Describe the basic functions of the family as discussed in the text

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In advanced industrial societies, families serve four key functions: (1) Sexual regulation

—families are expected to regulate the sexual activity of their members and thus

control reproduction so that it occurs within specific boundaries. At the microlevel,

incest taboos prohibit sexual contact or marriage between certain relatives. Sexual

regulation of family members by the family is supposed to protect the principle

of legitimacy—the belief that all children should have a socially and legally recognized

father. (2) Socialization—parents and other relatives are responsible for teaching

children the necessary knowledge and skills to survive. (3) Economic and psychological

support—families are responsible for providing economic and psychological support for

members. In preindustrial societies, families are economic production units? in

industrialized societies, the economic security of family is tied to the workplace and to

macrolevel economic systems. (4) Provision of social status—families confer social

status and reputation on their members. These statuses include the ascribed statuses

with which individuals are born, such as race/ethnicity, nationality, social class, and

sometimes religious affiliation. One of the most significant and compelling forms of

social placement is the family's class position and the opportunities resulting from that

position.