The family is considered the first and oldest of the social institutions. According to Wikipedia “Institutions are stable, valued, recurring patterns of behavior." As structures or mechanisms of social order, they govern the behavior of a set of individuals within a given community. Institutions are identified with a social purpose, transcending individuals and intentions by mediating the rules that govern living behavior (“Institution,” 2015). A co-operative unit, of individuals that co-exist, is referred to as a family. Traditionally, family units were made up of blood relatives ancestry, marriage or adoptees (Andersen & Taylor, 2014). Families come in many sizes and shapes and will vary according to the culture the family lives in. Polygamy is a practice of men or women having multiple marriage partners (Andersen & Taylor, 2014). Monogamy is the practice of a sexually exclusive marriage with one spouse at time (Andersen & Taylor, 2014). Extended families, “A definition of extended families is simply a family unit that extends past the nuclear family to include other relatives such as aunts, uncles, and grandparents.”(Schuder, n.d.-b). Nuclear Families, “The traditional definition of a nuclear family is a family unit that includes two married parents of opposite genders and their biological or adopted children living in the same residence.”(Schuder, n.d.-a). What social functions do families serve? The primary social function of the family is to reproduce. The population needs to be replenished. Without the continued repopulation, the overall size of the nations population will shrink. In the book of Genesis it states, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” Socialization of the children is another primary function of a family.
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We imitate our parents even thought we don’t like to think we do. One could place a little thought to the idea of how to program the programmers of the children.
Economic support of members of the family for overall stability is an important task. Parents are to financially support the children of the family to the point of self-sufficiency, in theory. The old are to be taken care of by the young of the family. The family is a co-operative unit for the general purpose of continued existence.
Sexual regulation of the family members is another primary social functions of a family. This is an essential function of family, and has been performed since the inception of the human civilization. It is a well-known fact that the sex urge is the most important and powerful instinct and natural urge of human being. What are three current issues or trends that are affecting American families? How have they affected my family? Divorce plays a major role in affecting the American family. People get divorced for a multitude of reasons. My family has been affected deeply by divorce. The children are hurt the most of all. As a parent I did what I was trained to do by my parents. I had no idea what I was doing as a father. The ignorance I spread to them is mind numbing. I have and still am working everyday to correct the shortcomings I instilled in my children. Unemployment is a terrifying trend in America. Entire generations are displaced, sold on the idea of easy money and overpaying jobs. Only to find out it was all a lie. A major segment of the population is under skilled if not unskilled at all. Very sad, being they still think they need everything.
We imitate our parents even thought we don’t like to think we do. One could place a little thought to the idea of how to program the programmers of the children.
Economic support of members of the family for overall stability is an important task. Parents are to financially support the children of the family to the point of self-sufficiency, in theory. The old are to be taken care of by the young of the family. The family is a co-operative unit for the general purpose of continued existence.
Sexual regulation of the family members is another primary social functions of a family. This is an essential function of family, and has been performed since the inception of the human civilization. It is a well-known fact that the sex urge is the most important and powerful instinct and natural urge of human being. What are three current issues or trends that are affecting American families? How have they affected my family? Divorce plays a major role in affecting the American family. People get divorced for a multitude of reasons. My family has been affected deeply by divorce. The children are hurt the most of all. As a parent I did what I was trained to do by my parents. I had no idea what I was doing as a father. The ignorance I spread to them is mind numbing. I have and still am working everyday to correct the shortcomings I instilled in my children. Unemployment is a terrifying trend in America. Entire generations are displaced, sold on the idea of easy money and overpaying jobs. Only to find out it was all a lie. A major segment of the population is under skilled if not unskilled at all. Very sad, being they still think they need everything.