Text 4 The Family

The family is the most basic and ancient institutions, and it remains the fundamental social unit in every society.

There are many different views on family life. Some people could not do without the support and love of their families. Others say it is the source of most our problems.

Sociologists divide families into two general types: the nuclear family and the extended family, which may include three or more generations living together.

There are people who say that the family unit is in crisis, that traditional family life is the thing of the past, and the family is in decline. The number of one-parent families increases; the current divorce rate is high; there is a lack of discipline within the family. Some politicians blame social problems, such as drug taking and juvenile crime.

There is no definition of a “normal” family. Broadly speaking, the family is a group of people related by blood or law, living together or associating with one another for a common purpose. That purpose is usually to provide shelter and food, and to bring up children. Now there are a number of types of family that exist in a society at any one time.

What characteristics are common to all family forms?

First, the family consists of a group of people who are in some way related to one another. Second, its members live together for long periods. Third, the adults in the group assume responsibility for the children. And forth, the members of the family form an economic unit – often for producing and for consuming goods and services. We may say, then, that the family is a relatively permanent group of people related by ancestry, marriage, or adoption, who live together, form an economic unit, and take care of their young.