Sociology of the family: basic concepts

The sociology of the family is a branch of sociological knowledge. Studying the family as an integral social system based on blood relationship, marriage or adoption, which unites people by commonality of life, mutual responsibility, mutual assistance.

The concept of the family in sociology has a distinctive feature, since sociology studies it both as a social institution and as a small social group. It is the family that makes it possible to learn such forms of human relations as marriage, parenthood, kinship.

The sociology of the family highlights the structure and functions of the family, which has a complex multi-level structure, including not only the number and composition of generations, but also social roles, the positions of each member.

A nuclear family consists of a married couple of parents and children who are dependent on them. The extended family includes, in addition to the nuclear family and other relatives (grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.).

Sociology of the family thus shares the concepts of family and marriage. Marriage is a legal relationship between a man and a woman in relation to one another and to children. Historically, the following forms of marriage :

A) monogamy - one man and one woman;

B) polygamy - one man and several women (or one woman - several men)

C) group marriage - several men and several women.

In modern society, the most developed monogamous marriage of a man and a woman, based on love and personal choice. The role of intrafamily relations is growing as a factor in strengthening the family group and the social institution.

Functions of the family, sociology associates with the interests of society, the needs of the individual.

The economic function is to provide family members with means of subsistence, including disabled and under-age members of the family (children, the elderly, the disabled)

The household function is related to the provision of household services by family members to each other. Joint management of the economy ensures the strengthening of intra-family relations.

Reproductive function is the most important in the social plan, as it consists in the production of the population, in meeting the natural need for children.

The educational function is aimed at the upbringing and socialization of the younger generation.

The family also performs the function of primary social control, which consists in the cognition of social norms, sanctions, and the regulation of behavior.

The function of spiritual communication ensures satisfaction of man 's natural need and includes spiritual enrichment, moral responsibility, friendly relations.

Socio-status function is that the family provides its members with a certain position in the structure of society, starting opportunities.

The leisure function consists in organizing and holding the free time of all members, developing abilities.

Emotional function also plays a big role in meeting the natural needs of family members, providing psychological help and support.

The functions of the family are interrelated, they represent an integral structure, supplementing and enriching each element of the system.

The sociology of the family and its research are currently the most relevant, as in Russia there is a crisis of the social instinct of the family. The number of families with obvious intra-family unhappiness has sharply increased, with violation of the most important functions. Many families are not only functionally insolvent, but also have a clear antisocial orientation. A sharp increase in the number of children left without parental care, divorce, alcoholization and parenting leads to disappointing statistics.