Family As Social Institution A Conflict Perspective

Assignment on
Confict Perspective on
Family as a Social Institution
BY
IMRAN AHMAD SAJID
Session: 2009
Submitted To:
Dr. Johar Ali
Department of Sociology
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
WORK
UNIVERSITYOF PESHAWAR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
All praises to ALLAH, the most Merciful, Kind, and Beneficent, and source of all
Knowledge, Wisdom within and beyond our comprehension. all respects and possible tributes
goes to our Holly Proft MUHAMMAD (Sal Alla!o Alai!y "asallam#$
who is forever guidance and knowledge for all human beings on this earth.
Thanks to Dr% &o!ar Ali, the course instructor, who has contributed enthusiasm,
support, sound advice, particularly his supportive attitude was always a source of motivation
for me. e guided me in a polite and cooperative manner at every step.
! am also in debt to all those writers who has written such informative and thought provoking
books on such sociological issues.
Imran A!ma' Sa(i'
i
ABSTRACT
!n order to study anything, one must begin by making some assumptions about the nature of
what is studied. "or e#ample, the ancient $reeks believed that the universe was run according
to the whims of the gods. By contrast, all scientists assume that the universe is orderly, and
operates in certain regular ways which we may be able to discover. Thus, %ewton developed
the laws of gravity after observing that apples always fall down, never up. A working set of
assumptions is called a &perspective, an &approach,' or sometimes a &paradigm.'
(ociological perspective is a lens through which sociologist views the society.
"or most of sociologist family begins as a need for performing certain essential asks such as
reproduction, sociali)ation, assignment of role and status etc, and contributing towards the
survival of family and society as a whole While others look at family as a class society in
miniature where one class *man+ oppressing another class *woman+.
ii
iii
Table of Conen!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................ i
ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................. ii
Intodu!tion........................................................................................................... "
#e$%e!ti&e$ in So!io'o()....................................................................................... "
Stu!tu*' +un!tion*' #e$%e!ti&e.......................................................................,
Con-i!t #e$%e!ti&e............................................................................................ .
S)mbo'i! Inte*!tioni$t #e$%e!ti&e.....................................................................
Wh*t i$ M*i*(e *nd wh*t i$ +*mi')/....................................................................0
Wh*t i$ M*i*(e/............................................................................................... 0
Emotion*' !ommitment:.................................................................................. 1
Le(*' !ommitment:......................................................................................... 1
#ub'i! *nnoun!ement:..................................................................................... 1
2o%e 3o %em*nen!e:..................................................................................... 1
Le(itim*!) o3 !hi'den:.................................................................................... 4
Wh*t i$ 3*mi')/................................................................................................... 4
Stu!tue o3 3*mi').............................................................................................. 5
Con-i!t %e$%e!ti&e on 3*mi')............................................................................... 5
Sou!e$ o3 !on-i!t in 3*mi')................................................................................ 6
Sou!e o3 %owe in 3*mi')................................................................................... 7
Wom*n *$ $e8u*' %o%et)............................................................................... "9
Othe *%%o*!h to 3*mi') in !on-i!t %e$%e!ti&e.............................................."9
Citi:ue on Con-i!t %e$%e!ti&e on +*mi').......................................................""
Con!'u$ion........................................................................................................... ",
Bib'io(*%h)......................................................................................................... ".
Con-i!t #e$%e!ti&e on +*mi') *$ * So!i*' In$titution
Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, and call it a family. Whatever you call it,
whoever you are, you need one.
Jane Howard
In"o#$%&on
$ul family lives in a four room house in $ul Bahar in a middle class housing estate in
,eshawar. %adim $ul is a successful merchant, his wife (umera $ul is a typical housewife
and says a home, they have been married for -. years and have four children aged /01-0.
%aseem provides food and fiber to the family, his wife takes care of house and house keeping
activities. They can be called a normal family.
%ow for most of sociologist family1such as $ul family1begins as a need for performing
certain essential asks such as reproduction, sociali)ation, assignment of role and status etc,
and contributing towards the survival of family and society as a whole
/
. While others look at
$ul family as a class society in miniature where one class *man+ oppressing another class
*woman+.
-
This assignment is about the second view or perspective on the family. "irst we
will present a brief of various sociological perspective then we will differentiate between
family and marriage, though both are co1related. When we have completed this we will be
talking about our sub2ect matter1family in conflict perspective.
Pe"!'e%&(e! &n So%&olo)*
!n order to study anything, one must begin by making some assumptions about the nature of
what is studied. "or e#ample, the ancient $reeks believed that the universe was run according
to the whims of the gods. By contrast, all scientists assume that the universe is orderly, and
operates in certain regular ways which we may be able to discover. Thus, %ewton developed
the laws of gravity after observing that apples always fall down, never up. A working set of
assumptions is called a &perspective, an &approach,' or sometimes a &paradigm.'
.

(ociological perspective is a lens through which sociologist views the society.
"
2u(he$. M; Koeh'e. C. <,991=. Sociology The Core. 5
th
Ed: M!G*w>2i'' In!. %. .16
,
?*nden. @; Wi'3id. A*me$. <"779=. The Social Eperience. M!G*w 2i'' In!. %. .5.
.
2oton #.B.; B 2unt C.L. <"760=. Sociology. 4
th
ed: M!G*w 2i'' booC !om%*n). #. "1
Im*n Ahm*d S*Did #*(e "
The basic insight of sociology is that human behavior is shaped by the groups to which
people belong and by the social interaction that take place within those groups. We are who
we are and we behave the way we do because we happen to live in a particular society at a
particular point in space and time. ,eople tend to accept their social world un3uestioningly, as
something 4natural.4 But the sociological perspective enables us to see society as a temporary
social product, created by human beings and capable of being changed by them as well. The
sociological perspective invites us to look at our familiar surroundings in a fresh way. !t
encourages us to take a new look at the world we have always taken for granted, to e#amine
our social environment with the same curiosity that we might bring to an e#otic foreign
culture.
5ur world view is shaped by our personal e#perience and since people with different social
e#periences have different definitions of social reality, sociology helps us to appreciate
viewpoints other than our own and to understand how these viewpoints came into being.
(ociology also helps us understand ourselves better. Without the sociological perspective
*which has been called the 4sociological imagination4+, people see the world through their
limited e#perience of a small orbit of family, friends, co1workers. The sociological
imagination allows us to stand apart mentally from our limited e#perience and see the link
between private concerns and social issues. !t permits us to trace the connection between the
patterns and events of our own and the patterns and events of our society.
6
The prominent perspectives in sociology are structural-functional perspective, conflict
perspective, symbolic-interaction perspective, social exchange perspective and feminist
perspective which originated from conflict perspective. !t will be better to have a brief look
on these perspectives.
S"$%$"al F$n%&onal Pe"!'e%&(e
(tructural1functionalist or functionalist take a broad view of society and focus on macro
aspect of social life. They view society as a set of elements or components that are related to
one another in a more or less stable fashion through a period of time. They focus on the parts
of society and identify the structural characteristics of each part much as biologists describe
the principal features of the body7s organs. They then determine what the functions of each
0
Robet$on. <"76"=. Sociology. New YoC. Woth #ub'i$he$. Cf. Gene$eo St*te uni&e$it)
o3 New YoC. Retie&ed .9; M*) ,996. +om htt%:EEwww.(ene$eo.eduECMSEdi$%'*).%h%/
%*(eF60."Bd%tF$o!io'o()
Im*n Ahm*d S*Did #*(e ,
part are.
8
(ocial institutions are viewed as structural parts of society performing various
essential tasks and meeting some needs of the society. "amily is a structural component of the
society and performs certain essential functions, contributing to the survival of society as a
whole1the organic whole. (ociety, they hold, is organi)ed due to the consensus on some core
values.
Con+&% Pe"!'e%&(e
9onflict perspective focuses their attention on society as a whole. 9onflict theorists see
society as in a continuous sate of conflict between groups and classes. e struggle for power
and income is a continuous process but one in which many categories of people appear as
opponents1classes, races, nationalities and even the se#es. (ociety is held together through
the power of dominant groups or classes. The shared values, which functionalist see as glue
for holding society together, do no realty form rue consensus: instead this is an artificial
consensus in which the dominant groups or classes impose their values and rules upon rest of
the people.
;
The source of conflict in society, they hold, is the scarcity of the resources people
re3uire e.g. wealth, prestige and power are always in limited supply and their gain for on e
individual and group are often associated with losses for others.
<
S*,bol&% Ine"a%&on&! Pe"!'e%&(e
(ymbolic interactionism is base on here core assumptions. "irst, we respond to things in our
environment on the basis of heir meanings. (econd, meanings are not inherent in things, but
emerge from social interaction. Third, because we are continually interacting, shared cultural
meanings are continually emerging and changing.
=
The interactionist perspective is more
concerned with the micro or small1scale aspects of social life. They concentrate their
attention on interaction between individuals and groups. They noted that people interact
mainly through symbols, which include signs, gesture, and most importantly, through written
and spoken words. The word has no inherent meaning. !t is simply a noise, but it becomes a
word when people reach agreement that this noise carries a special meaning. Thus &yes,'
&no,' &go,' and thousands of other sounds became symbols as meaning is attached to each.
,eople do not respond to the world directly: they respond to meanings they impute to the
things and happenings around them: a traffic light, a lineup a ticket window.
>
1
2u(he$ M.; B Koeh'e A. C. <,991= sociology the core. 5
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Ed: M!G*w 2i'' !om%*n). #:
"7
4
th
ed: M!G*w 2i'' booC !om%*n). #. "5
5
2u(he$ M.; B Koeh'e A. C. <,991= op cit. #: ,"
6
ibi
7
2oton #.B.; B 2unt C.L. <"760=. !pcit. #:"1
Im*n Ahm*d S*Did #*(e .
This assignment is on conflict theory on family as a social institution. 9onflict theorist stress
that the society is composed of two conflicting groups and classes. They also view the family
institution not as a functional part of the society but a class society in miniature where one
group is oppressing the other group. Before this discussion on family we have to be familiar
with what we call the family, what are its various forms and patterns and what is the
difference between marriage and family.
W-a &! Ma""&a)e an# .-a &! Fa,&l*/
Marriage and family are two different but correlated things.
W-a &! Ma""&a)e/
Marriage ?is a@ socially recogni)ed and approved union between individuals, who commit to
one another with the e#pectation of a stable and lasting intimate relationship. !t begins with a
ceremony known as a wedding, which formally unites the marriage partners. A marital
relationship usually involves some kind of contract, either written or specified by tradition,
which defines the partners7 rights and obligations to each other, to any children they may
have, and to their relatives. !n most contemporary industriali)ed societies, marriage is
certified by the government.
/0
We may assume ha marriage is something we are all familiar with and that every one agrees
on what marriage is. !t is a legal relationship between spouses. Aet7s define marriage:
!arriage is" a legally recogni#ed relationship, established by a civil or religious ceremony,
between two people who intend to live together as sexual and domestic partners
$ marriage is a legally recogni#ed union between a man and a woman in which he are united
sexually% cooperate economically% and may give birth to, adopt or rear children. &he union is
assumed to be permanent 'although in reality it may be dissolved b separation or divorce(.
))
A more simple definition has been given by Bavid Kno# that !arriage is a social
relationship in which two adults of the opposite sex make an emotional and legal commitment
to live together.
)*

"9
SCo'ni!C; A'ene. GM*i*(e.G Mi!o$o3tH En!*t*H ,997 ID@DJ. Redmond; WA:
Mi!o$o3t Co%o*tion; ,996.
""
Ston( B; et*'. <"776=. The "arriage an# $amily Eperience. 5
th
Ed:. W*d$woth
#ub'i$hin( Com%*n). #. "9
",
Kno8. D*&id. <"757=Eploring "arriage an# the $amily. I''inoi$. S!ott +o1e$m*n *nd
Com%*n). #: .
Im*n Ahm*d S*Did #*(e 0
Most marriages involve public announcement and are undertaken with he hope of
permanence. (ubse3uent children of the union are socially and legally recogni)ed as
legitimate. (ome more aspects of marriage need e#ploration.
E,o&onal %o,,&,en0
Most people say they want to be married because they are &in love.' !t means marriage is a
relationship sought by two people who want to share their lives together. Marriage is one way
of helping to ensure that in future some one will be caring about you and you will be caring
in return. !t is a relationship which provides stable feelings of belongingness. (o at its basis
marriage is an emotional commitment to share time and space together.
/.
Le)al %o,,&,en0
Marriage also involves a legal contract. The &%ikah %ama' is a legal document and a proof
of that contract. Both husband and wife sign his contract. is contract can be dissolved when
they want to dissolve it.
The typical obligations assumed by the wife are:
Aive where the husband decides
,erform household and domestic duties
ave se#ual relations with her husband
Total responsibility for child care
!n e#change he husband must provide food, clothing and shelter and many of the amenities of
life to wife and children.
/6
P$bl&% anno$n%e,en0
The news of marriage is publici)e before he event of marriage. !t can be through various
formal and informal means.
Ho'e fo" 'e",anen%e0
The marriage is the most binding commitment ever made by couples. !t is a common saying
that &don7t leave husband7s house until you are dead.' And &till death do us part.' Marriage
represents a point after which here is no easy turning back.
/8

Le)&&,a%* of %-&l#"en0
The children born to the couple are socially and legally approved as legitimate and are given
due respect as compared to he invalid and illegitimate children born to the non1married.
".
Kno8. D*&id. <"757=Eploring "arriage an# the $amily. I''inoi$. S!ott +o1e$m*n *nd
Com%*n). #: 1
"0
ibid
"1
ibid
W-a &! fa,&l*/
What is the familyC This 3uestion causes trouble not only for students on the family but for
e#perts too. Many of us think family as a social unit consisting of married couple and their
children: Mom, ,op, and Kids, living alone in a comfortable home. But this definition is too
restrictive. Most sociologist view family as a social group whose members are related by
ancestry, marriage, or adoption and live together, cooperate economically and care for
young.
/;

When you ask people who they include as a family
memberC The list will include: ?alphabetically@ aunt,
cousin, daughter, father, father in law, foster child,
foster parents, grand father, grand mother, great grand
parents, half siblings, mother, mother in law, nephew, niece, sibling, son, step father, step
mother, sep siblings, uncles. Most family members are related by descent, marriage,
remarriage or adoption.
The ma2or reason that we have difficulty defining family is that we feel &real family' is the
nuclear family or the traditional family. But the nuclear family is the merely an idea or model
we have about families. The traditional family is the middle class nuclear family in which
women7s primary roles are wife and mother and men7s husband and bread winner. Traditional
family e#ist more in imagination than in reality.
Because we believe that traditional family is he &real family', we compare all other family
forms against these models. A more contemporary definition is one or more adults related by
blood, marriage, or affiliation who cooperate economically, who may share a common
dwelling place and who may rear children.
)+

"amily is a more or less durable association of husband and wife with or without children.
/=
!t
is a group of two or more person who are related by blood, marriage or adoption
/>
.
%o matter how you define a family, basic characteristics of family is ha here is an intimate
relationship among its members and that they have strong sense of belonging together.
"4
2u(he$ M.; B Koeh'e A. C. <,991= op cit. #: ..9
"5
th
Ed:. W*d$woth
#ub'i$hin( Com%*n). #. "0
"6
Sh*hid S. M. <"776=. Sociology An %ntro#uction. L*hoe. #ub'i$he$ Em%oium. #: ,74
"7
Kno8. D*&id. <"757=. !pcit. #: 6
,t is not flesh and blood but the
heart which makes us fathers
and sons. Johann Schiller
S"$%$"e of fa,&l*
Aike all other social institutions, family is a system of accepted norms and procedures for
getting some important 2obs done. The term family is used in so many ways. A family may be
A group with common ancestors
A kinship group unite by blood or marriage
A married couple with or without children
An unmarried couple with children
5ne person with children.
A more sociological definition of family is: &a kinship grouping which provide for the rearing
of children and for certain other human needs.'
-0
5ur ma2or concern is the conflict
perspective on family institution. "amily has so many dimensions1forms of family, types of
family, functions, divorce and many others1 but we will discuss our sub2ect matter1the
conflict perspective.
Con+&% 'e"!'e%&(e on fa,&l*
,erspective or theory is a set of general principles or concepts used to e#plain data and o
make predictions that may be empirically tested. 9onflict theory in sociology has its roots in
the work of Karl Mar#. Where as functionalist end to believe hat &what is, is good,7 conflict
theorist seem to believe that &what is, is wrong.' 9onflict theory holds that life involves
discord. 9onflict theorist see society not as basically cooperative but as divided, with
individuals and groups in conflict with each other. They try to identify the competing forces
within society.
-/
They view society as divided between conflicting groups with conflicting goals and interests.
"amily, in conflict perspective, is seen as a class society in miniature. "unctionalist also view
family as a society in miniature whose different members function various essential tasks
contributing for the survival of the whole family. usband is a bread winner and wife takes
care of the children and performs domestic tasks. But to conflict theorist family is compose of
conflicting classes1one class *men+ oppressing the other class *women+. "amily is seen a
social arrangement benefiting some people more than others. "redrick Dngel contented that
marriage was he firs form of class antagonism in which the well being of one group derived
,9
2oton #.B.; B 2unt C.L. <"765=. !pcit. #:,.,
,"
Ston( B; et*'. <"776=. !pcit. #: 11
from misery and oppression of another. The motivation for se#ual pleasure was the economic
e#ploitation of woman7s labour.
--

So$"%e! of %on+&% &n fa,&l*
ow can we analy)e marriages and families in terms of conflict and powerC Marriage and
family relationships are base on love and affection, aren7t theyC 9onflict theorist would agree
that love and affection are important elements in marriages and families. But they believe that
conflict and power are also fundamental.
-amily relationships . love / affection 0 conflict and power
Marriages and families are composed of individuals with different personalities, ideas,
values, tastes, and goals. Dach person is not always in harmony with every other person in the
family. !magine that you are living at home and want to do something your parents don7t
want you to do, such as spend the week1end with a friend they don7t like. They forbid you to
carry out your plan. &As long as you live in this house, you will have to do what we say.' Eou
argue with them, but in the end you stay home. Why did your parents win the disagreementC
They did so because they had greater power, according o conflict theorists.
9onflict theorists do not believe that conflict is bad: instead, they think it is a natural part of
family life. "amilies always have disagreements, from small ones, such as what do cook for
dinner, to ma2or ones, such as how to rear children.
"amilies differ in the number of underlying conflicts of interest, the degree of underlying
hostility, and the nature and e#tent of the e#pression of conflict.
9onflict can take the form of competing goals, such as husband7s wanting to buy T.F. set and
a wife7s wanting to pay off credit cards.
9onflict can also occur because of different role e#pectations: and employed mother wants to
divide housework fifty1fifty, but her husband insists that household chores are &women7s
work.'
-.
"amily is a group of people with differences1 in age, se# and personalities. Therefore the
occurrence of conflict is 3uite natural.
,,
th
Ed: M!G*w>2i'' In!. %. .17
,.
Ston( B; et*'. <"776=. !pcit. #%: 10>11
So$"%e of 'o.e" &n fa,&l*
When conflict occurs, who winsC "amily members have different resources and amount of
power. "our important sources of power are:
Aegitimacy
Money
,hysical coercion and
Aove
When arguments arise in a family, a man may want his way &because ! am the head of the
house' or a parent &because ! am your mother.' These appeals are based on legitimacy1that is,
the belief that the person is entitled to prevail by right. This is one source of power in family.
The second source of power is money. !t is a powerful source in marriages and families. &As
long as you live in this houseG.' is a directive based on the power of the purse. Because
parents have greater economic power1man particularly: this economic power translates into
marital power. Those family members who earn a greater sum of family earnings have greater
power than those who earn less or do not earn at all.
,hysical coercion is another important source of power. &!f you don7t do as ! tell you, you
will get a spanking' is one of the most common forms of coercion of children. But physical
abuse of a spouse is also common.
"inally, there is the power of love. Aove can be used to coerce someone emotionally, as in &if
you really loved me, you7d do what ! ask.' 5r love can be a freely given gift, as in the case of
a person7s giving up something important, such as a plan, desire, or career, to enhance a
relationship.
Dvery one in family has power, although the power may be different and une3ual. Adolescent
children, for e#ample, have few economic resources, so hey must depend on their parents.
This dependency gives the parents power. But adolescents also have power through the
e#ercise of personal charm, ingratiating habits, temper tantrums, wheedling, and so on.
-6

Wo,an a! !e1$al '"o'e"*
(ociologist Handall 9ollins says that historically men have been the &se#ual aggressors' and
women the &se#ual pri)es for men.' Males are dominant due to their greater strength, si)e,
and aggressiveness. Women have been victimi)ed by smaller si)e and their vulnerability as
,0
Ston( B; et*'. <"776=. !pcit. #%: 10>11
child bearers. 5ver entire history, women have been taken as a se#ual property, taken as
booty in war, used by their fathers in economic bargaining, and considered the property of
their husbands.
According to 9ollins, men have ordered society so that women are their se#ual property.
They claim e#clusive se#ual rights to a woman much in the manner that they determine
access to economic property like buildings and land and other elements of property. Marriage
becomes a socially enforced contract of se#ual property. A woman7s virginity is was the
property of her father and her se#uality the property of her husband.
%ow that women7s bargaining position has improved due to economic and political changes
in recent years. When they are no longer dependent on and under control of their fathers: they
became potentially free to negotiate their own se#ual relationships. But women found that
within the free marriage market they had to trade their se#uality for the economic and status
resources of men. As men have much greater economic resources and status in the society.
%ow for women to get these resources and ma#imi)e her bargaining power, she has to appear
both as se#ually alluring and as inaccessible as possible. (he has to hold her se#uality in
reserve as a sort of grand pri)e that she e#changes for male wealth and status. Inder such an
arrangement, femininity and female virginity came to be ideali)ed, and women were placed
on a pedestal, so that an element of se#ual repression was built into courtship ties, freeing
themselves from economic dependence on men, they have gained he resources to challenge
he double standard. The se#ual bargains they strike can focus less upon marriage and more
upon immediate entertainment, companionship and se#ual gratification.
-8
O-e" a''"oa%- o fa,&l* &n %on+&% 'e"!'e%&(e
Although conflict theory emerged from the ideas of "riedrich Dngels and Karl Mar#, other
social scientists have approached the issue of family somewhat differently. (igmund "reud
and $eorg (immel also advanced a conflict approach to the family. They contended that
intimae relationships inevitably involve antagonism as well as love. More recently,
sociologists have suggested that conflict is a part of all systems and interactions, including
family systems and marital interactions. They see family members as confronting two
conflicting demands: to compete with one another for autonomy, authority, and privilege, and
simultaneously o share one another7s fate in order to survive and even flourish.
-;
,1
?*nden @.; Wi'3id A. <"779=. The Social eperience: an intro#uction to sociology.
M!G*w 2i'' In!. #: .5.
,4
?*nden @.; Wi'3id A. <"779=. opcit. #: .5.
Im*n Ahm*d S*Did #*(e "9
C"&&2$e on Con+&% 'e"!'e%&(e on Fa,&l*
A number of difficulties arise in conflict theory. This theory seems to see whatever is there in
the society, every social arrangement, every social grouping and stratification, is wrong.
There is nothing good in the society. Dven the loving couples and the caring parents are not
good. The intimacy among family members is not a positive phenomena but a tool in the
members hand to dominate other members.
"irst, conflict theory derives from politics, in which self1interest, egotism, and competition
are dominant elements. ,eople7s behavior is also characteri)ed by self1sacrifice and
cooperation. Aove is an important 3uality in relationships. 9onflict theorists don7t often talk
about the power of love or bonding: yet the presence of love and bonding may distinguish the
family from all other groups in society. We often make sacrifice for the sake of hose we love.
We will defer our own wishes o another7s desires: we may even sacrifice our lives for a loved
one. Bon7t weC
(econd, conflict theorists assume that differences lead to conflict. Bifferences can also be
accepted, tolerated or appreciated. Bifferences do not necessarily imply conflict. Just think
that who cooperate with each otherC Whether without differences would there be
cooperationC !f there won7t be any difference with whom would you cooperate, both would
become the same.
Third, conflict in families is no easily measured or evaluated. "amilies live much of their
lives privately, and outsiders are not always aware of whatever conflict e#ists or how
pervasive it is. Also, much over conflict is avoided because it is regulated through family and
societal rules. Most children obey their parents, and most spouses, although they may argue
heatedly, don not employ violence.
-<

"ourth, according to conflict perspective woman is a se#ual property and she e#changes her
se#uality in return for wealth and status. What for daughters, sisters or aged peopleC What
will they doC !f women get the freedom to make se#ual relationships as they want and the
men are free from women responsibility. Who will take care of children, for aged and other
dependent members of the familyC 5f course (tate does share some responsibility but the
primary responsibility of protection of the children and aged is a family responsibility.
,5
Ston( B; et*'. <"776=. !pcit. #%: 11>14
Im*n Ahm*d S*Did #*(e ""
Con%l$!&on
,ointing to the conclusion, family is not a social arrangement to oppress one group by the
other group. !f the parents do not allow their children to do a particular work, it is not
oppression but it is for their own betterment. The parents have to sociali)e their children in a
particular way so that they become a normal member of the society. To conflict theorist
families should not be established. "amily institution is a domestic slavery for women. ow
stupid to think that our mother, daughter, sister, and wife are our slaves. Boes it make any
senseC ! see family as a functional component of the society performing key role in
sociali)ation of the children and many other essential tasks. !t is the family which provides
emotional support. !t is the family in which one can found un2ealous 2oy over his or her
success. !t is family where one finds enduring sympathy in time of trouble.
Im*n Ahm*d S*Did #*(e ",
B&bl&o)"a'-*
th
Ed: M!G*w>2i''
In!. %. .16
th
ed: M!G*w 2i'' booC
!om%*n). #. "1
Kno8. D*&id. <"757=Eploring "arriage an# the $amily. I''inoi$. S!ott
+o1e$m*n *nd
Robet$on. <"76"=. Sociology. New YoC. Woth #ub'i$he$. Cf. Gene$eo
St*te uni&e$it) o3 New YoC. Retie&ed .9; M*) ,996. +om
htt%:EEwww.(ene$eo.eduECMSEdi$%'*).%h%/%*(eF60."Bd%tF$o!io'o()
Sh*hid S. M. <"776=. Sociology An %ntro#uction. L*hoe. #ub'i$he$
Em%oium. #: ,74
SCo'ni!C; A'ene. GM*i*(e.G Mi!o$o3tH En!*t*H ,997 ID@DJ. Redmond;
WA: Mi!o$o3t Co%o*tion; ,996.
th
Ed:.
W*d$woth #ub'i$hin( Com%*n). #. "9
?*nden. @; Wi'3id. A*me$. <"779=. The Social Eperience. M!G*w 2i'' In!.
%. .5.
Im*n Ahm*d S*Did #*(e ".

Family As Social Institution A Conflict Perspective

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