Management
THE SOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE FAMILY
IONUŢ ANASTASIU ionut.anastasiu@yahoo.com Abstract: The family is a universal social institution. The defining characteristics of the family in a classical perspective are the fact that its members are living together, to undertake various joint activities, to contribute with resources necessary to life, and to have children. But the perspective on the family has suffered substantial changes in the second half of the twentieth century.
However, despite these structural changes, the social functions of the family have remained essentially unaltered.
Keywords: the universal character of family, regulating social behaviour, reproduction, the economic function, the education as socialization of children, providing affection, protection and emotional support, providing social status.
To describe the family as a social institution, one should first reveal its universal character. There is no society, no matter the era in which it functioned and has developed, in which family is missing. In other words, from the most remote times to present, the family is the most common form of social organization. To highlight this, the American anthropologist
George Murdock (1897-1985) in his work entitled Social Structure (1949) examined a total of 250 societies of various kinds, both from hunters and gatherers category, as well as pastoral, agrarian or industrialized.
Following this detailed analysis; Murdock concluded that in each of these societies there are certain forms that fit in the definition of family as a social institution. Therefore, despite of the variety of forms in which can occur, the family is a universal social institution. The American anthropologist defines family as a “social group characterized by common residence, economic cooperation, and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted,
IONUŢ ANASTASIU ionut.anastasiu@yahoo.com Abstract: The family is a universal social institution. The defining characteristics of the family in a classical perspective are the fact that its members are living together, to undertake various joint activities, to contribute with resources necessary to life, and to have children. But the perspective on the family has suffered substantial changes in the second half of the twentieth century.
However, despite these structural changes, the social functions of the family have remained essentially unaltered.
Keywords: the universal character of family, regulating social behaviour, reproduction, the economic function, the education as socialization of children, providing affection, protection and emotional support, providing social status.
To describe the family as a social institution, one should first reveal its universal character. There is no society, no matter the era in which it functioned and has developed, in which family is missing. In other words, from the most remote times to present, the family is the most common form of social organization. To highlight this, the American anthropologist
George Murdock (1897-1985) in his work entitled Social Structure (1949) examined a total of 250 societies of various kinds, both from hunters and gatherers category, as well as pastoral, agrarian or industrialized.
Following this detailed analysis; Murdock concluded that in each of these societies there are certain forms that fit in the definition of family as a social institution. Therefore, despite of the variety of forms in which can occur, the family is a universal social institution. The American anthropologist defines family as a “social group characterized by common residence, economic cooperation, and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted,
References: 1. Brym, R.J., & Lie, J., (2007), Sociology: Your compass for a new world ed.) 2. Day, R.D., (2010), Introduction to family processes (5th ed.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, New York. 3. DiRenzo, G.J., (1990), Human social behaviour: Concepts and principles of sociology 4. Gelles, R.J., & Levine, A., (1995), Sociology: An introduction (5th ed.). 5. Haralambos, M., & Holborn, M., (2008), Sociology: Themes and perspectives (7th ed.) 6. Lamanna, M.A. & Riedman, A., (2012), Marriages, Families, and Relationships: Making Choices in a Diverse Society (7th ed.) 7. Murdock, G.P., (1949), Social structure. The MacMillan Company, New York. 8. Ritzer, G., (eds.) (2007), The Blackwell Encyclopedia of sociology. 9. Tischler, H.L., (2011), Introduction to Sociology (10th ed.). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.