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What is the family?
A definition.
"A family is a social institution that unites individuals into cooperative groups that oversee the bearing and raising of children."
J.J. Macionis & J. Plummer, 1997, Sociology, A global perspective, Prentice Hall, p.475.
Another Definition
"The family is a social group characterized by common residence, economic cooperation,
and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children,
own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults."
G.P. Murduch, 1940, Human Relations Area File.
Four Functions of Murduch?s Family
Common residence.
Economic-cooperation.
Reproduction.
Sexual.
What about single parent families and homosexual marriages?
Criticism of Murduch?s Definition
Household confused with family.
You may be living at camp during national service. Surely you are still a member of the family.
Economic cooperation,
read patriarchal relationships. Women are financially dependent.
Reproduction , read motherhood. Giving birth is natural, the rest is socially constructed.
Unrealistic to think that men and women are restricted to having sex with the same partner. Adultery, prostitution.
What does "
socially approved" mean.?
Family or Household?
Now go back to the first Definition.
Do you see any problems?
What if a husband and wife were unable to have or adopt children?
Is the existence of children an indicator of a family?
What about a crèche,
or school?
Kinship
The problems met in defining the family has resulted in some relying instead on the notion of Kinship.
The problem of defining any concept can not be circumvented by trying to define another concept. Surely the same problems will be encountered.
It is the defining of concepts that is the problem.
A Definition of Kinship
A social bond, based on blood, marriage or adoption, that joins individuals into families.
J.J. Macionis & J. Plummer, 1997, Sociology, A global perspective, Prentice Hall, p.475.
Who is included varies throughout history and from culture to culture.
Why do Singaporeans call unrelated elders, Uncle or Auntie? How would this alter the definition above?
Marriage and the Family
What is family cont...
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