Family

1-A social institution that unites individual into cooperative groups what cares for one another, including any
children, people with or without legal or blood ties who feel that they belong together,

2. A group of people related either by blood, marriage or adoption.

3- Social unite created by blood marriage or adoption.

Types of family

On the basis of organization

1. Extended family

In this the family comprises three generations Grandfather, father and son living together.

2. Joint family .A joint family is a form of family where the grand-parents, father, mother, and children live
untidily under one roof. In such form of family system, every member is expected to make some financial
contribution to the common fund, share common rights in the household property, and eat the food made at the
common kitchen, and make their daily expenditure from common fund.

3-.Nuclear family

The nuclear family consists of a mother, father, and their biological children. In simple terms, a nuclear family
system is a family structure that consists of two parents living with their children, also known as an
immediate family.

2. On the basis of authority.

I.Patriarchal family

Patriarchy is a social system in which males hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership,
moral authority, social privilege and control of property. In the domain of the family, fathers or father-figures
hold authority over women and children.

2- Matriarchal family system

a family, society, community, or state governed by women. a form of social organization in which the mother is
head of the family, and in which descent is reckoned in the female line, the children belonging to the mother's
clan; matriarchal system.

On the basis of Residence

Patrilocal family system.. (of a married couple) living with the family of the husband.

The definition of patrilocal is a society or custom in which a married couple settles with or near the husband's
family.

An example of a society that would be described as patrilocal is a society where a woman gets married and
moves next door to her husband's parents.

ii., Matrilocal family system

In this category the young couple moves to wife household,. This system is not very common in Pakistan

Neolocal family system

Neolocal residence rules form the basis of most Western domestic structures. Upon marriage, each partner is
expected to move out of his or her parents' household and establish a new residence, thus forming the core of an
independent nuclear family.

On the basis of descent

i.Patrilineal family

Something patrilineal is related to your relationship with your father, or to your family's line of male descendants
— for example, your father, his father, his father's father, and so on.A genetic condition that spreads in a
patrilineal way might be passed from your grandfather, through your dad, and finally to you. And through
history, some monarchies have been patrilineal, meaning that when a king dies, only his son can succeed him
(and not his daughter). Patrilinealadds the Latin prefix patri-, or "father," to lineal, from the Late Latin linealis,
"relating to a line."

ii.Matrilineal family…Matrilineal refers to familial relationships that can be traced through a female. To follow
the matrilineal line in your family, start with your mom.

In Latin, matri- refers to the mother, just as patri- refers to the father. Lineal is a word that refers to
someone's lineage, or the line of people that came before that person; so the adjective matrilineal describes
anything related to kinship through a female line. If the children in your culture take their mother's last name,
and not their father's, this is a matrilineal tradition.

Function of Family institution

The Family:

The family, almost without question, is the most important one of any of the groups that human experience
offers. We join other groups for long or short period of time for the satisfaction of some interests. But the family
is always with us or rather we are with it.

Really, family is a unique social institution for which there is no substitute. It is the most permanent and most
pervasive of all social institutions. The word 'family' has come from Latin word 'famulus' which means the
servant. The family is a small group consisting of father, mother, one or more children and some relatives.

Maclver defined family as "a group defined by sex relationship sufficiently precise, and enduring to provide for
the procreation and upbringing of children.”

Eliot says" Family is the biological social unit composed of husband, wife and children."

Nimkoff says "Family is a more or less durable association of husband and wife with or without child, or of a
man or woman alone, with children."

Functions of the Family:

Family is the most important primary group in society. It is an outstanding primary group, because the child
develops its basic attitudes in the family. Family, as a social institution performs several functions.

Maclver classifies its functions into two types: (1) Essential or primary and (2) non-essential or secondary.

Essential / Primary Functions

The essential functions of family are:

Stable Satisfaction of Sex need:

This is the Primary and essential function of family. Sex instinct is the natural urge of human being. The
satisfaction of this need requires that both male and female should live together as life partners. It is the family
where the husband and wife can satisfy their sex instincts easily and comfortably. Without family the satisfaction
of sex need is almost socially quite impossible. A family not only satisfies but also provides the appropriate
mechanism through marriage to regulate sexual behavior of husband and wife.

Reproduction or procreation:

Reproduction or procreation is another essential function of family. The family along with regulating the sexual
behavior in relation to the satisfaction of sexual needs secures a legitimate basis for procreation. Since the
inception of family, it has been performing this fundamental function. This function of family contributes to the
continuity of family and ultimately perpetuates the human race as a whole.

Protection and care of the young:

Protection and care of the children is another essential function of family. It is regarded as an institution par
excellence for the production and rearing of children. It is true that no other institution can take required care of
the child like family. The child at birth is complete helpless and cannot survive at all without the help of the
family. It is the family which provides care, protection, security (Physical, mental) and fulfills all other needs to
make him fit in the society.

Socializing Functions:

Family is one of the primary agents of socialization. Family members teach the child the norms, value morals,
beliefs and ideals of society. In the family the children first learn what is good and bad, what is right and wrong.
They develop specific habits, traits of character, attitudes and values. The senior members of the family pass the
family culture to the new generation thought socialization process. Thus, family acts an instrument of culture
transmission.

Provision of a home:

Family makes a provision of a home or a common habitation for its members. Here both husband and if live
together for procreation, protection and care of the children. It is a place of multifarious activities. All the
members of the family depend on home for comfort, protection and peace. It is that institution which provides
the mental or the emotional satisfaction. Members of the family exchange their love, sympathy and affection
among themselves.

Non-essential / Secondary Functions

The non-essential functions of family are:

 Economic function:

The family fulfils the economic needs of its members. This has been traditional function of family. Family fulfils
all the economic needs of its members such as food, clothing, shelter etc. The goods required by its members are
produced at home.

Educational function:

Mazzin says, "The first lesson of child is learnt between mother's kiss and father's care". Family is regarded as
the first school of children. The family provides the basis for the child's formal learning and gives the child his
basic training in the social attitudes and habits.

Religious function:

The family is a centre for the religious training of the children. The family used to teach the children the
religious values, moral precepts etc. It is through the family the religious inheritance is passed on to the next
generation.

Recreational functions:

Family is the centre of recreation. It serves as a centre of all recreational activities like singing, dancing, playing
indoor games etc. The small children are the source of recreation for the elders.

Protective function:

Family always looks after the health of its members both young and old. It takes up the responsibility of its
members and maintains sound and good health.

Religion
Def: An organized system of beliefs ceremonies and rules used to worship god or group of gods.
Or Religion is an interest, a belief or an activity that is very important to a person or a group.

According to Emile Durkheim; beliefs and practices that separate the profane from sacred and unite its adherment
into moral community.

10 most important functions of Religion

Both from individual and social point of view religion perform the following functions:

1. Religion provides mental peace:

Human life is uncertain. He struggles for his survival amidst the uncertainties, insecurities and dangers, Some-times
he feels helplessness. It is the religion which consoles and encourages him in all such time of crisis. Religion gives
right shelter to him. He gets mental peace and emotional support. It encourages him to face his life and problems.

2. It inculcates social virtues:

Religion promotes the major social virtues like truth, honesty, non-violence, service, love, discipline etc. A follower
of the religions internalizes these virtues and becomes disciplined citizen of the society.

3. Religion promotes social solidarity:

Religion gives rise to the spirit of brotherhood. Durkheim viewed that religion strengthens social solidarity. A.W.
Geen also pointed out that religion has the supremely integration and verifying force in human society. It is true that
common belief, common sentiment, common worship, participation in common rituals etc. are the significant
cementing factors which strengthen unity and solidarity.

4. Religion converts the animal qualities to human qualities:

Religion inculcates the spirit of self-service. It demands that people should be charitable and benevolent. Through
various religious experiences he forgets the worldly life and problems. This experience suppresses the animal desires
and converts the animal qualities of man to human qualities.

5. Religion is an agent of socialization and social control:

Parsons viewed that religion is one of the most important agents of socialization and social control. It has significant
role in organizing and directing social life. It helps in preserving social norms and strengthening social control. It
socializes him individual and exercises control over both individual and group in various ways. As an informal
means, religion regulates the activities of people in its own way. Organisation like temples, mosques, church,
Gurudwaras etc. also control the behavior of the individuals at different level.

6. Religion promotes welfare:

Religion teaches to the people to serve the masses and promote their welfare. It gives message that "the service to
humanity is service to God". For this reason, people spend money to feed poor and needy. Great religions like
Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity etc. put emphasis on aim-giving to the poor and beggars. It developers the
philanthropic attitude of the people and thereby injects the idea of mutual help and co-operation. With the influence
of religious belief different religious organizations engage themselves in various welfare activities.

7. Religion gives recreation:

Religion plays a charming role in providing recreation to the people. Religious rites and festivals are more or less
performed in every religion which gives relief to the people from mental exertion. Similarly religious lectures,
bhajans, kirtans, musical concerts followed by the utterance of hymn etc. gives much more pleasure to the people
and provides eternal recreation.
8. Religion influences economy: Sociologists like Sombart and Max Weber rightly established the relationship of
religion with economic system. Weber observed the influence of Protestant ethics in the development of capitalism.
Sombart found this spirit of capitalism in Jewish norms. For the distinct religious principles present in Christianity,
capitalism grew in protestant countries but not in the country like India, Pakistan etc.
9. Religious influences political system:

Religion has played a significant role in political system in the ancient and medical society. Even in modern times in
many countries of the world the religion directly and indirectly also influences political activities. During ancient
and medieval period, the monarchs were treating themselves as the representatives of the God or ruling the society in
the name of God. Even today, Political leaders take oath in the name of God. The political system of the countries of
the world like Bhutan, Pakistan, Italy, Germany, England etc. are influenced by religion.

10. Religion Strengthens Self-confidence:

Religion is an effective means to strengthen self-confidence. There are certain beliefs like 'work is worship', 'duty is
divine', 'result in predestined' etc. which is found in various religions gives strength to the individual and promotes
self confidence.
 Perspectives of Family

Theoretical
Major assumptions
perspective

The family performs several essential functions for society. It socializes

children, it provides emotional and practical support for its members, it helps
Functionalism 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 or processes threaten its stability and weaken society.
The family contributes to social inequality by reinforcing economic inequality
Conflict and by reinforcing patriarchy. The family can also be a source of conflict,
including physical violence and emotional cruelty, for its own members.
The interaction of family members and intimate couples involves shared
understandings of their situations. Wives and husbands have different styles of
Symbolic communication, and social class affects the expectations that spouses have of
interactionism their marriages and of each other. Romantic love is the common basis for
American marriages and dating relationships, but it is much less common in
several other contemporary nations.

Social Functions of the Family

Family as a social institution helps make society possible. As such, the family performs several important functions.

First, the family is the primary unit for socializing children. No society is possible without adequate socialization of
its young. In most societies, the family is the major unit in which socialization happens. Parents, siblings, and, if the
family is extended rather than nuclear, other relatives all help socialize children from the time they are born.
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 and sexual reproduction. All societies have norms governing with
whom and how often a person should have sex. The family is the major unit for teaching these norms and the major
unit through which sexual reproduction occurs.
Fourth, the family provides its members with a social identity. Children are born into their parents’ social class, race
and ethnicity, religion, and so forth. As we have seen in earlier chapters, social identity is important for our life
chances. Some children have advantages throughout life because of the social identity they acquire from their
parents, while others face many obstacles because the social class or race/ethnicity into which they are born is at the
bottom of the social hierarchy.

The Family and Conflict

Conflict theorists agree that the family serves the important functions just listed, but they also point to problems
within the family that the functional perspective minimizes or overlooks altogether.

First, the family as a social institution contributes to social inequality in several ways. The social identity it gives to
its children does affect their life chances, but it also reinforces a society’s system of stratification. Because families
pass along their wealth to their children, and because families differ greatly in the amount of wealth they have, the
family helps reinforce existing inequality. As it developed through the centuries, and especially during
industrialization, the family also became more and more of a patriarchal unit (see earlier discussion), helping to
ensure men’s status at the top of the social hierarchy.
Second, the family can also be a source of conflict for its own members. Although the functional perspective
assumes the family provides its members emotional comfort and support, many families do just the opposite and are
far from the harmonious, happy groups depicted in the 1950s television shows. Instead, and as the news story that
began this chapter tragically illustrated, they argue, shout, and use emotional cruelty and physical violence. We
return to family violence later in this chapter.

Families and Social Interaction

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.

. The interaction of family members and intimate couples involves shared understandings of their situations. Wives
and husbands have different styles of communication, and social class affects the expectations that spouses have of
their marriages and of each other. Romantic love is the common basis for American marriages and dating
relationships, but it is much less common in several other contemporary nations

Perspectives of Religion

Theoretical
Major assumptions
perspective

Religion serves several functions for society. These include (a) giving meaning
and purpose to life, (b) reinforcing social unity and stability, (c) serving as an
Functionalism
agent of social control of behavior, (d) promoting physical and psychological
well-being, and (e) motivating people to work for positive social change.
Religion reinforces and promotes social inequality and social conflict. It helps
Conflict theory convince the poor to accept their lot in life, and it leads to hostility and violence
motivated by religious differences.
This perspective focuses on the ways in which individuals interpret their
Symbolic religious experiences. It emphasizes that beliefs and practices are not sacred
interactionism unless people regard them as such. Once they are regarded as sacred, they take
on special significance and give meaning to people’s lives.

The Functions of Religion

Much of the work of Émile Durkheim stressed the functions that religion serves for society regardless of how it is
practiced or of what specific religious beliefs a society favors. Durkheim’s insights continue to influence
sociological thinking today on the functions of religion.

First, religion gives meaning and purpose to life. Many things in life are difficult to understand. That was certainly
true, as we have seen, in prehistoric times, but even in today’s highly scientific age, much of life and death remains a
mystery, and religious faith and belief help many people make sense of the things science cannot tell us.
Second, religion reinforces social unity and stability. This was one of Durkheim’s most important insights. Religion
strengthens social stability in at least two ways. First, it gives people a common set of beliefs and thus is an
important agent of socialization Second, the communal practice of religion, as in houses of worship, brings people
together physically, facilitates their communication and other social interaction, and thus strengthens their social
bonds.

A third function of religion is related to the one just discussed.

Religion is an agent of social control and thus strengthens social order. Religion teaches people moral behavior and
thus helps them learn how to be good members of society.
A fourth function of religion is greater psychological and physical well-being. Religious faith and practice can
enhance psychological well-being by being a source of comfort to people in times of distress and by enhancing their
social interaction with others in places of worship.
A final function of religion is that it may motivate people to work for positive social change.

Religion, Inequality, and Conflict

According to conflict theory, it can also reinforce and promote social inequality and social conflict. This view is
partly inspired by the work of Karl Marx, who said that religion was the “opiate of the masses” (Marx, 1964). By
this he meant that religion, like a drug, makes people happy with their existing conditions. Marx repeatedly stressed
that workers needed to rise up and overthrow the bourgeoisie. To do so, he said, they needed first to recognize that
their poverty stemmed from their oppression by the bourgeoisie. But people who are religious, he said, tend to view
their poverty in religious terms. They think it is God’s will that they are poor, either because he is testing their faith
in him or because they have violated his rules. Many people believe that if they endure their suffering, they will be
rewarded in the afterlife. Their religious views lead them not to blame the capitalist class for their poverty and thus
not to revolt. For these reasons, said Marx, religion leads the poor to accept their fate and helps maintain the existing
system of social inequality.

religion also promotes gender inequality by presenting negative stereotypes about women and by reinforcing
traditional views about their subordination to men (Klassen, 2009). A declaration a decade ago by the Southern
Baptist Convention that a wife should “submit herself graciously” to her husband’s leadership reflected traditional
religious belief (Gundy-Volf, 1998).

, religion can also promote social conflict, and the history of the world shows that individual people and whole
communities and nations are quite ready to persecute, kill, and go to war over religious differences. We see this
today and in the recent past in central Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Ireland. Jews and other religious
groups have been persecuted and killed since ancient times. Religion can be the source of social unity and cohesion,
but over the centuries it also has led to persecution, torture, and wanton bloodshed.

Symbolic Interactionism and Religion

While functional and conflict theories look at the macro aspects of religion and society, symbolic interactionism
looks at the micro aspects. It examines the role that religion plays in our daily lives and the ways in which we
interpret religious experiences. For example, it emphasizes that beliefs and practices are not sacred unless people
regard them as such. Once we regard them as sacred, they take on special significance and give meaning to our lives.
Symbolic interactionists study the ways in which people practice their faith and interact in houses of worship and
other religious settings, and they study how and why religious faith and practice have positive consequences for
individual psychological and physical well-being.

Religious rituals and ceremonies also illustrate the symbolic interactionist approach. They can be deeply intense and
can involve crying, laughing, screaming, trancelike conditions, a feeling of oneness with those around you, and other
emotional and psychological states. For many people they can be transformative experiences, while for others they
are not transformative but are deeply moving nonetheless.