Project 2: Institutions Analysis

Different types of family

Feifei Chen
Sociology 1
10/11/2015

Definition and history of family:

Definition: A family is a group of people that attached by a relationship. Such as,
blood and marriage.
History: The history of a family is a social history that concerns kinship groups
from traditional to modern times.

Nuclear family
Definition: A nuclear family constituted by 2 adults and their children.
Fast disappearing are the households comprised of the traditional nuclear
families of Mom, Dad, and two children. In nowadays, more and more households
have different living style. For example, people who are living alone, blended
families, single parents, and domestic partnerships that along with other family
configurations. There is only 48.4% of households are married. Base on these
48.4% households, there is only 20.2% have children. (Timmermann Sandra)

Function of nuclear family

According to Murdock, there are four functions are performed by the nuclear
family. Sexual, reproductive, economic, and educational are the four functions.
Sexual refers to the sexual gratification of the parents of the family.
Reproductive refers to the family who producing a new generation that is going to
the society and take jobs.
Economic refers to the family that is a consumer and provides workers for the
capitalist system.
Educational refers to the family that is an educational institution, which teaches a
new generation the values of society.

Modern family
(Single family)
Definition: Single family is a family that have only one parent and children. The
original family has been separated by many reasons. For example, divorce or
death.
Single parent families represent specific challenges to family therapists
sometimes. (Rober Peter)

Function of single family

The growing numbers of single-parent families have not been matched by an
increase in our understanding of their family function. This study examined
parent/child perceptions of relationships and actual interaction as a function of
family structure. (Walker, Lawrence J., and Karl H. Henning)

Homosexual parents family

Definition: the type of this family is consisting of same sex couple and children.
Children that have raised in the homosexual family do not have any differences
from those children that are raised in the normal family. Result shows that there
has no differences or any measures between the heterosexual and homosexual
parents or children of those parents. (Allen, Mike, and Nancy Burrell)

Function of Homosexual Family

It suppose be set up by the same sex parents and children. Homosexual family is
a consumer just like normal family. Moreover, it also provides workers for the
capitalist system. They should be treated equally.
Homosexual family also has same education system as those normal families.

Dink family
Definition: This type of family consisting of different sex couples with no kids.
The increasing number of the Dink families show that the concept of marriage and
procreation has changed a lot with the rapid economy development. The gradual
perfection of the social security and the more drastic competition of taking up an
occupation. ( XIAO Ai-Shu)

Function of Dink Family

Due to the changes in the reproductive norms, great pressure in work and high
costs of childrearing, many white-collar employees either willingly choose not to
have child, or too old to conceive since they have kept delaying childbirth. (Juhua
Yang)

Monogamous family and Polygamous family

Definition of Monogamous family: A monogamous family is based on legal or
social monogamy. In case, this kind of family only have one husband and one wife.
This is also the form of normal family.
Definition of Polygamous family: Polygamy is a marriage that includes more than
two partners. Husband that have more than one wife, or wife have more than one
husband.
Findings suggest that polygamy in both well-functioning and poorly-functioning
families are all painful, particularly for wives. (Slonim-Nevo, Vered, and Alean AlKrenawi)

Questions and answers

1. The society perceive the institution of a family by making a progressive in
economics as a group and other reasons.
2. The family perceive themselves by the bond that they are relating with. Such
as, parents have their goals to educate their children to be a better people.
Moreover, it has blood that relate with.
3. In the past, there had more traditional family than modern family. But, the
numbers of modern family are increased and it also count as a part of the
society.
4. Because of the changing of economic and law, the family system is also
changed. Dink family is appeared because of the economic factors.
Polygamous family is slow disappearing because of the change of the law.

Questions and Answers

5: Family is still consist of people that are from the same or different class. Family
should always consist of human, not animals.
6: The major participant in the family is husband, wife, and children.
7: The family always get involved in the economics and education part in the
society. Parents educate children, school educate children as well. Children will
work in the society and produce products for the society after they grow up. For
the economics, family consume and produce goods for the society. This improves
the growth of the economics.

Work Cited
Juhua Yang. Continuity or Change? Family Structure and Its Consequences in Transitional China. Center for Population
and Development Studies.
Rober, Peter. "The Single-Parent Family And The Family Therapist: About Invitations And Positioning." Australian & New
Zealand Journal Of Family Therapy 31.3 (2010): 221-231. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 June 2015.
SLONIM-NEVO, VERED, and ALEAN AL-KRENAWI. "Success And Failure Among Polygamous Families: The Experience
Of Wives, Husbands, And Children." Family Process 45.3 (2006): 311-330. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 June 2015.
Sociologyrotherham.wikispaces.com/file/view/Functstudentessay.doc
Timmermann, Sandra. "What Ever Happened To The Nuclear Family? Impact Of A Changing America On Financial
Services."Journal Of Financial Service Professionals 67.1 (2013): 27-29. Business Source Elite. Web. 28 June 2015.
Walker, Lawrence J., and Karl H. Hennig. "Parent/Child Relationships In Single-Parent Families." Canadian Journal Of
Behavioural Science/Revue Canadienne Des Sciences Du Comportement 29.1 (1997): 63-75. PsycARTICLES. Web. 29
June 2015.
XIAO Ai-shu. A Socio-historical Study On The DINK Families In Modern China.Journal of University of Science and
Technology of Suzhou. Web. 29 June 2015.http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-SZTD200403020.htm