Family and Social Institution

• The concept of family is not universal and it varies greatly across cultures and societies. There are different family structures and dynamics all around the world.
• Social institutions are a group of social positions, connected by social relations, performing a social role.
• Characteristics of social institutions:

  1. Institutions are purposive.
  2. They are relatively permanent in their content
  3. Institutions are structured
  4. Institutions are a unified structure.
  5. Institutions are necessarily value-laden
• Major social institutions:

  • Family
  • Religion
  • School
  • Government
  • Economic sectors
• Functions of social institutions:

  • Simplifies social behaviour for the person.
  • Provides ready-made forms of social relations and social roles for the individual.
  • Acts as agencies of coordination and stability for the total culture.
  • Tends to control behaviour.
• A family is found in a single household, commonly united by ties of marriage and blood.
• Characteristics of the Asian family:

  1. Closely knit and has strong family ties.
  2. Has strong loyalty among members.
  3. Usually extended and big
  4. Kinship ties are extended to include the compadre or sponsors
• Functions of the family:

  • Reproduction and rearing of the young
  • Cultural transmission or enculturation
  • Socialization of the child
  • Provide affection and security
  • Provide environment for personality development and growth of self-concept in relation to others.
  • Providing social status.
• 5 Categories of family:

  • According to membership
  • According to Marriage
  • According to the line of descent
  • According to residence
  • According to authority
• ACCORDING TO MEMBERSHIP

  • Nuclear or conjugal family: Husband, wife, and children
  • Consanguine or extended family: Parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins.
• ACCORDING TO MARRIAGE

  • Monogamy: An individual has only one partner during his/her lifetime.
  • Polygamy: One man is married to two or more women.
  • Polyandry: One woman is married to two or more men.
  • Cenogamy: two or more men mate with two or more women in a group marriage.
• ACCORDING TO DESCENT

  • Patrilineal: descent is recognized through the father's line.
  • Matrilineal: descent is recognized through the mother's line.
  • Bilineal: descent is recognized through both the mother's and father's line
• ACCORDING TO RESIDENCE

  • Patrilocal: A newly married couple lives with the parents of the husband.
  • Matrilocal: A newly married couple lives with the parents of the wife.
  • Neolocal: A newly married couple maintains a separate household, living by themselves.
• ACCORDING TO AUTHORITY

  • Patriarchal: The father is considered the head and plays a dominant role.
  • Matriarchal: The mother is considered the head and makes the major decisions.
  • Equalitarian: Both mother and father make decisions and are equal in authority.