Overview

For this project, you will identify an institution (such as family, education, law enforcement, government, health care, etc.) in the U.S. and
provide a Functionalist and a Conflict Theory analysis of your institution. This project will help you practice the skills you need for writing your
final paper – selecting a topic, creating an outline, and creating citations.
What Do You Have to Do?
You will need to conduct research on your specific institution and use a combination of 7-10 resources (e.g., books, newspaper articles, news
magazine articles, sociology journals, internet sites, videos, DVD’s, interviews, etc.) After you have conducted your research, you will analyze
your information using the following questions as a guide:
History: Discuss the history of your institution. How did it come into existence?
Change: How has it changed over time? What caused it to change?
Continuity: Discuss any stable features of the institution, that is, features that have not changed.
Participants: Who are the major participants in the institution? What are their roles and statuses?
In-Group Opinion: How do members of the institution perceive itself (its own institution)?
Out-Group Opinion: How do members of society perceive your institution?
Disparities: Does your institution work better for some members of society (as opposed to others)?
Recommendations: As a way to better accommodate members of society, how would you improve your institution?
You will then organize and submit your information in outline format on a PowerPoint (10 – 15 slides) or other slideshare presentation format.
The Institution of Family

By John Wells
The History and Introduction to the “Family”

-The institution of family began, and eventually evolved, once early

primate life began to stick with one another from birth,
“The fossil record suggests that humans developed their own family system a long time ago as early
hominids, evidenced by the discovery of family groups of Australopithecines...” (Walker 2011).

-Family in today's day and age can be defined as,

“...a major social institution and a locus of much of a person's social activity. It is a social unit created
by blood, marriage, or adoption, and can be described as nuclear (parents and children) or extended
(encompassing other relatives)” (Nam 2004).
How has the Institution of Family Changed Over Time?
-Families have changed by the means in which they are “needed.” In the beginning of
civilization, couples would have children in order to expand their production in order to
survive. Later on, couples would have children in order to pass down, as well as, expand
their power. Nowadays, couples choose to have a family, simply because they just want to
have children of their own.

-The institution of family has also undergone many changes when it comes to the way in
which they are made up,
“It is generally assumed today that the modern family has undergone significant transformations
in its structure. We are told that societal changes have contributed to a sharp reduction in the
percentage of classical "typical" families, principally "nuclear" families. Replacing these, we are
made to understand, are childless families, one-parent families, other family configurations, and
quasi-family units based on non-marital cohabitation” (Nam 2004)
What Caused the Institution of Family to Change?
-Changes to familial structure are due to the rise in
female independence, the destigmatization of divorce, and
the acceptance of same-sex families,
“Today fully four-in-ten births occur to women who are single or living
with a non-marital partner...Non-marital cohabitation and divorce, along
with the prevalence of remarriage and (non-marital) recoupling in the
U.S., make for family structures, that in many cases, continue to evolve
throughout a child’s life...Less than half—46%—are living with two
parents who are both in their first marriage. This share is down from 61%
in 1980, and 73% in 1960” (PewResearch.org 2015).
“Fifteen percent (14.7%) of the 1.1 million same-sex couples in the United
States in 2019 had at least one child under 18 in their household…”
(Taylor 2020).
Continuity of the Institution of Family

- Some stable features of a family are: strong bonds between members, shared
values and beliefs, protection and security, support, reproduction, and
integration of new members into society.
Participants and their Roles in the Institution of Family
-Families consist of two sets of participants, one being the parent/parents,
and the other being the child/children.

-A parent’s role is to nurture the child and integrate them into society,
“Parents are among the most important people in the lives of young children.
Parents include mothers and fathers, as well as other caregivers who act as parents.
From birth, children rely on parents to provide them with the care they need to be
happy and healthy, and to grow and develop well.”(CDC.gov).

-A child’s role is to listen to their parents, learn, grow, and adapt to what
society expects of them
In-Group Opinion

-Most members perceive their own family and associate love, safety, and security.
Members feel as though they can rely on each other no matter what. Families
provide a sense of community and home.
Out-Group Opinion

-While although it is not common one has no family, one may feel outcasted by their
family and choose to leave it behind. Or perhaps one’s entire family has passed away
and they are all alone. In this case, an out-group opinion of family may be sadness,
anger, shame, embarrassment, hurt, guilt, or betrayal.
Disparities
-Between different families lay many disparities,
ranging from health, access to resources, and
financial security,
“While it’s well-established that married parents are typically better
off financially than unmarried parents, there are also differences in
financial well-being among unmarried parents. For example, a much
larger share of solo parents are living in poverty compared with
cohabiting parents (27% vs. 16%).3 There are differences in the
demographic profiles of each group as well. Cohabiting parents are
younger, less educated and less likely to have ever been married than
solo parents. At the same time, solo parents have fewer children on
average than cohabiting parents and are far more likely to be living
with one of their own parents (23% vs. 4%).”(PewResearch.org
2018).
Recommendations
- Some recommendations I have to improve the family
institution, as a way to better accommodate members
of society, would be,

1. Encourage parents to make sure they are ready/qualified to have

children. (Many parents have children when they are not ready and
this only hurts the child, and may affect their development)
2. Encourage parents to seek out counsel on how to raise a family in a
loving and promoting way. (Many children grow up with abuse or
negligence, and this later on could affect how the child views the
world pushing them to act out against society)
3. Encourage parents to love their child no matter what and allow their
child to be themselves. (Many people, the LGBTQ+ community in
particular, grow up too afraid to be themselves. We must end this
cycle and allow each member of society to flourish being who they
are)
Functionalist Theory View on the Institution of Family
-For a functionalist, the family is seen as a key player in the development and stabilization of society,

“...the family creates well-integrated members of society and instills culture into the new members of
society. It provides important ascribed statuses such as social class and ethnicity to new members. It is
responsible for social replacement by reproducing new members, to replace its dying
members...(Boundless Sociology).

-Functionalist also believe in the importance of balance and the “division of labor” within a family,

“According to functionalists, the differentiation of the roles on the basis of sex ensures that families are
well balanced and coordinated. When family members move outside of these roles, the family is thrown
out of balance and must recalibrate in order to function properly. For example, if the father assumes an
expressive role such as providing daytime care for the children, the mother must take on an
instrumental role such as gaining paid employment outside of the home in order for the family to
maintain balance and function” (Intro to Sociology 2E).
Conflict Theory View on the Institution of Family
A conflict theorist views the family as the birthplace of
inequality and conflict,
“... family as a social arrangement benefiting men more
than women, allowing men to maintain a position of
power. The traditional family form in most cultures is
patriarchal, contributing to inequality between the sexes.
Males tend to have more power and females tend to have
less. Traditional male roles and responsibilities are
valued more than the traditional roles done by their
wives (i.e., housekeeping, child rearing)”(Boundless
Sociology).
Works Cited
14.2 Variations in Family Life - Introduction to SOCIOLOGY 2E. openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-2e/pages/14-2-variations-in-family-life.

“The American Family Today.” Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project, Pew Research Center, 17 Dec. 2015,
www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2015/12/17/1-the-american-family-today/.

Boundless. Boundless Sociology.

courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-sociology/chapter/sociological-perspectives-on-family/#:~:text=of%20the%20Family-,For%20functionalists%2C%20the%20family%20c
reates%20well%2Dintegrated%20members%20of%20society,to%20replace%20its%20dying%20members.

Bureau, U.S. Census. “Fifteen Percent of Same-Sex Couples Have Children in Their Household.” The United States Census Bureau, 23 Sept. 2020,
www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/09/fifteen-percent-of-same-sex-couples-have-children-in-their-household.html.

“Child Development: Parenting Matters.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 Feb. 2021,
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/features/parenting-matters.html.

Livingston, Gretchen. “Facts On Unmarried Parents in the U.S.” Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project, Pew Research Center, 25 Apr. 2018,
www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2018/04/25/the-changing-profile-of-unmarried-parents/.

Nam, Charles. The Concept of the Family, 2004, www.ncsociology.org/sociationtoday/v22/family.htm.

Walker, Matt. “Wonder Monkey: The Origin of the Human Family.” BBC, BBC, 13 Dec. 2011,
www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wondermonkey/2011/12/the-origin-of-the-human-family.shtml.