This paper reviews different aspects of the family as a social institution based on the film, Films on Demand . It will define the family, describe its characteristics as well as explain the sociological significance of the family. Furthermore, this essay will explain the meaning and challenges of joint as well as modern family and describe the changes in family and the reasons that lead to these changes.
The family is often described as the basic unit of the society. Families may be nuclear or extended. Nuclear families are made up of a husband, wife, and children. An extended family, on the other hand, comprises of relatives that are connected to each other by blood, marriage, or adoption. A family unit is recognized when a legally married couple resolves to live together. The completeness of a family results from the birth of children in most societies.
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Research studies about family are critical because it has been regarded as the foundation of any society. The family often strengthens relationship ties among men, women, and their children. The upbringing of children in families usually largely contributes to their overall personalities in the future. Different families may raise their children differently, that is the reason why there exist disparities in people’s characters. The family is an essential unit in growing culture and transferring it to children. Nobody is born with traditions hence people acquire them through the family systems.
One of the features of the family is that it is a universal unit. Families do exist throughout the globe. The functions that the families worldwide perform are mostly identical. Those roles ranging from biological, social, economic and psychological are ideally the same. The family is also an emotional foundation. Members of the same family seem to possess tight bonds towards each other. This relationship is expressed in care, love, and protection to each other. Most families are limited in size and only recognize those related to them either by blood or by marriage as being members of their family. Presently, large families are fading away day by day.
Family members undertake different functions in the society. It is vital for existence. The primary purpose is the biological function. Families give birth to children to continue the lineage. Human existence will be at risk if this role is not performed at all. Physical protection to members of the family is another pivotal role. All members ranging from the newborn, the elderly as well as the sick require being protected. Families must also fulfill the economic function by providing basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing. To satisfy these requirements, most heads of the families take up occupations to generate income. Lastly, the family is charged with the mandate of children upbringing according to the culture of the society. The child learns social roles, norms, and values, language, etiquette, and customs. The knowledge of all these aspects is part of socialization.
The society majorly recognizes two types of families, nuclear family, and the extended family. The community also understands that marriage ought to be between members of the opposite sex. The current world has gone against some of the known rules. For instance, there are gay couples who are raising children. Most of these children are adopted and integrated into the family. The US today has legalized marriages between members of the same sex in a move that aims to allow individuals to exercise their freedom. Single parent families are also emerging at an alarming rate particularly in the US. Most single parents, arguably, are women.
Change in every aspect of life is usually inevitable. The family has not been an exception to this fact. There exist significant changes in the structure of the family primarily as modernity surges. First, the family size has reduced due to industrialization and urbanization. One of the reasons is because it is hard to get accommodation for a large family structure in the urban centers. Life in the cities and towns is usually challenging. Low wages cannot satisfy the wants and needs of large families. Most parents currently are too busy working and are unable to find time to interact with their children. Children are abandoned at a very early age. Nowadays, most parents are taking their children to day-care homes because of tight schedules and tough economic times. The connection is lost, and some parents even find it difficult to guide their children.
The emergence of nuclear families has shifted the way members relate to each other. Presently, individuals of a family associate with one another on equal terms. Everybody has the authority to air his or her views, and nobody forces another to follow dictated ways. Decisions about family issues are made collectively. Many times conflicts emerge between young and old members of the family because of the freedom of entitlement to personal views. Nobody would want to understand another, and as such, the discipline level and tolerance seem to have dwindled in the present society. Many families are facing instability in the Western nations especially (Bott & Spillius, 2014). Separation and divorce cases have become too familiar. The integration causes devastating results in children. Some children grow rebellious and too aggressive.
To conclude, the family forms a strong pillar in any society. The human race is a product of it. It guards all the norms and values. Modernity has threatened to cause a shift in the structure of the family. The busy lifestyle makes human beings to drift apart, threatening the existence of the future generation. It is time people went to the drawing board and strengthened the family.
References
Bott, E., & Spillius, E. B. (Eds.). (2014). Family and social network: Roles, norms and external relationships in ordinary urban families . Routledge.
Social institutions - education, family, and religion | Society and Culture | MCAT | Khan Academy . (2017). YouTube . Retrieved 4 November 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vStLGBTKMBQ
