JULIUS NYERERE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

NAME: KATSARUWARE GLORIA

REG NUMBER: M213804

COURSE CODE: SOCH121

MODULE: SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

LECTURER: DR NHODO

QUESTION: EXAMINE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE FAMILY INSTITUTION IN SOCIETY

DUE DATE: 30 MAY 2022

LECTURER`S COMMENT:
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Family as a social institution keep alive the society by playing important roles. Family have crucial roles
in social development according to the functionalist, family is an important part of a society because it
contribute to its survival. These functions are negative and the positive to the society, among them
continuation of the human race through giving birth, it socializes children, provides practical and
emotional support for its members, provide its members with a social identity, it promotes social
inequality, to mention but a few. These above functions of the family institution tells how much
important it is in a society.

To start with definition of terms, according to this question, functions refers to roles or duties
performed by a family in society. Family refers to a group of people created by blood. It can be divided
into two nuclear which is a family that consist parents and children and extended family which consisted
of relatives of parents and children for example Indian families (Murdock 1949). Society is a wide
searching in which the human action and interaction takes place. It can also be defined as a community
or group of people having common traditions, institutions and interests. Society can be group of people
living as community or an organized group of people for a common purpose.

Family institution plays an important role of reproduction. This is when families give birth to children
which are very important in a society. According to functionalists like Emile Dhurkeim the function of
family is insuring the continuity of the society by reproducing new members. The family properly nature
and caring for the child. These children are nucleus of society and perpetuates human race. Children
born in a ruling family end up ruling that society by becoming chiefs , also children are very good
entertainers for example they can entertain people at their society functions like Nhimbe through
singing and dancing, and they can offer help in serving food, washing dishes, fetching water and
firewood. Children also give elders of the society fresh ideas. This shows that family play an important
role of reproduction, however not only families are producing children. Even a single parent not a family
can have children. Forty percent of marriages in the UK in divorce (Guardian 2000). Also some children
are moving away from the societies were they raised for example moving to urban are in search for jobs.
They relocate to cities and meet people they probably never met if they had stayed home. They start
living their own life on their own way far from their original societies. Therefore family function of
reproduction is now less important since children are moving away, so society is benefiting nothing from
them, except if they remain in their original societies.

Moving on, another function of the family institution in society is it socializes children. Socialization
refers to the process were by individuals are made aware of behavior that others expect from them with
regards to norms and values of a given society. Socialization was also defined as the process by which a
person aquare knowledge, skills that make them more or less able members of the society ( Ezewu
1993). It is said man is not born human but made human. This process is very important because
children became aware in the ways of his or her social culture through their families. In families girls are
taught to be humble, caring, love among others, whilst boys are taught to be strong because they are
ones who took care for the family later. Families help children to learn the explicit and tacit social rules
necessary for functioning in the wider world and families are uniquely positioned to do so because it is
those closest to us who have the knowledge and incentives to provide the learning (Steven Horwitz
2005). Many societies especially in Africa are patriarchal so man must be strong. Women are expected
to show respect to the elders and man. Family socialize children into the norms and values of society
and the establishment of adult personalities (Parsons 1955). Children personality develops in the course
of their living family. Every new born child is born into a family hence family become his or her first
school, it provides a child with basic knowledge about life, behavior among others (Sociology Group
2022). Hence socialization is a family function, though some of its roles are taken by other institutions
like schools and religion.

Providing practical and emotional support for its members is another positive function of family
institution in society. This is when families provide its members with everything they need for example
food, shelter, health and support in difficult times. In societal gatherings like rain making ceremonies
(Mukwerera), family provides the needs like food and labour. According to Parsons family institution
provide love and support needed by individuals for them to be fit enough to take their places in society
(Giddens 2001). Parson`s point of view shows that family is the root of everything. Functionalist argued
that everything in society is functional meaning without family there is no education. Families support
children at schools by paying school fees, bought uniforms, provide food for them to support education.
However some families are poor they supply nothing to the society. They also fail to provide needs like
enough food for its members. Due to their poverty it leads to class formation, they will be excluded from
some societal activities. Also some societies the situation has been changed, other economic aspects
belonged to the family were taken by other social institutions. On the issue of family health healthcare
for the sick or elderly people hospitals or nurse aid can take care for them, but it should be noted that
family does not withdraw its support they continue visiting their member and also pay for the bills when
they are needed. Therefore family function of providing practical and emotional support to its members
is more valuable since it keeps societal ball bouncing or functioning though it has some weaknesses like
class formation.

Another function of family in society is the provision of social identity. This is when people identify their
self with family which they belong to. In many societies there is no way other than identifying yourself
with surname. This is important to the society since people can be identified easily. Since every
institution is functional according to the functionalists like Talcott Parsons identification is also used in
education no one can go to school without a family name (surname), government names are very
important so surely these parts are interdependent. However due to Christianity some people are no
longer valuing their identity like totems, they are now belong to their religion for example Johani
Masowe people belong to Johani. Therefore family function of social identity is more important since it
shows status of a person and the family they belong, though it has some negative effects like other
people are not valuing their identity because of religion.

More so, function of family in society is it regulates sexual production and sexual activity. All societies
has norms and values which govern their society for example taboos. They are very important since they
regulates whom and how often a person should have sex and is the unit through which sexual
production occurs. They do so to ensure that children have enough support and practical care when
they are born, thus family`s positive function.
The family also maintains inequality in social class due to its role in wealth accumulation and
inheritance. This is the negative function of a family according to the Marxist theory. Marxist theorists
viewed family primarily for the reproduction of capitalism in society and transmission of class through
legitimate heirs, enabling for the concentration of wealth within the family (Connolly 2014). This means
wealth is for few rich families in society, resulting in the formation of the gap between rich and poor
families. This is difficult for the poorer families to close this gap such as the marriage bar, which defines
the standard of living a couple is expected before they are willing to get married (McLanahan and
Percheski, 2008). This may be difficult for people to achieve rich their destiny after marriage for example
owning house, a car and having stable income. This causes differences in society because some people
will not enjoy their life because they are born poor and they die poor. This inequalities start with
socialization because children are socialized according to their family class. So children grow with that
class difference in their mind. Hence the negative function of family institution is creation of social
inequality.

In conclusion, family institution is important to the society since it socialize children, regulates sexual
production among others. These functions are positive and negative to the society as discussed above.
However some of the positive functions leads to its weakness.
REFERENCES

Connolly, L(2014) Chapter 1. In: Connolly, L.ed. The Irish Family. London: Routledge.

Guardian 27th March 2000

Local Government Act 1988 (1995). CHAPTER 9. London: HMSO. McLanahan, S. and Percheski, C. (2008)
Family structure and the reproduction of inequalities. Annual Review of Sociology.

Murdock, G.P., Social Sructure. The MacMillan Company, New York, 1949.

Parsons, T. and Bales, R 1995. Family, Socialisation and Interaction Process. Glenceo, IIIinoiss: Free Press.

Sociology group www.sociologygroup.com 2017-2022

Social Trends 30 2000. General Household Survey in Giddiens . A 2001 (4 th ed). Sociology, Cambridge:
Polity Press

Steven Horwitz. The functions of the family in the greatest society, Cambridge Journal of Economics
Volume 29, Issue 5 September 2005