Examine a range of diverse family structures and functions in Britain today.

05/4/07

Examine a range of diverse family structures and functions in Britain today

A family is a group of people who are related by kinship ties: relations of blood, marriage or adoption. The family unit is one of the most important social institutions, which is found in some form in nearly all known societies. It is the basic unit of the social organization and plays a key role in socializing children into the culture of their society. Although the stereotype of the family is of a married people with two children, there are actually many variations in family structure, for example, nuclear, extended, one-parent, step-families and many more. Nowadays, in Britain, nearly all forms of family structure, which are mentioned above, can be found in the society. Most British people have accepted a range of diverse family structures today. In this essay, first the main functions of the family will be stated and explained. And then three family structures will be listed done by one with some specific information to make them easily understood, also some minor structures will be mentioned.

Functions of the diversity family

Firstly, a family is the most important institution in the society and the basis of other institutions. A family exists in almost every society. The reasons for the important role of the family are reproduction (according to Murdock—a functionalist) providing one generation after another to the whole society and all social institutions. Hence, it is the family that makes sure of the continuity of the society even of the human beings. If there were no family, there would be no new born and no mankind and no society. Whereby, the family plays an important role in the whole society and all social units by producing continued successors for the society.

Secondly, a family provides for a child’s needs, because children are unable to care for themselves. These needs include: food, shelter, warmth, clothing love and companionship, protection and support, care and training, a secure environment in which they can develop into young adults. Even when a child has become adult, many of the items in the list above continue to be provided by the family.

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Thirdly, a family bears educational responsibility by socializing the children into their culture. Murdock argues that the family is essential for passing on the society’s culture to the next generation. Similarly, Parson (a functionalist) imposes primary socialization on the family because in the family, children’s personality is created or mounded more or less. The family influences and teaches children’s behaviors and tells them how to deal with situation around them, how to behave and how to adapt to the culture. Through this socialization process, children can develop their own identities and personalities.

Family structures

“The invention of the pill, allowing both men and women to file for divorce without having to prove adultery and even religion not playing such an important part in peoples lives meant that changes in the family structure became more acceptable.” I

Firstly, extended family. The extended family is a large family group, which includes grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins. Such family is the basis for the traditional pattern of family life in many countries. When the members of an extended family are closely connected by affection, duty, common interest or daily acquaintance, they may support and help each other in a number of ways such as providing comfort at times of distress, helping the parents to bring up their children, looking after the children in an emergency or when parents are working, giving advice on problems and helping financially. Also there are some disadvantages about this kind of family such as the frequent conflict and prejudice between members. And at most case, the extended family eventually is broken due to some serious disagreements. This kind of family is more likely to appear in Asian countries in contrast to that in western countries.

Secondly, nuclear family. A nuclear family consists of parents and their children. Functionalism believe this kind of family with the arguments that “the father financially supporting the family and the mother (have to be married) looking after their children at their home provided all the necessary factors needed in life.” ii Life in a nuclear family differs from that in an extended family with children brought up only by parents who have little or no help and support from grandparents and other relatives. Often, both parents have fobs and adults who are not part of the family, like the nurse, may care for the children. So children in this type of family are not looked after well especially in today Britain where both parents are busy working.

Thirdly, one-parent family. In this family structure, only one parent brings children, usually the parent is the mother, but sometimes it is the father. The one parent has to do everything that is usually shared by two parents—provide food, shelter, clothes, a sense of security, daily care and training, which is very hard work and continues for many years until the children have grown up. As the increasing divorce rate happens, single-parent families have become increasingly common in Britain. Also the births outside marriage are another cause of this structure. The family situation can also change with one parent families becoming two-parent families or the other way round. The mixed family is called a reconstituted family.

Fourthly, some other family structures such as reconstituted family, ethnic minority family also exist in British society today. In addition, “People who are unable to have children themselves, adoption or fostering is more available due to the decline in orphanages and is looked at as another family structure in society”. iii Therefore, there is a range of diverse family structures in Britain.

In conclusion, a range of diverse family structures does exist in modern Britain with some important functions attached to all kinds of family. Each form has its own advantages and disadvantages. Anyway, the family as the most important institution in the society should be paid more attention to perceive its change in functions and structures in order to understand family even the culture and society specifically.

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