The Concept of Family from Theoretical Perspectives

The Concept of Family from Theoretical Perspectives

            Family refers to a group of people who share the same ancestors or rather a basic social unit that comprises of parents and their children. Family is generally considered as a primary social institution and the location of an individual’s social activity. It is arguably a social unit created by blood and marriage. The concept of family may be defined by the use of numerous theories to enable people to get the ideal meaning of the term. The paper seeks to analyze the concept of family by utilization of renowned theories such as structural functionalism, symbolic interaction, and conflict.

Structural Functionalism Theory

It can be simply referred to as functionalism. It as a framework for creating a theory that views society as a complicated system whose sections work together to enhance stability and solidarity. The theory looks at the society through a macro-level orientation, which is a comprehensive focus on the social structures that build the entire society. The strategy believes that society has evolved just like an ideal organism. Structural functionalism theory analyses both social functions and social structure. Functionalism depicts the whole society in terms of the functions of its constituent components, such as customs, institutions, norms, and traditions. Herbert Spencer asserted that the parts of society referred to as “organs” work towards the proper functioning of the society, which is viewed as a “body.” Biology has been utilized to offer a guide to conceptualizing the structure as well as the function of social systems and to evaluating processes of evolution through mechanisms of adaptation (Mulkay, 2014).  Functionalism theory stresses on the pre-eminence of social world order over its individual parts. Malinowski’s argument of structural functionalism is that the nuclear family is the fundamental building base of society since it grows into clans, which further forms society as a whole.

Similarly, functionalists concentrate on the positive functions of the nuclear family, for instance, the adult personality’s stabilization and secondary socialization. Proponents of functionalism view society as a system made up of various families (parts) that depend on each other. The theory holds that the family is an essential institution of society which performs vital functions of bringing together the young and addressing the emotional needs of its members. According to structural functionalism, there are numerous functions of the family, such as; addressing the economic needs of its members like food and shelter, teaching basic norms and values, reproduction of the next generation to continue expanding the society, and stable sexual satisfaction (Mulkay, 2014). Women and men have different roles in a family, and sometimes, in a marriage, the male spouse is required to make the essential decision for the family. Women are considered as domestic workers while men are tasked with providing for the family.

Conflict Theory

            It may also be known as social conflict theory that views social life as a competition and concentrates on resource distribution, inequality, and power. Proponents of conflict theory assert that society is an avenue of inequality that results in social conflict and social change. The father of social conflict theory is Karl Marx, who argued that society is in a state of constant conflict due to competition for scarce resources. The theory held that social order is preserved by domination and power instead of consensus and conformity. Marx views society as an organization made up of people in different social classes who have to compete for material, social as well as political resources like employment, education, and housing. Social institutions such as religion, education, and government illustrate the competition in their intrinsic inequalities and assist in maintaining the unequal social structure. Some people and organizations are privileged to obtain and accrue resources than others, and they use their power and influence to maintain social institutions (Bertram & Celikates, 2015). Conflict theorists see the family as an instrument that maintains patriarchy or gender inequality in society.

Max weber, just like Karl Marx, argued that political power and economic inequalities, as well as social structure,  results in conflict in society. Nonetheless, he opined that different groups were differently affected depending on race, gender, education, and that response of people to inequality was moderated by class differences (Bertram & Celikates, 2015). George Simmel, in his work, believed that conflict could assist in integrating and stabilizing society. He also asserted that groups or rather, families work to build internal solidarity, reduce conflict, and centralize power. Addressing conflict in society reduces hostility and tension and may also pave the way for agreement in the future. Under the conflict theory, critical theory is developed as an integral part. The critical theory under the conflict theory attempts to analyze structural problems that cause inequality.

Conflict theory is evidently demonstrated in the concept of family in various ways. Proponents of conflict theory opine that family works towards the continuance of social inequality within a society by maintaining as well as reinforcing the status quo. They also view the family as an arrangement in the society that benefits males more than their female counterparts by allowing males to maintain power. The traditional form of family in numerous cultures is patriarchal, thus encouraging sex and gender inequalities. Social constructs have placed men to be a superior human being than women in that men have more power than women.   Inheritance, social capital, and education are passed on through the structure of the family; therefore, wealthy families can keep their privileged social position in the society for their family members while those from low-income families do not enjoy such privileges. Conflict theory might also apply in marriage because, due to gender, society does not believe in the equality of married people since they are of a different gender.

Symbolic-interaction Theory

Symbolic-interactionism refers to a micro-level theory that concentrates on the relationship among people within a society. It is also a school of thought in sociology that examines social behavior concerning how people socialize with each other through symbols. George Herbert developed the theory during the 20^th century, and he believed that the development of a person involves a social process and that individuals change depending on their interaction with events and other people (Patulny et al., 2015). Communication is the vehicle of symbolic interaction among people in society, and it involves an exchange of meanings through the utilization of symbols and language. Symbolic interaction theorists, they believed that people made sense of their social world through language and symbols. The theory holds that human beings interact with things depending on meanings attributed to those objects; the assigned meanings of the objects come from our socialization with other people in society.

Ideally, symbolic interactionist opines that shared activities assist in creating emotional bonds and that family and marriage relationship depends on negotiated meanings. The theory stresses that families should reinforce and rejuvenate friendships by performing symbolic rituals, for instance, family meals and holiday celebrations. It helps to promote peace in the family since everybody would be able to know the meaning of certain symbols and language. Symbolic interactionism helps families to live in peace and harmony because it enhances communication that otherwise is used to solve the family conflict that may arise.  The emphasis on symbols through the theory helps to establish the roles of every person in the family and the entire society. Moreover, symbolic-interaction helps people to know how to live in a family, especially by ensuring mutual respect and understanding among the family members (Patulny et al., 2015). The symbolic Interactionism may focus on evaluating the role of symbols in the interaction of human beings. Therefore, the theory is relevant in exploring masculinity and femininity in a family setting. Symbolic interactionism influences what an individual can do in a family based on gender.

In conclusion, the concept of family has been exhaustively evaluated by the three sociological theories, structural functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interactions. They have also commended on the issue affecting the family institution in society. Marriage and divorce are dominant snags that influence the setting of the family as a social institution in society. The theories have also provided ideas about gender roles in society. For instance, it is undoubtedly established that work in a family is divided based on gender orientation. Women perform particular tasks while men are viewed as superior human beings who perform complex work in society. The concept of family in society cannot be underestimated because it is the building block of the entire society. A society is created by many families that come together in solidarity to face various challenges in life.                                      

References

Bertram, G. W., & Celikates, R. (2015). Towards a conflict theory of recognition: On the constitution of relations of recognition in conflict. European journal of philosophy, 23(4), 838-861.

Mulkay, M. (2014). Functionalism, Exchange and Theoretical Strategy (RLE Social Theory). Routledge.

Patulny, R., Siminski, P., & Mendolia, S. (2015). The front line of social capital creation–A natural experiment in symbolic interaction. Social Science & Medicine, 125, 8-18.