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| Introduction to Sociology |
Introduction
to Sociology SOC101
VU
Lesson
28
FUNCTIONS
OF FAMILY
Structural-Functionalists
suggest that family performs
several vital functions. In fact in this
perspective
family
has been considered as "The
backbone of society". At the same time the
social conflict
paradigm
considers
the family central to the operations of
society, but rather than focusing on
societal benefits,
conflict
theorists investigate how the
family perpetuates social
inequality. The important
functions are:
1.
Regulation
of sexual activity. Every
culture regulates sexual activity in the
interest of
maintaining
kinship organization and property rights.
One universal regulation is the
incest
taboo,
a
cultural norm forbidding
sexual relations or marriage
between certain kin. Precisely
which kin fall
within
the incest taboo varies from
one culture to another. Mostly marriage
with close relatives
like
parents, grandparents, aunts,
uncles, siblings, is
prohibited.
The
incest taboo may have
medical explanations as reproduction
between close relatives of
any species can
mentally
and physically impair off
springs. Yet it has social
reasons. First the incest
taboo minimizes
sexual
competition
within families by restricting legitimate
sexuality to spouses. Second
incest taboo forces
people
to
marry themselves outside
their immediate families,
which serve the purpose of integrating
the larger
society.
Third, since kinship defines
people's rights and obligations towards
each other, reproduction
among
close
relatives would hopelessly
confuse kinship ties and
threaten social order.
2.
Reproduction.
Perhaps
the only function that seems
to have been left to a great
extent
untouched
is reproduction. Without reproduction the
continuation of society is at stake
and
the
legitimate births take place
only within the wedlock. Yet
even this vital and
inviolable
function
has not gone unchallenged. A
prime example is the number of single
women in the
Western
society who have children
(about one third of all
births in US).
3.
Socialization
of children. The
family is the first and most
influential setting for
socialization.
Ideally
the parents teach children to be
well-integrated and participating members
of society. In
fact,
family socialization continues
throughout life cycle.
Adults change within
marriage, and, as
any
parent knows, mothers and
fathers learn as much from
raising their children as
their
children
learn from them.
The
conflict sociologists try to
find fault with the outcome
of this socialization through which
there is likely
to
be the transmission of cultural values. There is the
continuity of patriarchy,
which
subordinates women
to
men. Families therefore transform women
into the sexual and economic
property of men. Most
wives'
earnings
belong to their husbands.
4.
Social
placement. Parents
confer their own social
identity in terms of race,
ethnicity,
religion,
and social class on
children at birth. This fact explains the
long-standing preference
for
birth to married parents.
This is more like ascription of
social status to the children,
Nevertheless,
racial and ethnic categories
shall persist over
generations only to the degree
that people marry
others
like themselves. Thus
endogamous marriage shores up the
racial and ethnic hierarchy of a
society.
Conflict
sociologists traced the origin of the
family to the need to identify
heirs so that men
(especially in
the
higher classes) could transmit property to
their sons. Families thus
support the concentration of wealth
and
reproduce the class structure in
each succeeding generation.
Therefore family plays an
important
function
in maintaining social inequality; hence it is a
part and parcel of
capitalism.
5.
Care
of the sick and elderly. Family
has been a big insurance
against the old age as well
as
during
sickness. As the society moves
towards the industrialization this
function is likely to be
taken
over by institutionalized medicine
and medical specialists.
Care of the aged is likely
to
change
from a family concern to a government
obligation. In Pakistani society, by
and large, it
remains
to be an important function of the
family.
68
Introduction
to Sociology SOC101
VU
6.
Protective
function. Family provides
some degree of physical,
economic, and
psychological
security
to its members. Attack on a
person is considered to be an attack on
the family.
Similarly
guilt and shame are
equally shared by the family.
People view the family as a
"haven in
the
heartless world", looking to
kin for physical protection,
emotional support, and financial
assistance.
People living in families
tend to be healthier than living
alone.
7.
Economic
production. Prior
to industrialization, the family constituted an
economic team.
Family
members cooperated in producing what they
needed to survive. When
industrialization
moved
production from home to
factory, it disrupted this family team
and weakened the
bonds
that
tied family members together. In
Pakistan family still performs an
important function at
least
in helping its members in
establishing their careers
and obtaining jobs.
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