Free Essays on Sociology Family

Many people have been socialized to believe that the definition of a family looks a lot like an old fashioned telivision sitcom, consisting of a nuclear family, which is "a family group comprising only the wife, the husband, and their children However, a family is a relativist concept, meaning it varies from place to place and through time. One detail of families that is definite is that they are extremely varied. Conventional kin is the definition of a family that the government and society uses [for social benefits, etc] people related by blood or law. Discretionary kin are people related by blood or law at some point, but whom the individual may or may not recognize as family. Fictive kin are people or pets that have no blood or legal relation, but whom the individual recognizes as family. Political, economic, legal, religious and emotional interests are all factors that help shape this definition. In contemporary society, families are labeled as nuclear, single-parent, blended, adoptive, foster, extended, non-traditional and gay/lesbian. In many cultures a family can include multiple spouses. A family of procreation is created through marriage [and] a family of orientation is the one in which a child grows upA functionalist perspective would define family based on the functions it performs such as; to raise children responsibly, provide economic support, provide emotional security and to control sexual activity. I have come to the conclusion that a family is a unit to whom an individual feels ties of obligation. This may include blood relatives, husbands, wives, adopted children, friends, mentors, teammates, pets, etc. On the other hand, I believe that marriage in our culture, is defined by solely legal aspects, the authorized binding of two persons. It may seem unreasonable to distinguish marriage as exclusively a legal matter, however as I expressed ... Free Essays on Sociology Family Free Essays on Sociology Family Many people have been socialized to believe that the definition of a family looks a lot like an old fashioned telivision sitcom, consisting of a nuclear family, which is "a family group comprising only the wife, the husband, and their children However, a family is a relativist concept, meaning it varies from place to place and through time. One detail of families that is definite is that they are extremely varied. Conventional kin is the definition of a family that the government and society uses [for social benefits, etc] people related by blood or law. Discretionary kin are people related by blood or law at some point, but whom the individual may or may not recognize as family. Fictive kin are people or pets that have no blood or legal relation, but whom the individual recognizes as family. Political, economic, legal, religious and emotional interests are all factors that help shape this definition. In contemporary society, families are labeled as nuclear, single-parent, blended, adoptive, foster, extended, non-traditional and gay/lesbian. In many cultures a family can include multiple spouses. A family of procreation is created through marriage [and] a family of orientation is the one in which a child grows upA functionalist perspective would define family based on the functions it performs such as; to raise children responsibly, provide economic support, provide emotional security and to control sexual activity. I have come to the conclusion that a family is a unit to whom an individual feels ties of obligation. This may include blood relatives, husbands, wives, adopted children, friends, mentors, teammates, pets, etc. On the other hand, I believe that marriage in our culture, is defined by solely legal aspects, the authorized binding of two persons. It may seem unreasonable to distinguish marriage as exclusively a legal matter, however as I expressed ...