What Family Type is More Logical?

Macedo

Professor Albert Einstein

Sociology 101

9 June 2007

OUTLINE

WHAT FAMILY TYPE IS MORE LOGICAL

I . The Definition of the Family

A . Definitions Based on Family Activities

B . Definitions Based on Family Organizations

C . A Working Definition of the Family

II . Theoretical Analysis to the Study of Family

Symbolic Interaction Analysis

Social-Exchange Analysis

Structural Functional Analysis

III . Major Family Types

Family Types Based on Kinship Structures

Nuclear Family

Extended Families

Family Types Based on Life-Cycle Functions

Families of Orientation p

Families of Procreation

IV . The Historical Development of the American Family

The Puritan Family

Family Life on the American Frontier

The Rise of the Modern Middle-Class Family in American Life

Toward the Postmodern American Family

What Family Type is More Logical

Although the family is universal , domestic life does not assume a uniform pattern of social organization in all societies . Family types differ as much as the separate cultures in which they exist . As products of Western culture we can scarcely imagine life in the polygamous families of the Australian aborigines , in the arranged-marriage system of classical China , or in the patriarchal pattern of Old Testament families . Hence , different societies have different types of families . Which among the various family types met its society 's needs ? What family type is more logical

The Definition of the Family

Before we can proceed with our investigation on which family type is more logical , we need to define this institution as exactly as we can Generally speaking , social scientists divide into two camps when they define the family . The functional camp defines the family by what the group does , while the substantive camp focuses on what the family is , in organizational terms

Definitions Based on Family Activities

Families come in more varieties than the legendary Heinz soups - a fact that makes them hard to define . Social scientists seek a definition which will cover typical as well as extreme family types . The functional approach to defining the family concentrates on essential family activities which distinguish this social institution from others Once a unique set of activities is identified , all groups carrying on these functions can be defined as families

George

. Murdock was one of the early leaders in developing the functional definition of the family . In his classic study , Social Structure , he listed four universal functions of nuclear families procreation , sexual relations between marriage partners , cooperative economic activities , and the socialization of children . More recently Ira Reiss eliminated the first three functions as unique to the family and laid greater stress on the last item , the socialization of children Accordingly , he defined the family institution as . a small kinship structured group with the key function of nurturant socialization of the newborn ' The organization of this kinship structured group ' is open-ended , emphasizing the socialization function . A single mother and child , a single father and child as well as several generations living together , would all qualify as families as long as the group participated in the nurturant socialization of the newborn (Reiss 29

Definitions...