Family as a Social Institution PDF

Lesson Proper for Week 8 FAMILY AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION INTRODUCTION Society needs some form of social arrangement to regulate sexual relations and to provide a place for child rearing and socialization. In this context family is found to be a universal...

Lesson Proper for Week 8 FAMILY AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION INTRODUCTION Society needs some form of social arrangement to regulate sexual relations and to provide a place for child rearing and socialization. In this context family is found to be a universal social institution. The term “family” has derived from the Roman word, “families” which means “servant”. Sociologically speaking, the family is the most important primary group in the society. It consists of two or more people who live together. Here there is a need to distinguish the difference between family and household. A household is made up of one or more people who live in the same dwelling unit. But the members of the household need not necessarily be related to each other. Whereas a family, the members are related by marriage, blood or adoption. A family is always a household, but every household is not necessarily a family. DEFINITION OF THE FAMILY According to Burgess and Locke, family is a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood or adoption consisting of a single household, interacting and inter-communicating with each other in their respective social roles of husband and wife, mother and father, son and daughter, brother and sister creating a common culture. MacIver defines family as a group defined by a sex relationship sufficiently precise and enduring to provide for the procreation and upbringing of children. Murdock defines family as “a social group characterized by common residence, economic cooperation, and reproduction. It includes both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted”. For Eliot and Merrill family is the biological social unit composed of husband, wife and children. NATURE OF FAMILY Family influences the entire life of people in numerous ways. It is an informal institution that encompasses all activities of a man. Family is the core institution of the society. 1. Family is universal in nature because it occupies the central position in the social structure. It is found to exist in all parts of the world. No society has ever existed without some form of family organization. 2. Family is based on our impulses of mating, procreation, maternal devotion, fraternal love and parental care. It is a close-knit group built upon emotions, sentiments of love, sympathy, affection, cooperation and friendship. 3. Family is the smallest social unit. 4. The family exercises the most formative influence over its members. It shapes the personality and molds the character of individuals. 5. Since family occupies the nucleus position in the social structure, the entire social structure is found to be built on family unit. 6. The members of the family have certain responsibilities duties and obligations in coordination with other individuals for the smooth functioning of the family. 7. The family is peculiarly guarded by social customs and legal regulations. Society has made an arrangement to safeguard and regulate the behavior of the individuals through family. 8. The family is permanent in nature. The family as an institution is permanent and universal. FUNCTIONS OF THE FAMILY The family as a social institution, it performs several functions. Various scholars have categorized the functions of family. Kinsley Davis has categorized the functions of family in four divisions. They are: a) Reproduction: The family is responsible for procreation, ensuring the continuation of society by producing offspring. b) Maintenance: The family provides care, protection, and material support to its members, fulfilling their basic needs like food, shelter, and healthcare. c) Placement and: The family determine the social status of its members. This involves assigning a child to a particular social class or group based on family lineage and social characteristics. d) Socialization: The family plays a crucial role in the transmission of culture, values, norms, and social skills to children, helping them become functioning members of society. Ogburn and Nimkoff have mentioned six major functions of family as follows: a) Affectional: The family provides emotional support and love to its members, creating a sense of belonging and security. b) Economic: The family fulfills the economic needs of its members by providing financial support, resources, and sharing responsibilities likee arning income and managing household expenses. c) Recreational: The family engages in leisure activities together, providing entertainment and fostering relationships through shared experiences. d) Protective: The family offers protection and safety to its members, ensuring their physical, emotional, and social well-being. e) Religious: The family often imparts religious beliefs, practices, and values, playing a role in the spiritual development of its members. f) Educational: The family serves as an informal educational institution, imparting basic knowledge, skills, values, and social norms to children, preparing them for formal education and life in society. MacIver classifies the functions of family into two categories: Essential and Non-essential functions. According to him, the essential functions include: a) The stable satisfaction of sex needs: The family provides a stable environment for the satisfaction of sexual desires, ensuring social order and maintaining personal bonds between partners. b) Production and rearing of children: The family is responsible for procreation, ensuring the continuation of society, and nurturing children to help them grow into productive members of society. c) Provision of home: The family provides a home where members experience love, security, and care, offering emotional and physical support to each other.  Under the non-essential functions, he listed out: a) Religious: The family plays a role in transmitting religious beliefs, values, and practices to its members, contributing to their spiritual development. b) Educational: The family provides informal education to children, teaching them values, norms, basic skills, and preparing them for formal education. c) Economic: The family fulfills economic functions by providing financial support, managing household resources, and ensuring the economic stability of its members. d) Health: The family ensures the health and well-being of its members by taking care of their physical needs and providing emotional support during illness. e) Recreation: The family engages in recreational activities together, offering entertainment and creating a sense of togetherness and relaxation. As the most basic institution, family is the place where we learn all the norms for the functioning in the larger society. Most of us spend our life well secured only within a family. Good or bad, sickness or health, physical or psychological, all needs are provided within family. All the life event birth, marriage and death take place in family. The structure of family might vary from society to society but the functions it performs are the same. FAMILY DYSFUNCTION When families fail to provide any of the necessary elements of these functions, over time or repeatedly, they are considered to be dysfunctional. This can lead to emotional, social, and/or developmental difficulties for the family members. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FAMILY According to Zaide (1983), the following are the basic characteristics of family: 1.It is composed of people united by ties of marriage, by blood or by adoption. 2.The members of a family usually live together under one roof, and they constitute a single housekeeping unit. 3.The family members are associated with one another with specific social roles. 4.Family maintains a culture. FAMILY SOCIAL FUNCTION IN MTB AS A PRIMARY SUBJECT The family social function in Mother Tongue-Based (MTB) education plays a crucial role in supporting children’s learning and development, especially when MTB is a primary subject in school. Here are the key aspects: 1. Reinforcement of Learning at Home: Since the mother tongue is also spoken at home, parents and family members can actively support and reinforce what children learn at school. This creates a consistent learning environment, bridging school and home. 2. Enhanced Communication: Using the mother tongue in school promotes better communication between the school and the family. Parents are more likely to engage with the school and understand their child’s progress if the language used is familiar, which enhances parental involvement in education. 3. Cultural Transmission: The family plays a significant role in passing down cultural values, traditions, and practices through language. MTB education strengthens this process by teaching in the same language that is used to convey cultural knowledge at home, helping children to connect their schooling to their heritage. 4. Encouraging Positive Attitudes Toward Learning: When children see that their family values the language used in school, they are more likely to develop a positive attitude toward learning. Family members’ involvement in the learning process makes education a more relatable and encouraging experience for children. 5. Support for Literacy Development: Families can contribute to early literacy skills by engaging in activities like storytelling, reading, and conversations in the mother tongue. This helps children improve their language skills, providing a strong foundation for academic achievement. 6. Building Emotional Security: Learning in a familiar language offers children a sense of emotional security, making the transition from home to school smoother. The role of the family in supporting this emotional comfort cannot be overstated, as it allows children to focus better on learning without the stress of a language barrier. 7. Reduction in Dropout Rates: When children feel supported by both the family and the school, they are more likely to continue with their education. MTB education supported by the family reduces dropout rates, as children find learning accessible and meaningful.