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what is the sociological definition of family

by Laurence Cole Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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family, sociology of The family is an intimate domestic group made up of people related to one another by bonds of blood, sexual mating, or legal ties. It has been a very resilient social unit that has survived and adapted through time.

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What are the 10 sociological concepts?

  • Norm: A norm is a specific expectation about how people should behave in society. ...
  • Value: Values are more abstract than norms, but, again, they relate to acceptable standards of behavior. ...
  • Culture: Culture describes the shared norms, values, and beliefs of a specific group of people. ...
  • Gender: Gender refers to the cultural aspects of being male or female. ...

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What is the definition of family in sociology?

Family means a shared residence, economic cooperation, and reproduction. A classic sociological definition of the family was put forward by George Peter Murdock. He asserted that families shared a residence, were somewhat economically integrated, and are built around the reproductive relationship of the parents.

What is the sociology of the family?

Sociology of the family is a subfield of the subject of sociology, in which researchers and academics study family structure as a social institution and unit of socialization from various sociological perspectives. It can be seen as an example of patterned social relations and group dynamics.

What is a sociology family?

Sociology of the family is a subfield of sociology in which researchers examine the family as one of several key social institutions and units of socialization. The sociology of the family is a common component of introductory and pre-university academic curricula because the topic makes for a familiar and illustrative example of patterned social relations and dynamics.

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What is the sociological definition of family quizlet?

Sociological definition of Family. holds that a family consists of two or more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption and who are part of a relationship in which there is a commitment, mutual aid, and support.

What are the sociological definition of marriage and the family?

We hold that the intact family consists of a man and woman, bound together by marriage, along with whatever children they may have. We define marriage as the exclusive and monogamous union between a man and a woman grounded in a commitment to mutual love and aid, with the intent to remain so committed until death.

How is family defined in society?

family members such as those who share a place of residence, or who are related. through blood ties or legal contracts. A commonly used definition is that of the. Census Bureau, “a householder and one or more other persons living in the same. household who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption”

What is the best definition of family?

Family: A family is a group of two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together; all such related persons are considered as members of one family.

What are the different types of family in sociology?

Let's start with some examples:Traditional nuclear family. ... Symmetrical family. ... Extended family. ... Beanpole family. ... Matrifocal lone parent family. ... Patrifocal lone parent family. ... Reconstituted family. ... Same sex couples.More items...•

What is the sociological definition of marriage?

Sociologists define marriage as a socially supported union involving two or more individuals in what is regarded as a stable, enduring arrangement typically based at least in part on a sexual bond of some kind.

What is the functionalist definition of family?

Definition. As a theory, functionalism sees 'the family' as an institution constituting a basic building block of society, performing certain functions that must be fulfilled for social order to be possible and for society to continue.

What are the characteristics of family in sociology?

Characteristics of Family:(1) A Mating Relationship:(2) A form of Marriage:(3) Some rules of mate selection:(4) A system of Nomenclature:(5) An economic provision:(6) A common habitation:

Why is it important for sociologists to understand legal definitions of family?

Sociologists are interested in the relationship between the institution of marriage and the institution of family because families are the most basic social unit upon which society is built, but also because marriage and family are linked to other social institutions such as the economy, government, and religion.

What is family according to psychology?

n. 1. a kinship unit consisting of a group of individuals united by blood or by marital, adoptive, or other intimate ties. Although the family is the fundamental social unit of most human societies, its form and structure vary widely.

What is the expanded definition of family?

Definition of extended family : a family that includes in one household near relatives (such as grandparents, aunts, or uncles) in addition to a nuclear family Given space, there are ways in which even larger populations than the extended family can be accommodated under one roof.—

Is there a legal definition of a family?

Included: spouses, legal guardians, parents, children, siblings, other family members, and those designated by the court.

What is the social construction of marriage and family?

Religion, faith, social values, education, laws, and social customs are the enforcing factors in maintaining marital relations. The presentation of self is another important factor in the construction of this relation.

What is the functionalist theory perspective on marriage & family?

Functionalism. When considering the role of family in society, functionalists uphold the notion that families are an important social institution and that they play a key role in stabilizing society. They also note that family members take on status roles in a marriage or family.

What is marriage and types of marriage in sociology?

Marriage may be divided into two types i.e. endogamous and exogamous marriages on the basis of choice of mate or on the basis of the rules of choice of mate. Endogamy is divided into four sub types such as caste, sub-caste, varna and tribal endogamy.

What is marriage and family under functionalism?

The structural-functionalist perspective, marriage and family are a basic building block of society. Marriage and family, are necessities for a stable society. Marriage and family perform a number of necessary functions, which provide a structure that children can be produced and raised.

What is family in the community?

Family is where everybody learns to love, to care, to be compassionate, to be ethical, to be honest, to be fair, to have common sense, to use reasoning etc., values which are essential for living in a community. Yet, there are ongoing debates that families’ values are in decline.

What is family in the US?

Similarly, The United States Census Bureau (2007) defines the family as a relatively permanent group of two or more people who are related by blood, marriage or adoption and who live under the same roof.

How does work affect family life?

Work affects the amount of time and money available for family life. Work and family life have always been interdependent, but the increased employment of mothers just like nowadays the number of women working has risen from 66.2 million in 2009 compared to 1950 where it was 18.4 million.

Who argued that the nuclear family is stressed?

On the other hand the functionalists have been criticized by E.Leach (1966) where he argued that the nuclear family is stressed. They are exploited by the capitalist and alienated; they work because they have no choice. Laing on the other hand argued that they are privatized they do not want people to know what is happening in their yard or house and they do not want people to come at their place without informing. Parents inculcate fear and suspicious in children so that they fear to revolt.

Is family separate from work?

Families and work have often been illustrated as separate entities, with women being linked to the home and men to the workplace. This separation unfortunately emanated by the sociology of the family being carried out as a separate domain from the sociology of work and occupations. However this assumption does not stand good in view of the increased participation of married women in the workplace.

Is there a need for a close and intimate mother and child relationship?

Therefore there is a need for a close and intimate mother and child relationship. However, Oakley (1974) uses the example of Alor, an island in Indonesia to refute Bowlby statement. In ‘small-scale horticultural societies, women are not tied to their offspring’, and there is no apparent side effect to it’.

What is family in sociology?

Family is a socially recognized group (usually joined by blood, marriage, cohabitation, or adoption) that forms an emotional connection among its members and that serves as an economic unit of society. Sociologists identify different types of families based on how one enters into them.

What is family theory?

These two theories indicate that families are groups in which participants view themselves as family members and act accordingly. In other words, families are arrangements in which people come together to form a strong primary group connection and to maintain emotional ties with one another.

Why are sociologists interested in the relationship between the institution of marriage and the institution of family?

Sociologists are interested in the relationship between the institution of marriage and the institution of family because families are the most basic social unit upon which society is built, but also because marriage and family are linked to other social institutions such as the economy, government, and religion.

What is the difference between a family of orientation and a family of procreation?

Sociologists identify different types of families based on how one enters into them. A family of orientation refers to the family into which a person is born. A family of procreation describes one that is formed through marriage. These distinctions have cultural significance related to issues of lineage.

What is the meaning of marriage?

Marriage is a cultural universal, and like family, it takes many forms. Who gets married, what the marriage means to the couple and to the society, why people get married (i.e., economic reasons, political reasons, or for love), and how it occurs (i.e., wedding or other ceremony) vary widely within and between societies.

What is the significance of marriage?

Marriage is a legally recognized social contract between two people, traditionally based on a sexual relationship and implying a permanence of the union. Marriage is a cultural universal, and like family, it takes many forms.

Is family a subjective concept?

Society has given more leeway to the design of a family making room for what works for its members (Jayson 2010). Family is, indeed, a subjective concept, but it is a fairly objective fact that family (whatever one’s concept of it may be) is very important to people in the United States.

What is family in sociology?

Several eminent sociologists state the definition of family as a household or a group of people that are related to one another in one way or the other via various modes such as blood, adoption, sexual mating, etc. The group of people of are interconnected forms a family and number of the family together forms a society so family act a primary unit of society and it is the family only that enables the child to learn about fundamentals of the life, values, etc.

What is family in the US?

The definition of family according to the United States Census Bureau it is one of the permanent group of people that resides on the same roof and connected, directly or indirectly.

How does Crouch illustrate the benefits of women in the family?

One of the eminent sociologists Crouch illustrates the advantages of women in the family by stating it as a mid-century social compromise. On the other hand, it is noteworthy that the benefits that men as a head in a family extract from the projects designed impliedly benefitted the women and children.

What is the role of women in the family?

The role of women in the family can not be overlooked and as per the study of John, Bowlby women is the core pillar of the family that is termed as a homemaker who takes care of not only the house but its husband, children, and whatnot.

Why are women important in every family?

Women hold a crucial role in every family because women are the ones who make children, are mothers, sisters, wives, and act as house makers of their family.

What does isolation do to children?

Such isolation makes them introverted and exploded one day where it can lead to violence, substance abuse, alcohol, etc. Simultaneous attention of women in every field nowadays makes the child feel neglected.

What are sociological views on today's families?

Sociological views on today’s families generally fall into the functional, conflict, and social interactionist approaches introduced earlier in this book. Let’s review these views, which are summarized in Table 15.1 “Theory Snapshot”.

What is the role of family in society?

It socializes children, provides practical and emotional support for its members, regulates sexual reproduction, and provides its members with a social identity.

What is social interactionist perspective?

Social interactionist perspectives on the family examine how family members and intimate couples interact on a daily basis and arrive at shared understandings of their situations. Studies grounded in social interactionism give us a keen understanding of how and why families operate the way they do.

How does family contribute to social inequality?

The family contributes to social inequality by reinforcing economic inequality and by reinforcing patriarchy. The family can also be a source of conflict, including physical violence and emotional cruelty, for its own members. Symbolic interactionism.

What is the function of family?

Functionalism. The family performs several essential functions for society. It socializes children, it provides emotional and practical support for its members, it helps regulate sexual activity and sexual reproduction, and it provides its members with a social identity. In addition, sudden or far-reaching changes in the family’s structure ...

Why is family important?

Second, the family is ideally a major source of practical and emotional support for its members. It provides them food, clothing, shelter, and other essentials, and it also provides them love, comfort, help in times of emotional distress, and other types of intangible support that we all need. Third, the family helps regulate sexual activity ...

What is the primary unit of socialization?

First, the family is the primary unit for socializing children. As previous chapters indicated, no society is possible without adequate socialization of its young. In most societies, the family is the major unit in which socialization happens.

What does "family" mean?

Definition of Family. ( noun) A socially recognized group of two or more individuals joined by kinship (adoption, blood, fictive kin, or marriage ).

Why is the family important in socialization?

Although social change has increased family diversity and created more opportunities for children to be influenced by other social institutions, the family continues to play the pivotal role in primary socialization. The family is responsible for shaping a child’s personality, emerging identity, and self-esteem.

What is the primary social unit for socialization?

Family, along with marriage, is a primary social unit for socialization.

Why is domestic group used as a replacement for family and even household?

Additionally, the term domestic group is sometimes used as a replacement for family and even household because it is less problematic.

Who coined the term "symmetrical family"?

The term symmetrical family, coined by Michael Young (1915–2002) and Peter Willmott (1923–2000) in The Symmetrical Family (1973), based on research in England, describes the evolution of the family structure towards a more egalitarian model of a joint conjugal-role relationship instead of a segregated conjugal-role relationship.

Who wrote the sociology of housework?

The Sociology of Housework (1974) by Ann Oakley (born 1944) fueled the sociological discussion of domestic labor inside a family, as did The Second Shift: Working Parents and the Revolution at Home (1989) by Arlie Hochschild (born 1940) and Anne Machung over a decade later.

What is family in sociology?

Functionalist sociologists tended to define the family as consisting of two parents in a committed relationship,living together with their children. Postmodern and other sociologists have much broader definitions. Sociologists do not agree on one standard definition of ‘the family’. Functionalist sociologists traditionally used narrow definitions ...

What is family in English?

For example, The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘the family’ as ‘a group consisting of one or two parents and their children’. (1)

What is considered a part of the family?

More contemporary Postmodern sociologists prefer much broader definitions of the family which extend the concept to include anyone an individual thinks of as being ‘part of the family’, such as friends or even pets.

Why is it easier to analyse families in terms of households?

Because of the problems of defining the family it is often easier to analyse families in terms of households (NB – The module you’re all studying is called families and households, we just tend to abbreviate it to the ‘families’ module)

What is the definition of family in Britain?

Because of the diversity within family life in contemporary Britain, post-modern thinkers suggest that it is better to use a broader definition of ‘ the family’, which includes a range of family types – one suggested definition of the family is ‘a group of people who are related by either blood or marriage/ similar form of committed relationship

What is a household?

A household is much easier to define than a family – A household is simply a group of people who share a residence in common and share such things as meals, bills, facilities or chores, or one person living alone. Of course, families can spread themselves across many households!

What are the different types of families in Britain?

Different types of family. Some of the most common family types in modern Britain include. The Nuclear Family – two parents with biological children living in one household. The reconstituted family – two partners living in one household sharing parental duties for one or more children, but only one of them is the biological parent.

Why is family important in psychology?

This is because “our complex neural mechanism permits a rich conditioning to occur, by which only certain familial behavioural patterns seem right or desirable”. Thirdly, the family helps an individual develop an integrated personality. Man is a cultural being and, as such, he has both emotional and physical needs.

What is nuclear family?

Thus the extended family gradually shed its excess weight and the so-called ‘nuclear’ family emerged – a stripped down, portable family unit consisting only of parents and-a small set of children. This new style family, far more mobile than the traditional extended family, became the standard model in all the industrial countries. Super- industrialism, however, the next stage of eco-technological development, requires even higher mobility .Thus we may expect many among the people of the future to carry the streamlining process a step further by remaining childless, cutting the family down to its most elemental components, a man and a woman.”

How does family transform a biological organism into a human being?

Family thus transforms a biological organism into a human being introducing him to several cultural aids by way of compensating, as it were , nature’s failure to teach him the instinctive art of survival .

What is domestic group?

A ‘domestic group may be defined as a group of people who habitually share a common dwelling and a common food supply. These minimal activities of domestic groups may be greatly extended, and, as a result, domestic groups may vary in size and stability.

Who claimed that the family is universal?

The Future of Family: George Peter Murdock claimed on the basis of a sample of 250 societies ranging from hunting and gathering bands to large-scale industrial societies that some form of family existed in every society and that the family is universal.

Who said that the rest of the population would be free to function for the first time in history?

The noted anthropologist Margaret Mead hinted at a similar possibility when she said that “parenthood would be limited to a smaller number of families whose principal functions would be childbearing”, and that the rest of the population would be “free to function for the first time in history – as individuals”.

Is surrogate motherhood a speculation?

About a year or two ago, advertisements appeared in newspapers in England on behalf of a voluntary organisation for ‘lending a womb’. Surrogate motherhood is no longer a matter of speculation. There is already limited number of cases of surrogate motherhood. Who knows that in future such cases would not multiply?

What is family in social studies?

Family, a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective social positions, usually those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings . The family group should be distinguished from a household, which may include boarders ...

What is the role of the family in society?

The family additionally provides such other socially beneficial functions as the rearing and socialization of children, along with such humanitarian activities as caring for its members when they are sick or disabled .

How does the family help society?

At its best, the family performs various valuable functions for its members. Perhaps most important of all, it provides for emotional and psychological security, particularly through the warmth, love, and companionship that living together generates between spouses and in turn between them and their children. The family also provides a valuable social and political function by institutionalizing procreation and by providing guidelines for the regulation of sexual conduct. The family additionally provides such other socially beneficial functions as the rearing and socialization of children, along with such humanitarian activities as caring for its members when they are sick or disabled. On the economic side, the family provides food, shelter, clothing, and physical security for its members, some of whom may be too young or too old to provide for the basic necessities of life themselves. Finally, on the social side, the family may serve to promote order and stability within society as a whole.

What is family group?

The family group should be distinguished from a household, which may include boarders and roomers sharing a common residence. It should also be differentiated from a kindred (which also concerns blood lines), because a kindred may be divided into several households.

What is the most striking example of a male-dominated family?

Perhaps the most striking example of the male-dominated family is the description of the family given in the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament), where the male heads of the clans were allowed to have several wives as well as concubines.

What is extended family?

Sometimes the family includes not only the parents and their unmarried children living at home but also children that have married, their spouses, and their offspring, and possibly elderly dependents as well; such an arrangement is called an extended family.

What is a nuclear family?

At its most basic, then, a family consists of an adult and his or her offspring. Most commonly, it consists of two married adults, usually a man and a woman (almost always from different lineages and not related by blood) along with their offspring, usually living in a private and separate dwelling. This type of unit, more specifically known as a nuclear family, is believed to be the oldest of the various types of families in existence. Sometimes the family includes not only the parents and their unmarried children living at home but also children that have married, their spouses, and their offspring, and possibly elderly dependents as well; such an arrangement is called an extended family.

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The Darker Side of The Family / Erosion of Family Life

Conception About Family and Work

Women and Work

Reasons For Working in Paid Employment

Functionalist Perspectives on Work and Family

  • Functionalist has given their views on the link between work and family and they argues that family meets the need of the workplace. The family adapts itself in the requirement of the society. They are living in a post modern way of living which is very good for the society as they prefer not to have children because of their career and some prefer...
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Feminist Perspectives on The Work and Family

Work-Family Conflict

Types of Work-Family Conflict

Theoretical Explanation of Work-Family Conflict

Concept of Childcare

1.What is the sociological definition of a family? - Parlia

Url:https://www.parlia.com/c/sociological-definition-family

35 hours ago What is the definition of family in sociology? A general definition of family is that it is a union of a couple and their dependent children living in the same household. However, this definition doesn't cover the increasing family diversity that exists in the world now.

2.The Sociological Definition of Family - UKEssays.com

Url:https://www.ukessays.com/essays/sociology/the-definition-of-family-sociology-essay.php

24 hours ago  · Family means a shared residence, economic cooperation, and reproduction. A classic sociological definition of the family was put forward by George Peter Murdock. He asserted that families shared a residence, were somewhat economically integrated, and are built around the reproductive relationship of the parents.

3.Videos of What Is The Sociological Definition of Family

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3 hours ago The government, however, is not so flexible in its definition of “family.” The U.S. Census Bureau defines a family as “a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together” (U.S. Census Bureau 2010).

4.Defining Family | Introduction to Sociology - Lumen …

Url:https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-introductiontosociology/chapter/defining-family/

28 hours ago As such, the family performs several important functions. First, the family is the primary unit for socializing children. As previous chapters indicated, no society is possible without adequate socialization of its young. In most societies, the family is the major unit in …

5.The Sociological Definition Of Family Essay Sample

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23 hours ago Definition of Family. ( noun) A socially recognized group of two or more individuals joined by kinship (adoption, blood, fictive kin, or marriage ).

6.15.2 Sociological Perspectives on the Family – Sociology

Url:https://open.lib.umn.edu/sociology/chapter/15-2-sociological-perspectives-on-the-family/

1 hours ago  · The Functionalist definition of the family. Functionalist Sociologist George Peter Murdock used the following definition of the family as a starting point in his classic cross national study of families in more than 250 societies. ‘A social group characterised by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least …

7.family definition | Open Education Sociology Dictionary

Url:https://sociologydictionary.org/family/

10 hours ago Definition of Family: A human child needs care and protection for its survival for a longer period than is necessary for the survival of other animal babies. The relationship that develops around reproduction and care of off-spring between father, mother and children is thus lengthened, enlarged and refined.

8.What is the Family? – ReviseSociology

Url:https://revisesociology.com/2016/08/08/defining-the-family/

16 hours ago family, a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective social positions, usually those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings.

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