Family structures have evolved over time. In hunter-gatherer societies, pairing off helped form cooperation networks beyond immediate families. Marriage between groups created political alliances. In modern societies, marriage is a choice between partners based on love rather than an arrangement by parents, and divorce is more common due to weaker social and religious influences. The roles and expectations of family members, especially women, have changed significantly in industrial and post-industrial eras.
Family structures have evolved over time. In hunter-gatherer societies, pairing off helped form cooperation networks beyond immediate families. Marriage between groups created political alliances. In modern societies, marriage is a choice between partners based on love rather than an arrangement by parents, and divorce is more common due to weaker social and religious influences. The roles and expectations of family members, especially women, have changed significantly in industrial and post-industrial eras.
Family structures have evolved over time. In hunter-gatherer societies, pairing off helped form cooperation networks beyond immediate families. Marriage between groups created political alliances. In modern societies, marriage is a choice between partners based on love rather than an arrangement by parents, and divorce is more common due to weaker social and religious influences. The roles and expectations of family members, especially women, have changed significantly in industrial and post-industrial eras.
informal marital relationships originated in hunter-gatherer groups to forge networks of cooperation beyond the immediate family. Intermarriage between groups, tribes, or clans was often political or strategic and resulted in reciprocal obligations between the two groups represented by the marital partners. • Most young people want to marry and have children (Qu & Soriano, 2004; Smart,2002). and although most people still marry at some stage in their lives, marriage rates have declined since the “ Golden Era” of th epost- World War II period. A broader perspective, however reveals taht the crude marriage rate has fluctuated greatly over the years, with the highest rates occuring in 1940-42 (when the prospect of military service appears to have parked hasty marriages), and directly after Worl War II in 1946-48 (9.7 -10.6 marriages per 1,000 people in the resident population) see Figure 1 on page 77) • The rate increased again in the 1960s due to continued economic prosperity, the fall in age at first marriage, continuing strong social disapproval of sexual relationships outside marriage; and the introduction of the oral contraceptive pill. From the 1972 omnwards, the crude marriage rate has fluctuated between 5.4 and 5.5. The trend over the most recend decades has been accompanied by increase in age at marriage and increases in rates of cohabitation.(i.e.., de facto relationships • Marriage is the basis of family. In traditional family the marriage was settled by the parents. The marriage ceremony was based on the principle of male dominance and female obedience. In modern family people is less subject to the parental control regarding marital affairs, the marriage is now settled by the partners themselves. It is the choice of mate by mate usually preceded by courtship or falling in love. vToday more stress is being laid on romantic love but love is no more sacramental now. Marriage also has become a civil contract rather than a religious sacrament. It can be dissolved easily at any time as it is settled by mutual consent of the partner. The authority of religion over the conditions of marriage has markedly declined. Divorce, desertion and separation are frequent occurence in modern family where as it was rare phenomenon in traditional family. • While marriage trends play an essentila role in shapig those relating to divorce,divorce trends have also been heavily influenced by the interaction of several other factors, including women’s increased opportunities to achive financila independence; improvements in the “safety net” provided to financilay vulnerable families w weakening of the social stigma attached to divorce; and klegislative reforms. • In the first decade of the 2oth century, the number of divorces recorded each year ranged from 300 to 500. As figure 2 shows, the crude divorce rate rose slightly in the 1920s to mid- 1940s, peaking at 1.1 divirces per 1, 000 resident population in 1947, partly reflecting the instability of hasty wartime marriages and the disruptive effects of the war on marriage ( Carmichael >& McDonald, 1987; Coughlan 1957). • The rate then declined slightly until the 1960s , when it changed direction again. The rise followed the ontroduction ofthe Matrimonial Causes 1959, which came into the operation in 1961. • Although many divorces occurs to couples with children under 18 years old, the proportion of all divorces that involve children isa declined since the arly 1970’s -from 68% in 1971 to 61% in 1980,56% in 1990, 53% in 2000, and 48% in 2012. Since 2000, around 43, 000 to 54, 000 children under 18 years have experienced the divorce of their parents each year. • In modern family the woman is not the devotee of man but an equal partner in life with equal rights. The husband does not dictate but only requests to wife to do a task for him. She is now emancipated of man’s slavery. She can divorce her husband as the husband can divorce her. • Living together as an unmarried couple • about 60% of couples who marry have cohabitated • Committment is the difference - Marriage assumes permanence - Cohabitation assumes remaining together “ as long as things work out”. Democratic ideas have provided equality and liberty to even women too. As a result women are not playing domestic role but also economic and political roles. They have now become property owners and business managers. They have right to vote and can actively participate in politics. They are now liberated from chains of traditionalism and they are now able enough to move from kitchen to cabinet. They stand on an equal footing with men. Aggressive leaders of women’s liberation movement have attacked the standard of morality. They are demanding more rights and liberty in the family, society as well as in the country. • Due to the employment opportunity the women has become an earning member of the family, free to work in offices, factories, banks and schools etc. This economic independence has increased her sTatus but has affected her attitude in the family as well as in society. • Due to industrialization and urbanisation the family size has been reduced and parents no longer desire more children rather develop a tendency to have a smaller family with the help of modern contraceptives. So the reproductive function of modern family has suffered a setback. However the very survival of the human race is based on reproduction. • In the modern family the trend is towards the filo centric family, where the wishes of children determine the policy of the family. The social control activities of family over children have been lessened as physical punishment is rarely awarded to children. • Inter-personal conflicts in the family are increasing. An unusual amount of confict between parents and their adolescent children are taking place. Kingsley Davis says, “ The stress and strain in our culture is symptomatic of the functionless instability of modern small family. • The modern family has given up many functions which were performed by the traditional family. Educational, procreation and care of sick persons functions have been shifted to certain external agencies like hospitals, maternity homes, nurseries kindergarten and schools etc. Apart from it the family is no longer an economic unit. More families rely upon prepared and manufactured goods for consumption. • Movies, clubs, gambling centres provide recreation to people. People leave home for commercialized recreation cetre, which has affected the cohesion of family. Protective functions of family have also declined. Families are no more the place of protection for physically handicapped, mentally retarded, aged, diseased, infirm and insane people. Other agencies have taken over this function. • Thus the family has been subjected to profound modifications of an economic, social and bilogical nature. The size and functions of the family have been reduced. It has suffered a change in regard to both its structure and functions. Its functions have been taken over by several specilaized agencies. Recent trend in the family: its structure has changed, its function have been altered and its nature has been affected. Various factors- social, economic, educational, legal, cultural, scientific, technological, etc. have been responsible for this.
Family Institution and Modernization: A Sociological Perspective. Ilori Oladapo Mayowa. Department of Sociology. Faculty of The Social Sciences. Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti.