Examining Social Theories On The Family

Chief amongst these are that families have two goals: in raising children and establishing solid and stable adult relationships (Parsons and Bales 1955). The way families achieved these goals was by establishing specific roles for each member of the family, specifically the two parents. This structure, with a man in the workforce and woman at home, was very prevalent in the 1950s. In 1960, according to Phillip Cohen (2014), 65 percent of children lived in homes with married parents where only the father was employed. At this point, with a majority of children living in such situations, it seemed valid to define families using these households. However, this household structure quickly fell out of prominence: by 2012, only 22 percent of children lived in such homes. The most common household type — 34 percent — involved married parents where both adults worked. With families now being arranged in such varied ways, it is more difficult to generalize about family structures as you and Bales do, Dr. Parsons (Cohen 2014: 2-3).

This essay will discuss the various family structures in society. It will give theoretical explanation as to why and how families have changed. The essay will also bring statistical, historical and political evidence to back up the reason for these changes.

First, according to Macionis (2004) the term family is defined as a social institution found in all societies that unite people in cooperative groups to oversee the bearing and raising of children. Same author also discusses several theoretical approaches have been identified that identifies the family as a form of social institution and how the family unit interconnect with other social institutions within any given society. According to the Structural-Functional Analysis for example, the family serves as a unit that perform many vital tasks

Upon the development of theories, researchers have compiled two main sets that contain eight sub-theories; macro-level theories focus on how the family is a social institution-the organized pattern of statuses and structures, roles, and rules by which a society attempts to meet certain of its most basic needs (39)-and micro-level theories emphasize what happens within families, looking at everyday behavior, interaction between family members, patterns of communication, and so on (47). The family development theory addresses how patterned alterations that occur within families through set stages over a period of time are ever-changing. The stage is known as, the family life cycle, corresponds with how rearing children affects families throughout life. Developed by Roy Rodgers and Joan Aldous, the family career cycle, addresses how the marital and parental careers are furthermore affected by an individual's educational or occupational career. The development of the family life course characterizes a combination of all the events and stages that a family undergoes.

A family is defined as “a group consisting of two parents and their children living together as a unit.” (Oxforddictionaries.com, 2014) This definition represents how the typical family should be, but in Australia there seems to be no typical Australian family because families have changed greatly over the past fifty years. Many factors have contributed to the change in families over the past fifty years such as marriage and birth rates, the roles of families and the number of family members. The typical stereotypes of families and their roles, marriage and birth rates and smaller households will be the main points discussed to support the hypothesis. This essay will also link the three social paradigms functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic

One way to analyze this Family is with the Family system theory. This theory states that the family functions as a system Within this system are rules, power structures and different patterns of communication. In this theory the family is seen as a whole rather than as its individual parts. We also assume that the family functions off of circular causality and redundancy principle plays a role in the family rules. The concepts that I am going to use to describe this family will include; family cohesion, communication pattern, roles of a few of the members, the family rules and circular causality.

(Page 44, online) In both cases these sets of rules provide morality for the characters as well as some direction. The importance of family in shaping an individual can be explained through the sociological functionalist theory. In sociology, family is explained to be an institution, the theory states that “institutions fulfil functional prerequisites and are essential”. It is arguable that family are one of the most important institutions, as individuals often spend the most time at home learning morals and values from their parental figures.

A nuclear family is defined as: ‘A couple and their dependent children, regarded as a basic social unit.’ My research of this concept will focus on the theories of two sociologists - George Peter Murdock, and Talcott Parsons. George Murdock’s theory suggests that there are four essential functions of an ideal family. 1. Stable satisfaction of the sex drive, 2. The biological reproduction of the next generation, 3. Socialisation of the young, 4. Meeting its members economic needs (Thompson, 2014). According to Murdock, these four components are what keep the structure of the basic family unit intact, and by achieving these four functions create an ideal family model. An opposing theory is Talcott Parson’s functional fit theory. Parson suggests that as society evolves, alternative forms of family life become more accepted. Society has progressed so much that single parents providing for their children is as normal as a nuclear family, and there tends to be less need for extended

The Bowen family systems theory can utilize to understand the Gillison’s family dynamics. According to the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family (2016) the Bowen family system theory views family as an emotional unit that utilizes systems thinking to comprehend the complexity of the interactions within the unit. The theory describes families as having a major influence on their member’s thoughts, feelings and actions, which leads them to feel as if they are composed of the same “emotional skin”. The members of families, according to this theory, are driven by each other’s attention, approval, and support. The members therefore, react to each other’s expectations and wants and needs. The family is therefore interdependent. One change in one member’s function leads to a change in the functioning of the others. This is evidence in the case of the Gillison family.

In many ways family systems theory can be seen as a broad field where there many different implications that make up the system, it is a system. A system is a set of objects that are bound together by a relationship, which are based around the attributes of the objects as drawn upon by (Janet.BB, 1982). Family systems theory addresses the many different ideals and values that make up a typical family, these include the roles each member of the family, the power relations either from the male of the family or both parents of the family, the boundaries that are set within the family to ensure that the structure of the family is secure, in both individualistic and collectivist families this can be seen (Fred Rothbaum, 2002).

While studying family systems theories over the past two semesters, I discovered, that all methods demonstrate validity and success, some models speak more thoroughly to my therapeutic style. The methods that I related to the most are Solution-Focused and Strategic Therapy. Both techniques focus on the client’s strengths and not the pathology of the problem. MRI strategic practices and techniques influenced the creators of Solution-Focused Therapy, Steve De Shazer, and his colleagues. Both approaches have the ability to address family and individual problems in a brief time frame.

In a sociological perspective, family is interpreted as a social group whose members are bound by legal, biological, or emotional ties or a combination of all three. The sociological theories the connect to this concept are functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionalism. First, functionalism states that the family socializes children, it provides emotional and practical support for its members, and it provides its members with a social identity. Secondly, conflict theory states that members create disagreements, and create emotional support and comfort. Finally, symbolic interactionism claims family members and intimate couples interact on a daily basis. "Families are defined as a relationship by blood, marriage, or affection" (Seccombe 5).

The discipline of Sociology has long been interested in the study of human behavior. This interest grows from the sociological conception of relationships which distinguish the individual and differentiate him from other members of society. Through the ages, man has been influenced by social interaction and cultural surroundings. Sociologists have also recognized that a social institution consists of a concept and a structure, and that this structure is a framework made up of permanent relationships. The family is a social institution consisting of a certain structure. In earlier times, society defined “families” as “close-knit, internally organized cooperative

Families vary from time to time and from one culture to the next. However, the family as a social institution exists in all cultures. In general, a family can be defined as any group of people who live together and are emotionally bonded, related by blood, marriage, or adoption. Furthermore, there are many variations in the family from one generation to the other, and this is what happened in Lebanon. Lebanon consisted of clans and tribes where all the relatives lived in the same shelter or home with their own united behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, and values. After that, modern life led to a massive change in our way of thought which extended to

In the United States, nearly half of all marriages end in divorce(Thio, 2012). The United States currently holds first place in the world in terms of divorce rates. Also according to Thio, around ten to twenty percent of all families experience violence, whether between parents or between children and their parents. Divorce and violence are few of the many problems that all sorts of families face everyday. Many sociologists have tried to explain family problems and how they relate to the three sociological paradigms; functionalist theory, conflict theory, and social interaction theory. Functionalist theory attributes family problems to social changes that prevent the family from performing its