According to Medina (2001), the family is a familiar topic but there is a need to step back & study it in

critical & scientific lenses as personal experiences alone could be very limited & may not be
representative of other families in the society. From here on I will try to extrapolate the author’s ideas
on this particular subject.

The family have certain characteristics:

➢ As a social group, it is universal. It is a significant element in man’s social life. Nowadays,

changes in the family (e.g. from traditional structure to non-traditional structure as will be
discussed later) are happening brought about by the changing economic climate & technological
advancements but it has remained a basic institution in the society.
➢ It is the first social group to which an individual is exposed. Family relationships last a long time
& an “individual’s earliest & longest experience in living takes place in a family setting.”
➢ “The family affects the individual’s social values, disposition, & outlook in life. The family is the
source of the individual’s ideals, aspirations, & basic motivations.”
➢ The family is said to be the link between an individual & the larger society. In this way we can
say that a person’s interaction &/or attitude inside the family unit affects or is a determinant in
how that person interacts in the community that his family belongs.
➢ Logically, from the assertion above, the family is understood to provide continuity of social life.
It is a major agent in the transmission of culture which also affects &/or reflects the culture of
the society.