huge variety of ways of living together or apart, which will continue to exist, side by side.” Lewis holds the same view that of having democratic intimate relationships, and not just a conventional version of
Today, in a world of the “postmodern family” the traditional lines of family structure are blurred. Children may come from diverse types of homes, or a couple, married or not may choose to have no children and consider themselves a family. The roots of these modern families may stem from ethnic origins, sexual orientations, or even seen as a rebellion of sorts from traditional ways. Children may live in homes of single parents, which is an exceedingly more common phenomenon as the divorce rate well publicized at around fifty percent. They may also live with homosexual parents either as a biological child of one partner or adopted by both. Also, the traditional married couple may choose to adopt locally or internationally, potentially blending ethnic backgrounds into one household. Whatever the background of the new nuclear family the challenges and experiences follow similar patterns.
Throughout recent decades, family life has altered tremendously. In the United States adolescents have been shown a different view of what family life is. From the 1970’s until present day traditional families, such as married with children, have declined immensely. Looking back the societal rule has become very diverse considering all the aspects such as the increasing divorce rate, the rise in same-sex relationships, and the expansion of lower income households.
Sociologically, a family is defined as a kinship system of all relatives living together or recognized as a social unit, including adopted people. The family is regarded as the basic social institution because of its important functions of procreation and socialization, and because it is found in all societies. Within the last sixty years, many changes to the family have occurred and much research was, and is, being conducted on the family. A big question being asked is, what makes a family strong and healthy? Nick Stinnett and John Defrain underwent thirty years of research to define what they believe are six characteristics of strong healthy families with the addition of two more characteristics made by other researchers.
Since the dawn of civilised society, children have suffered from losing one or both of their parents. “Half of all American children will witness the breakup of a parent’s marriage” (Bilotta, 1). Children being brought out in single house household are more likely to become depressed and have problems with their peers. In addition “Family Timeline” by ProQuest, in 1920 points out that “The divorce rate is approximately eight per 1,000 marriages” and today that rate has skyrocketed to 50% (Proquest,1). Proquest clearly rationalizes why the divorce rate has risen. “As more women become educated and join the workforce divorce becomes economically possible for them” (Proquest, 2). Marriages have often been a necessity for
A family is a group of people consisting of the parents and their children who live together and they are blood related. The family is always perceived as the basic social units whether they are living together in the same compound or at far distance but are closely related especially by blood. Therefore, the family unit has had a great influence on the growth and the character traits possessed by the children as they grow up and how they perceive the society they live in. the family also shapes the children to be able to relate well with other people that are not part of their family and with a good relationship it impacts to the peace achieved in country. This paper addresses the reasons as to why the family is considered the most important agent of socialization. It’s evident that families have changed over time and they have adopted different ways of living. This paper also tackles on the causes of the dramatic changes to the American family and what the changes are. Different people with different race, gender and preferences make the family unit and this makes the difference in marriages. This will also be discussed in this paper.
Family used to be a single unit, consisting of a husband, wife and children. This unit was widely thought as a group based on marriage and biological parenthood as sharing a common residence and united by ties of affection, obligations, care, support, and a sense of common identity. However, due to the change in values, laws, family structure and social trends, the definition of family has been defined as a married or cohabiting couple with or without children living under one roof, children may be dependent or independent. (Office for national statistics) (2006)
This paper will examine sociological theories and how they relate to the social institution of the family. We typically view society as a group of people, but in sociology, society is not a group of people but a social organization. People are molded by society to fit within the accepted societal bounds. Society must be understood using “the meanings that people put on their values and beliefs” (Bartle, 2010). Within sociology there are three major perspectives. These are the Functionalist, Conflict and Interactionist Perspectives. Each perspective views society in different manners, with each being correct and relevant since social institutions are too complex to be defined by any one theory. Each perspective will be used to explain the perspectives’ relevance to the family.
The unit of a family is the most prominent essential for all of us. As social human beings, we seek social support in order to thrive, and that is where family comes into play. A family is where you receive love, support, encouragement, and many other social benefits. The total number of households in the United States increased from 63 million in 1970 to 113 million in 2008 (Weeks, 2012). The family has influenced multitudes of people in many ways. The traditional family in the United States consists two-married individuals providing care and stability for their biological offspring also know as the nuclear family. However, the term of a true family has ultimately changed over the last 50 years especially for African Americans.
The family is a societal institution which initiates the positive and negative process of social interactions between people. Over the last few decades what constitutes the family has changed all over the world. Family in today’s environment is diverse in nature and may go beyond the scope of parents and children. Families can consist of variations in relationships such as close relatives, stepparents, half siblings and extended non-biological family members. Normally, immediate family members live in the same house, nearby, until the child reaches a specified age and maturity to go into the world and start their own family. Most often members of the families have intimate and personal relationships with each other. Within the family there is a continuation of social interactions between members that can influence and shape peoples responses and reactions to their larger societies.
Family is a fundamental social institution in society, the family, is considered the primary and most important agent of socialization. Family typically consists of a man and woman and their children or two or more people who usually reside in the same home and share same goals and values. Traditionally, in all societies, the family has always been seen as a social institution; that has the biggest impact on society.
A family is a social foundation found in all societies. It unites people in supportive system as they care for one another. In many countries, including the U.S., families form around marriage and are seen as a legal relationship. Patterns of marriage and relationship vary around the world. There are four general marriage patterns around the world endogamy, exogamy, polygamy, and monogamy. Family support is a system involving two married individuals providing care and stability for their children. How the family support is in the household leave the impact on the children as they grow up. Present day how a family is formed has changed from traditional view now with single parents, divorced parent and gay marriage.
Family is arguably the most important social institution in an individual's life. A family is defined as a group of individuals that are related through blood ties, adoption or marriage, that form an economic unit, where the adult members are responsible