Family

A family is a basic social group which is present in all societies. An ideal family provides its members with friendship, companionship, and security. The structure of a family and the needs that it fulfills can vary between societies. There are three basic family units. The most common one is a nuclear family. This unit consists of two parents and their children. Either this or an extended family can be the main unit. An extended family includes grandparents and such. The third possible unit is a single-parent family. This can usually be seen due to a divorce, the death of a parent, or having only one parent to begin with. The main function of a family is to provide love and emotional support between its members. This is very important, especially to infants and young children. Many of the functions once performed by the family such as education and recreation are now performed by outside influences and institutions. Here are some of the things that are usually separate from the family unit. The most common activity separate from family groups is work. People don’t work in their families but away from home in different locations and occupations. This of course excludes chores which fall under household work that is usually equally distributed among family members. Education is also not provided at home unless the children are home-schooled. It is provided by public or private institutions where children from many different families attend. Though recreational activities and religion still play a role in family life, they can also be available outside home. Even the socialization of children, one of the main family functions, has been influenced by the mass media and life outside of the house.