Family as a social group and social institution. The role of the family and family problems in society. Family as a social institution: main types and functions of family

Introduction

In sociology, the institution of family has a special place. In our country, many scientists are working on this topic.

The family is one of the most ancient social institutions. It arose much earlier than religion, the state, the army, education, and the market.

The role of the family in society is ambiguous and incomparable with any other social institutions, since it is the most significant in terms of the strength of its influence on the formation, development and maintenance of the social well-being of the individual.

Therefore, at present, the topic of family for science and practice is relevant and significant.

The relevance of the topic of the test work is due to the alarming state of the modern Russian family, the complexity of the demographic situation in today's Russia.

The practical significance of the test work is determined by an attempt to reach the consciousness of every person that the key to a prosperous society is a happy family, that family values ​​are destined to live on condition that they are treated with care and passed on to future generations.

The purpose of the test is to explore the topic of family as a social institution in more depth.

To achieve the given goal, the following tasks were set and solved:

.Explore the essence, structure and consider the functions of the family as a social institution and small group.

2.Reveal trends in family change. Basic forms of a modern family.

.Study the problems of marriage and family in modern Russian society.

Theoretical basiswere inspired by theories and concepts formed in the works of very famous sociologists: Kravchenko A.I., Efendieva A.G., Volkova Yu.G. and others.

1. The essence, structure and functions of the family as a social institution and small group

In sociology, a family is a social association whose members are connected by a common life, mutual moral responsibility and mutual assistance, i.e. a family consists of people and their relationships.

Family is conditioned various factors culture, the method of production of material goods and the nature of the economic system. Each economic formation objectively corresponds to a specific family.

The family is a specific social phenomenon, therefore it occupies a special place in the social structure of society.

The specifics of the family are as follows:

The stability of the family as a social institution is ensured by the presence of such strong ties as kinship and marriage.

The family represents a universal form of social life.

The family develops in accordance with general, specific and particular general laws. At the same time, the family is relatively independent social institution, which, reflecting “in miniature all the contradictions of society,” is endowed with its own internal contradictions, and, consequently, internal sources development.

The family as a social institution occupies a subordinate position among large social communities.

The family is a historical, dynamic social phenomenon.

The family contributes not only to the formation of personality, but also to the self-affirmation of a person both within the family and outside it, stimulates his social, productive and creative activity, contributes to the preservation and strengthening of the physical and psychological well-being of members of society, the revelation of their individuality (it should be recognized that this applies only to wealthy families).

The social essence of the family lies in the fact that it is considered as an important subsystem of society, which, being itself a social institution, is interconnected with other social institutions and with society as a whole. At the same time, the family is a source of social belonging. The family constantly carries out a continuous process of transferring experience and traditions from one generation to another.

Family as a social institutionit is, first of all, a specific organization that ensures the physical and social reproduction of new generations in society. First of all, it was for this purpose that human society, in the process of its evolution, developed a set of social norms and sanctioned a system of relationships and interactions that led to the emergence of the most ancient social institution - family and marriage. Consequently, at the level of a small social group, a family can be called any entity that is potentially capable of carrying out such reproduction at certain stages of its development, and the core of the family can be considered an actual married couple, regardless of its legal status.

Thus, family as a small groupit is the subject of physical and social reproduction of generations. Therefore, the definition of the concept of “family” should reflect the noted characteristics of the family as a small social group while simultaneously indicating the institutional nature of this phenomenon. Based on this, A.G.’s definition seems most satisfactory. Kharchev, according to which the family is a historically specific system of relationships and interactions between spouses, parents and children in a small social group, the members of which are connected by marriage or kinship relationships, a common life and mutual moral responsibility, and the social need for which is determined by the need of society for physical and spiritual reproduction population.

It is important that in the above definition:

two most important functions of the family are mentioned, reproductive and socializing (“physical and spiritual reproduction of the population”);

it is noted that the effective implementation by the family of these functions is a necessary condition for the successful functioning of society itself, which determines its need for the existence of this social institution;

the historical conditionality of the family structure is emphasized;

the characteristics of the family as a social institution and as a small social group are combined and not opposed to each other.

The types of family structures are diverse and are formed depending on the nature of marriage, kinship and parenthood. Thus, family structure is the composition of the family and the number of its members in the totality of their relationships.

Analysis of the family structure makes it possible to answer the questions: how are the functions of this family implemented? How many generations does a family consist of? How are marital relationships represented? Who manages the life of the family? who is the performer? How are responsibilities and roles distributed?

Sociologists divide families into parental families, that is, families of the older generation, and procreation families, created by adult children who separated from their parents.

Based on the number of generations included, families are divided into extended (three or more generations) and nuclear (two generations).

Division according to another criterion - the presence of parents - gives the types of complete (two parents) and incomplete (one parent) families.

Based on the number of children, families are divided into three types: childless (no children); single-child (one child) and large (three or more children).

The leadership criterion differentiates families into three groups: paternal (male dominance), maternal (female dominance), egalitarian (equality of roles).

The most democratic is considered an egalitarian family, in which control is divided between husband and wife, both of them participate equally in family decisions. This does not negate the rights of the husband to make fundamental decisions (after joint discussion) in one area, for example, economic, and the right of the wife to make decisions in another, say, household. Children can also take part in making family decisions.

Speaking about the functions of the family, it should be remembered that we are talking about the societal results of the life activity of millions of families, which have generally significant consequences and characterize the role of the family as a social institution among other institutions of society.

Social functions refer to the basic needs of society and people that are satisfied by the family. The most important functions of family and marriage include:

Population reproduction. Society cannot exist if there is no established system for replacing one generation with another. The family is a guaranteed and institutionalized means of replenishing the population with new generations.

Socialization. The new generation that replaces the old one is able to learn social roles only through the process of socialization. The family is the unit of primary socialization. Parents pass on their life experience and modal attitudes to their children, instill the (“positive”) manners accepted in this society, teach crafts and theoretical knowledge, lay the foundations for oral and in writing, control the actions of children.

Care and protection. The family provides its members with guardianship, protection, and social security. Children not only need a roof over their heads, food and clothing, but they also need the emotional support of their father and mother at a time in their lives when no one else offers them such protection and support. The family supports those members who, due to disability, old age or youth, cannot take care of themselves.

Social self-determination. Legitimizing the birth of a person means his legal and social definition. Thanks to the family, a person receives a surname, name and patronymic, the right to dispose of inheritance and housing. He belongs to the same class, race, ethnicity and religious group to which he belongs parental family. It also determines the social status of an individual.

In addition to those listed, the most important functions of the family include: organizing everyday life, organizing personal consumption, psychological and material support for family members, etc.

The life activity of a family directly related to the satisfaction of certain needs of its members is called family function.

The main legal function of the family, as follows from the definition of A.G. Kharcheva, - reproductive, i.e. biological reproduction of the population on a social level and meeting the need for children on a personal level.

Along with its main function, the family performs a number of other important social functions:

educational - socialization of the younger generation, maintaining the cultural reproduction of society;

regenerative (“renewal”) - transfer of status, property, social status;

household - maintaining the physical health of members of society, caring for children and elderly family members;

economic - obtaining material resources from some family members for others, economic support for minors and disabled members society;

the sphere of primary social control is the moral regulation of the behavior of family members in various fields life activity, as well as regulation of responsibilities and obligations in relations between spouses, parents and children, representatives of the older and middle generations;

spiritual communication - personal development of family members, spiritual mutual enrichment;

sexual-erotic - satisfying the sexual needs of spouses, sexual control;

social status - providing a certain social status family members, reproduction of social structure;

leisure - organization of rational leisure, mutual enrichment of interests;

emotional - receiving psychological protection, emotional support, emotional stabilization of individuals and their psychological therapy;

recreational (“restoration”) - the function of restoring psychological health, achieving psychological comfort.

Each function plays a certain role in the life of the family and is important both for society and for the individual. The social and individual significance of the functions of the modern family is reflected in Table 1.

Table 1

Social and individual significance of family functions

Sphere of family activity Significance for society Significance for the individual Reproductive Biological reproduction of society Satisfying the need for children Educational Socialization of the younger generation. Maintaining the cultural continuity of society Satisfying the need for parenthood, contact with children, their upbringing, self-realization in children Household maintenance Maintaining the physical health of members of society, child care Receipt of household services by some family members from others Economic Economic support for minors and disabled members of society Receipt of material resources by some family members from others (in case of disability or in exchange for services) Sphere of primary social control Moral regulation of the behavior of family members in various spheres of life, as well as responsibilities and obligations in relations between spouses, parents, children, representatives of the older and middle generations Formation and maintenance of legal and moral sanctions Sphere of spiritual communication Development personalities of family membersSpiritual mutual enrichment of family members. Strengthening the friendly foundations of a marriage union Social-status Providing a certain social status to family members Reproduction of the social structure Satisfying the need for social advancement Leisure Organization of rational leisure. Social control in the sphere of leisure Satisfying the need for joint leisure activities, mutual enrichment of leisure interests Emotional Emotional stabilization of individuals and their psychological therapy Obtaining psychological protection and emotional support for individuals in the family. Satisfying the need for personal happiness and loveSexualSexual controlSatisfying sexual needs

The reproductive function of the family is the birth of children, the continuation of the human race. It includes elements of all other functions, since the family participates not only in quantitative, but also in qualitative reproduction of the population, which is primarily associated with introducing the new generation to the scientific and cultural achievements of mankind, maintaining its health, as well as preventing, as indicated by A.G. Kharchev and M.S. Matskovsky “reproduction of various kinds of biological anomalies in new generations.”

If earlier in Russia the type of large family was widespread, now the majority of families have one child, two, or no children at all. There are very few families with three or more children. There are several reasons for this: the spread of an urban lifestyle, the massive employment of women in the manufacturing sector, the growth of people’s culture, an increase in needs, a sharp deterioration in the material way of life of the bulk of the population in the 90s, difficulties with housing conditions.

As the birth rate declines, the structure of families also changes. They mainly consist of two generations: parents and children. Currently, there are very few families that unite three or four generations. There is also a historical explanation for this: large families live in places and times where it is difficult for a “small” family (husband, wife and children) to survive alone, without relying on numerous relatives. The reduction in average family size leads to a weakening of family ties and acts as an objective factor in the destabilization of family relationships.

With the birth of a child, the family begins to perform an educational function, and both adults and children are raised in the family. The influence of the family on the younger generation is especially important. One cannot but agree with the American sociologist J. Bossard that family relationships include not only what parents pass on to their children and children to each other, but also what children pass on to their parents. These “gifts” of children include: enriching intrafamily ties; in expanding the range of family interests; in emotional satisfaction that lasts throughout life; in the possibility of returning to past stages of life; in a deeper understanding of life processes and the “true meaning of life.”

The success of fulfilling the educational function depends on the educational potential of the family - a whole complex of conditions and means that determine its pedagogical capabilities. Family education is characterized by primacy, continuity and duration, stability and emotionality.

If a family has several children, then natural conditions appear for the formation of a full-fledged family team. This enriches the life of each family member and creates a favorable environment for the family to successfully perform its educational function.

The influence of the economic function on relationships in the family community itself can be twofold: a fair distribution of household responsibilities in the family between spouses, older and younger generations, as a rule, favors the strengthening of marital relations and the moral and labor education of children.

Currently, the function of the family in organizing leisure and recreation is noticeably increasing, since free time- one of the most important social values, an indispensable means of restoring a person’s physical and spiritual strength, and the comprehensive development of the individual.

Family life is multifaceted. This test paper briefly discusses only its purposes and main functions. But this analysis also shows that the family satisfies the diverse individual needs of the individual and the most important needs of society.

Just as society influences the family, creating a certain type of family, the family has a significant influence on the development and way of life of society. The family plays an important role in accelerating the economic and social development of society, in educating the younger generation, and in achieving happiness for every person.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that the family is one of the fundamental institutions of society, giving it stability and the ability to replenish the population in each next generation. At the same time, the family acts as a small group - the most cohesive and stable unit of society. Throughout life, a person is part of many of the most different groups, but only the family remains the group that he never leaves.

family marriage social institution

2. Trends in family changes. Basic forms of modern family

Currently, there are concerns about the stability of the institution of family and marriage. Scientists are trying to predict what awaits the family in the 21st century; will it remain in its traditional form or take on new forms?

There is no clear answer to these questions.

Within the framework of the scientific debate about the state of the modern family, two conceptually opposite approaches are distinguished - the paradigm of the “institutional crisis of the family” and the “progressive” theory.

Among progressive sociologists (A.G. Vishnevsky, A.G. Volkov, S.I. Golod, etc.) the ongoing changes are considered as processes associated with the democratic revolution of social relations.

In contrast to the modernist position, supporters of the crisis approach (A.I. Antonov, V.A. Borisov, V.M. Medkov, A.B. Sinelnikov, etc.) believe that the family is in deep decline, which must be assessed as a value-based institutional crisis. “Crisis workers” elevate the problem to the category of a global civilizational one; they believe that, with insufficient efforts to resolve it, it can lead to catastrophic consequences. Proponents of the crisis paradigm are extremely strict in their definition of family. While defending the traditional family and the traditional in the family, they insist that it is unlawful to consider a full-fledged family and its fragmented forms to be equivalent. “Crisis workers” deny expanded interpretations of the family, believing that this leads to the leveling of the specifics of this social and to the “oblivion” of its social essence.

As a trend emphasizing the “narrowing” of the object, there has been an increase in recent decades in the number of families consisting of only two people: single-parent families, maternal families, “empty nests” (spouses whose children left parental family). In an incomplete family resulting from divorce, children are raised by one of the spouses (usually the mother). A maternal (illegitimate) family differs from an incomplete family in that the mother was not married to the father of her child. Domestic statistics indicate an increase in “out-of-wedlock” birth rates: at the beginning of the millennium, every fourth child in Russia was born to an unmarried mother.

Despite disagreements in assessing the degree of anxiety of the problem under discussion, none of the authors can dismiss the obvious common features of destruction (or “growing pains”) of family and marital relations:

falling birth rates;

increase in the number of unregistered marriages;

an increase in the number of out-of-wedlock births;

transformation moral principles families;

increasing contradictions between the individual and the family;

transformation of the economic function (reduction of the economic role of men in the family);

strengthening of stereotypical problems that prevent strong marriage(lack of housing, decent income, insufficient socio-psychological readiness for marriage, psychological overload of partners);

decreased effectiveness of interaction between generations in the family.

The range of types, forms and categories of the modern family is quite diverse. Different types (categories) of families function differently in certain areas family relations. They react differently to the influence of various factors of modern life. Family typologies are determined by different approaches to identifying the subject of study. Modern families differ from each other in various ways (Table No. 2).

table 2

Forms of a modern family

Signs of a family Forms of a modern family by number of children: childless, or infertile, family, one-child, small, large; by composition, single-parent family, separate, simple or nuclear, complex (family of several generations), large family, maternal family, remarried family; by structure, with one married couple with or without children; with one of the spouses’ parents and other relatives; with two or more married couples with or without children, with or without one of the spouses’ parents and other relatives; with mother (father) and with children; by type of leadership in the family, egalitarian and authoritarian families; by family life, way of life, family is an “outlet”; child-centric family; a family such as a sports team or debate club; a family that puts comfort, health, order first; in terms of homogeneity of social composition, socially homogeneous homogeneous) and heterogeneous (heterogeneous) families; in terms of family history, newlyweds, a young family expecting a child, a family of middle and older married age, elderly couples; in terms of the quality of relationships and the atmosphere in the family is prosperous, stable, pedagogically weak, unstable, disorganized; by geography, urban, rural, remote (regions of the Far North); by type of consumer behavior, families with a “physiological” or “naive consumer” type of consumption (mainly food-oriented); families with an “intellectual” type of consumption, i.e. with a high level of expenditure on the purchase of books, magazines, entertainment events, etc., families with an intermediate type of consumption; according to the conditions family life student family, “distant” family, “extramarital family”; by the nature of leisure, open or closed; by social mobility, reactive families, families of average activity and active families; by the degree of cooperation in joint activities, traditional, collectivist and individualistic; by state of psychological health, healthy family, neurotic family, victimogenic family. Each of the categories of families is characterized by the socio-psychological phenomena and processes occurring in it, its inherent marital and family relations, including psychological aspects subject-practical activities, social circle and its content, features of emotional contacts of family members, socio-psychological goals of the family and individual psychological needs of its members.

In the family, marital and family relations are formed and developed as a reflection of diverse and multivariate interpersonal contacts, and in general the entire system of values ​​and expectations of the socio-psychological aspect.

To a large extent, the success of future family relationships is determined by the motives for marriage.

To date, various forms of marriage and family relations have developed, the most common of which are the following:

Marriage and family relations based on a fair contract system. Both spouses have a clear idea of ​​what they want from the marriage and expect certain material benefits. The terms of the contract themselves cement and help solve vital problems. Emotional attachment, which can hardly be called love, but which nevertheless exists in such a union, as a rule, intensifies over time (“they will live to see love,” as I. S. Turgenev put it). Although, if the family exists only as an economic unit, the feeling of emotional takeoff is completely lost. People entering into such a marriage have the most powerful practical support from their partner in all practical endeavors - since both the wife and husband pursue their own economic gain. In such marital and family relations, the degree of freedom of each spouse is maximum, and personal involvement is minimal: fulfilled the terms of the contract - you are free to do what you want.

Marriage and family relations based on an unfair contract. A man and a woman try to extract one-sided benefits from marriage and thereby harm their partner. There is no need to talk about love here either, although often in this version of marriage and family relations it is one-sided (in the name of which the spouse, realizing that he is being deceived and exploited, endures everything).

Marriage and family relations under duress. One of the spouses somewhat “besieges” the other, and either due to certain life circumstances or out of pity, he finally agrees to a compromise. In such cases, it is also difficult to talk about deep feelings: even on the part of the “besieger”, ambition, the desire to possess the object of worship, and passion are more likely to prevail. When such a marriage finally takes place, the “besieger” begins to consider the spouse his property. The feeling of freedom necessary in marriage and family as a whole is absolutely excluded here. The psychological foundations of the existence of such a family are so deformed that the compromises that family life requires are impossible.

Marriage and family relations as ritual fulfillment of social and normative guidelines. At a certain age, people come to the conclusion that everyone around them is married and that it is time to start a family. This is a marriage without love and without calculation, but only following certain social stereotypes. In such families, the prerequisites for a long family life are not often created. Most often, such marriage and family relationships develop by chance and just as accidentally break up, without leaving deep traces.

Marriage and family relationships sanctified by love. Two people connect voluntarily because they cannot imagine their lives without each other. In a love marriage, the restrictions that the spouses accept are purely voluntary: they enjoy spending their free time together, with members of their family, and enjoy doing something good friend for a friend and for the rest of the family. Marriage and family relations in this version are the highest degree of unification of people, when children are born in love, when any of the spouses retains their independence and individuality - with the full support of the other. The paradox is that by voluntarily accepting such restrictions (“I am happy if you are happy”), people become freer... The marriage-family form of such relationships is built on trust, on greater respect for the person than for generally accepted standards

3. Problems of marriage and family in modern Russian society

The problems of the modern family are among the most important and pressing. Its significance is determined by the fact that, firstly, the family is one of the main social institutions of society, the cornerstone human life, secondly, that this institution is currently experiencing a deep crisis.

Our sociologists, demographers, psychologists, and psychiatrists are increasingly recognizing that the main role in the emergence of all kinds of problems in family life in our country is played by reasons of a socio-psychological order: first of all, the socio-psychological culture of young spouses, their ability to achieve mutual understanding among themselves.

An analysis of the current situation shows the need for state support for the young primary cell of society. At the same time, we are not talking about supporting family dependency, we are talking about creating a favorable space for the functioning of the family, conditions for the self-realization of its interests. A law “On state support for young families in the Russian Federation” is needed. It should contain effective mechanisms that allow a young family to independently solve housing, social, financial and other problems.

The issue related to the implementation of the most important function of the family - its reproductive purpose - requires special attention and a sensitive approach. In the vast majority of countries in the world, concern for childbirth has been introduced into the rank of state policy. Despite the extremely low fertility rate, our state does not sufficiently stimulate this process. In a number of regions, child benefits are being abolished and there is little support for large families, there is no targeted preparation of young people for family life and conscious parenthood.

The Russian Federation, even by Western standards, has a uniquely low birth rate. In four of the seven most developed countries, steady natural population growth still remains: in Great Britain - 1.6, France - 3.4, Canada - 4.8, USA - 5.6 per 1000 people. In our country, there is a steady depopulation of the population not only due to low birth rates, but also due to the excess mortality of infants and men of working age. At the same time, it is known that in a normal family people live much longer and work longer.

By 2015, according to forecasts, the number of Russians entering working age will decrease by almost 2 times, and the number of people beyond working age will also exceed them by almost 2 times. How will young people feed such an army of pensioners?!

According to the forecast of the Russian State Statistics Committee, the country's population will decrease by 11.6 million people by 2016. UN demographic services predict a decrease in the population of the Russian Federation to 121 million by the middle of the 21st century. If this trend continues, the Russians simply will not be able to retain the territory of Russia. The results of the latest census show that there are a lot of foreign citizens, especially in border areas, and this does not meet the economic and geopolitical interests of Russia.

The development of the demographic situation in our country depends on:

solving key socio-economic problems and maintaining state potential that meets modern conditions;

the role that the Russian Federation plays in the consolidation of the CIS countries;

development of vast territories and larger-scale involvement in the economic circulation of natural resources and geographical advantages of the country;

maintaining the territorial integrity of the federation.

The “Concept of the demographic policy of the Russian Federation for the period until 2015” is aimed at solving the demographic problem, which basically describes the problems and talks about the need to solve them. But how to correct the situation specifically is necessary through the adoption of appropriate laws.

The demographic crisis is a threat to Russia's national security. Overcoming this crisis requires society and the state to morally elevate the role of the family in the reproduction of life, legal regulation of this basic function and providing it with material and financial support from the state, increasing the scientific validity and feasibility in practice of the latest comprehensive scientific, technical, socio-economic, health, educational programs.

The study of the modern family also confirms that while the increasing frequency of natural disasters and anomalies urgently require greater unity and coordinated actions of peoples and states, the crisis of the “modern” family is facilitated by such negative signs of modern civilization as the severity of geopolitical contradictions in the interaction of modern states; local wars, increased terrorism, man-made disasters. The point here is not just the above factors, but the death of people, their children, fear for their future, damaging the integrity of the modern family, and the destruction of humanity’s hope for the humanization of civilization.

The effectiveness of legal regulation of family relations is achieved under the following conditions: when family legislation is based on RIGHT as the essence of laws - demands from man and human society and the state for the freedom to create good for all citizens, ensure the safety of life, equality and justice; when the fundamental law of the state - the Constitution - proceeds from and protects the fundamental rights of man and citizen; when the Constitution and the family legislation emanating from it reflect the specific historical needs of society, the family, children for family well-being and the progress of the entire society.

A study of current aspects of the legal regulation of family disputes shows that real family relationships go far beyond the scope of the current family and civil legislation and therefore require constant improvement. The legal consequences of divorce, deprivation of parental rights, issues of guardianship and trusteeship and adoption need special attention from society and the state.

The main features of the modern Russian family are presented in Diagram 1.

Scheme 1

A necessary condition the improvement of the Russian family is a turn of the state, local authorities authorities to family problems, overcoming the pernicious, corrupting influence on the family.

Conclusion

The family as a unit of society is an inseparable component of society. And the life of society is characterized by the same spiritual and material processes as the life of a family. The higher the culture of the family, therefore, the higher the culture of the entire society. The family is one of the mechanisms of self-organization of society, the work of which is associated with the affirmation of a number of universal human values. Therefore, the family itself has value and is embedded in social progress. The main functions of the family in a traditional society, in addition to population reproduction, are economic, household and social status. The institution of family performs very significant functions in the life of society.

A modern young family is going through a severe crisis and has its own unique characteristics.

Objectively insufficient level of material and financial security. Today, the average per capita income in young families is 1.5 times less than the national average. At the same time, 69% of young families live below the poverty line.

Objectively increased material and financial need due to the need to organize family life: purchasing housing, organizing everyday life.

The time when spouses are forced to go through certain stages of socialization: get an education, a profession, a job.

Necessary psychological adaptation to family life. 18% of young families need psychological counseling.

Unresolved problems of young families and weak government support often lead to family conflicts that contribute to family breakdown. 70% of all divorces occur in the first 5 years of marriage.

Measurements of the state of the modern family show that both in the world and in Russia there is a process of changing the type of family. Unregistered marriage is becoming increasingly common. 43% of young people indicate lack of funds as their main problem; About 70% of young people experience fear of unemployment to one degree or another; The global problem of modern youth is dissatisfaction with a society in which there is no order and no guaranteed future. IN Russian legislation There is no mechanism for supporting young families, which is why the only means of maintaining a satisfactory standard of living is the help of parents.

A necessary condition for the improvement of the Russian family is the turn of the state and local authorities to family problems, overcoming the pernicious, corrupting influence on the family.

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Family is social group, within which there is a certain connection. This could be by blood, marriage or adoption. All its members have a common budget, everyday life, presence and responsibility for each other. There are also between them, which lead to biological connections, rules of law, responsibility, etc. The family is the most important social institution. Many experts are concerned about this topic, so they diligently research it. Later in the article we will consider this definition in more detail, we will find out the functions and goals outlined by the state in front of the “unit of society”. The classification and characteristics of the main types will also be given below. Let us also consider the basic elements of family and group in society.

Divorces. Statistical data

A family is a small social group connected by many factors, for example, marriage. But, unfortunately, in our time, according to statistics, the number of divorces is steadily growing, and Russia has recently been on this list leading place. Previously, it was always overtaken by the United States. Although, of course, many new unions are being created. Every year 2 million marriages are registered in our country.

Needs of humanity

The family as a social group and social institution arose a long time ago, before religion, the army, or the state. Another American Abraham Maslow, who diligently studied psychology, created a model that shows what exactly a person desires in the first place. The concept of family as a social group includes:

1. Sexual and physiological needs.

2. Confidence in the safety of existence.

3. Communication with other people.

4. The need to be recognized as an individual in society.

5. Self-realization.

Thanks to the combination of these needs, the entire family structure is formed. There are several categories of it. Based on the number of children, families are divided into childless, small and large families. There is a classification according to how long the spouses have lived together: newlyweds, middle-aged couples, elderly couples. There are also rural and urban, authoritarian and egalitarian families (based on who is the head of the family).

Historical facts

The family, as the most important social institution, creates the history of all mankind. After all, even in ancient times there were groups of people who were united by something in common. By the way, there are still some primitive societies, for example, among the peoples of the North or the tribes of Central Africa, where the institution of marriage is almost the only one that functions stably. There are no specific laws, the police and the court are not responsible. But any such unions, nevertheless, have a social group. For example, which includes a husband, wife and their children. If there are still relatives - grandparents, grandchildren, cousins, etc. - then this will already be an extended family. But unfortunately, in modern times, most people do not really keep in touch with other relatives, so the nuclear family is a social institution that is more common today. Which is very bad, because in any life circumstances one could get help from relatives, if one does not forget that they exist.

Forms of marriage

The concept of family as a social group includes the traditional concept. It all starts with a relationship between a man and a woman, which develops into something more. And it doesn’t matter whether this union has children or not, they can unite their destinies together. Subsequently, it may break up as a result of divorce or the death of one of the spouses. Such a family, in which a child is raised by one parent, is called incomplete in the sociological literature. There is also such a thing as exogamy. It lies in the fact that the choice of a partner is limited to a specific group of people.

After all, for example, it is prohibited according to legal and moral norms to marry one’s own brother - one’s own brother or one’s cousin. Some societies prohibit choosing a future spouse within one's own clan or tribe. It also happens that a union is impossible between persons of different races and different strata of society. More popular in the West is monogamy, which involves marriage between two people of the opposite sex. Although there are nations that prefer polygamy (a union where there is more than one person in a marriage). There are even non-standard relationships when several girls and several men unite in a family. And it also happens that one woman has several husbands. This phenomenon is called polyandry. But among non-standard marriages, polygamy is the most popular. Thus, the family, as the most important social institution, must comply with the laws adopted where it was formed.

Prevalence of divorces, their causes

Sociologists have noticed that since 1970, the number of divorces began to increase, and now they are so common that, according to statistics, half of Russians who form families will certainly get divorced after some time. By the way, it has been proven that when there is an economic downturn in a country, the number of divorces increases, and when there is calm in the economy, then there are fewer of them. Probably, if a person feels the financial stability that gives him and other factors return to normal, he feels satisfied. The family as a social group and social institution directly depends on society and its instability. Many countries try to prevent divorce by making it almost impossible, or give privileges to one of the spouses. For example, in Italy until the twentieth century. the task of dissolving the marriage was impossible. Only later did the government take pity on those whose unions were unsuccessful and allowed divorces. But in most countries, if a husband leaves his wife, then he must provide for her life at the level at which she was during the marriage. In this case, the man loses his financial condition. In Russia, people share property. If children stay with their mother (this is mostly what happens), then the father must provide for them financially. There are many different nuances in the legislation of each country.

Human characteristics

In one country or another, a social institution - the family (whose functions are supported by marriage) - acquires special features, its own nature. It has been scientifically proven that not any creature, but only people can conceive a child at their desired period. After all, many animals reproduce only at a certain time, but a person does not have such restrictions; intimacy between a woman and a man can occur on any day. Another difference is that a newborn baby is in a helpless state for a long time. He needs care and concern, which his mother can give, and his father, in turn, must provide for him economically, namely, give him everything he needs: food, clothing, etc. Even in ancient times, when society was just beginning to develop , the mother looked after the baby, prepared food, and took care of her relatives. At the same time, the father, in turn, provided them with protection and food. A man has always been a hunter, a breadwinner, and did hard work. People of opposite sexes entered into relationships, offspring developed, and children appeared. No one carried out the tasks of the other, this was considered wrong, because everyone had their own responsibilities. This is inherent in the human body by nature and is passed on genetically from generation to generation.

Heir Advantage

As for agriculture and production, we can say that the family plays a very important role here. Thanks to continuity, material resources appeared. All property was transferred to the heir, thus, parents were confident in the state of the future of their children, among whom property, status, and privileges were subsequently distributed and redistributed. This, one might say, is the replacement of some people in a certain place by others, and this chain will never stop. The family is the main social institution that performs this function, determines the advantages of generations, the role of father and mother. After all, everything that parents had was passed on to their children. This ensured not only the heirs’ confidence in tomorrow, but also the continuation of this or that production. And this is important for the whole society, because without a mechanism that will always replace some people with others, it will not exist. On the other hand, for example, some important production for the city will not be lost, because it will be taken over by the heir when his father is no longer able to manage the business or dies.

Status

A child receives a stable position when born into a legal family. Everything that the parents have will be passed on to him as an inheritance, but moreover, this also applies to social status, religion, etc. None of this will be lost, everything will go to the heir. In general, human relationships are structured in such a way that you can find out the relatives of a particular person, her condition, and status. The family is a social institution that shows a person’s position in society, largely determined by his origin. Although in the modern world you can earn some kind of status through your own efforts. For example, a father, working in a company in an important position, will not be able to inherit it to his son. In order for the latter to receive it, he must achieve it himself. But a lot of things that are transferable have also been preserved: property (after all, inheritance can be passed on), the social status of an individual, etc. Each country dictates its own rules, so different nations have different laws that relate to marriage, divorce, and inheritance. But in general, the family is a social institution of society, which has its own rules and nuances.

The importance of proper parenting

From childhood, the mother teaches the child lessons in social life, he learns from the examples of his parents to live on. It is very important to provide a good emotional life for your offspring, because in this case there is a direct connection: how he is raised in the family, so he will be in life. Of course, a person’s character depends on genes, but family upbringing also makes a big contribution to it. Much depends on the feelings and mood that the father or mother gives. It is the close people who must prevent the emergence of aggressive qualities in a developing teenager, give him a sense of security, and share his emotions.

From birth, a person is formed as a person, because with every minute he lives, he learns something new, feels something that he has never felt before. All this leaves an imprint on the future character, on individuality. They say that, for example, what kind of relationship between father and mother their son will observe, this is how he will treat women in the future, what feelings his parents will give him, the same way he will treat those around him.

Suicides due to relationships that didn't work out

E. Durkheim studied statistics regarding suicide. And it has been observed that those who are single or divorced are more likely to commit suicide than those who are married, as are those who do not have children, although they are married. This means that the happier the spouses, the more, the lower the likelihood of attempts to commit suicide. According to statistics, 30% of murders are committed within the family. Sometimes even social system can upset the balance of the social unit.

How to save a relationship?

Many spouses make a plan of sorts. The family as a social group in this case receives certain tasks and goals. Together we find ways to achieve them. Spouses must preserve their hearth, provide their children with a good upbringing and living conditions, and direct the child’s development in the right direction from childhood. These foundations of the family structure, laid down in ancient generations, still exist. The problems of the family as a social institution should be considered by all relatives. Together they must preserve and pass on to their heirs ideas about the fundamentals of the structure of society, which so influence the preservation of the family, regardless of political regimes. The family is an intermediary between the individual and society. It is she who helps a person find himself in this world, realize his qualities and talents, gives him protection, helps him stand out from the crowd, and be individual. This is the most important task of the family. And if she doesn’t do all this, then she won’t fulfill her functions. A person who does not have a family will feel more and more his own inferiority with each passing year. At the same time, he may appear and develop some negative qualities. These are very important nuances that you should pay attention to when raising a child. After all, the formation of his personality begins from the first days.

Development of the individuality of each person

The family as a social group and social institution plays an important role. After all, it is she who raises an individual who can live in society. On the other hand, it protects from external factors and supports in difficult times. No one in the world worries or worries about anyone as much as he does about his relative. And, without hesitation, he helps loved ones. It is in the family that one can find comfort, sympathy, consolation, and protection. When this institution falls apart, a person loses the support he had before.

Meaning

The family is a small social group, but it is very important for the whole society. With changes in politics and economics, its structures and functions also change. The emergence of a modernized, urbanized and industrial society had a huge impact on the modern social unit. The level of mobility of its members began to increase. In other words, situations have become commonplace when one of the family members has to move to another city, where he was offered a job or promotion, leaving his relatives. And since most members of modern society prefer material well-being, success, career growth, then the proposed options are no longer considered unacceptable for them. And if this happens, then, from a social point of view, in this case the internal relationships of family members also change, because the social status of one of them, his financial situation, his views, aspirations. All this leads to the fact that the ties that bind relatives gradually become weak, and then disappear altogether.

Conclusion

Nowadays, especially for city residents, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain connections between generations. By and large, the structure is extremely weakened. Basically, all the care of its members is aimed only at caring for children, their treatment and education. Other relatives - especially older ones - are often left behind. Misunderstandings and material instability that arise on this basis contribute to the destruction of relationships between a man and a woman, the emergence of quarrels, and often even lead to separation. Problems of spiritual intimacy between spouses are important, but more important are those issues that need to be resolved with all family members. The family as a social group and social institution will function and achieve success only when each of its members understands that his achievements, his merits influence it, and the origin of the individual and his social position play a very small role. Now personal merit has an undeniable advantage over obligations. After all, with their help a person will decide where to live and what to do. Unfortunately, the nuclear system is more vulnerable and dependent on external factors (illness, death, financial losses) than the patriarchal system, in which everyone supports each other, helps each other, and if any problem happens, everyone can solve it together. Today, all actions and thoughts of our state and society are aimed at creating conditions for the harmonious development of the family in Russia, at preserving its spiritual value, socio-cultural character, and connections between relatives.

Family- a social group based on family ties (by marriage, by blood). Family members are connected by a common life, mutual assistance, moral and legal responsibility.

Social functions of the family

1. reproductive (biological procreation)
2. educational (preparing the younger generation for life in society)
3. economic (housekeeping, support and care for disabled family members)
4. spiritual-emotional (personal development, spiritual mutual enrichment, maintenance friendly relations in a marriage)
5. leisure (organization of normal leisure, mutual enrichment of interests)
6. sexual (satisfying sexual needs)

Types of family and its organization

In a comprehensive study of family structure, they are considered in complex combination. From a demographic point of view, there are several types of family and its organization.

Depending on the form of marriage:

1. Monogamous family - consisting of two partners.
2. Polygamous family - one of the spouses has several marriage partners.
3. Polygyny is the simultaneous state of a man being married to several women. Moreover, marriage is concluded by a man with each of the women separately. For example, in Sharia there is a limit on the number of wives - no more than four.
4. Polyandry is the simultaneous condition of a woman being married to several men. It is rare, for example, among the peoples of Tibet and the Hawaiian Islands.

Depending on the gender of the spouses:

1. Same-sex family - two men or two women jointly raising adopted children, artificially conceived or children from previous (heterosexual) contacts.
2. Diverse family.

Depending on the number of children:

1. Childless or infertile family.
2. One child family.
3. Small family.
4. Middle child family.
5. The large family.

Depending on the composition:

• Simple or nuclear family - consists of one generation, represented by parents (parent) with or without children. Nuclear family in modern society received the greatest distribution. She may be:
  • elementary- a family of three members: husband, wife and child. Such a family can, in turn:
    • complete - includes both parents and at least one child
    • incomplete - a family of only one parent with children, or a family consisting only of parents without children
  • composite- a complete nuclear family in which several children are raised. Composite nuclear family, where there are several children, should be considered as a conjunction of several elementary ones.
• Complex family or patriarchal family- a large family of several generations. This may include grandparents, brothers and their wives, sisters and their husbands, nephews and nieces.

Depending on a person’s place in the family:

1. Parental is the family into which a person is born.
2. Reproductive - a family that a person creates himself.

Depending on where the family lives:

1. Matrilocal - a young family living with the wife's parents.
2. Patrilocal - a family living together with the husband's parents.
3. Neolocal - the family moves to a home remote from the place of residence of the parents.

Depending on the type of child rearing:

1. authoritarian
2. liberal (built on individual self-determination, regardless of traditions, habits, established dogmas)
3. democratic (gradual instillation in the child of such traits as involvement in the destinies of other people, familiarization with universal human values)

Paternal inheritance means that children take their father's surname (in Russia also a patronymic) and property usually passes down the male line. Such families are called patrilineal. Inheritance through the female line means matrilineality families.
Each of the categories of families is characterized the socio-psychological phenomena and processes occurring in it, the inherent marital and family relations, including the psychological aspects of objective and practical activity, the circle of communication and its content, the characteristics of emotional contacts of family members, the socio-psychological goals of the family and the individual psychological needs of its members.

Gives the following definition of family:

Family is an association of people based on consanguinity, marriage or adoption, connected by a common life and mutual responsibility for raising children.

The initial basis of family relationships is marriage.

Marriage- this is a historically changing social form relationship between a woman and a man, through which society orders and sanctions them sex life and establishes their conjugal and kinship rights and obligations.

The family, as a rule, represents a more complex system of relationships than marriage, since it can unite not only spouses, but also their children, as well as other relatives.

The family should be considered not just as a marriage group, but as a social institution, that is, a system of connections, interactions and relationships of individuals that perform the functions of reproduction of the human race and regulate all connections, interactions and relationships on the basis of certain values ​​and norms, subject to extensive social control through the system positive and negative sanctions.

The family as a social institution goes through a number of stages, the sequence of which forms the family cycle, or family life cycle.

Researchers identify a different number of phases of this cycle, but the main ones are the following:

1) family formation - first marriage;

2) the beginning of childbearing - the birth of the first child;

3) the end of childbearing - the birth of the last child:

4) “empty nest” - marriage and separation of the last child from the family;

5) termination of the existence of a family - the death of one of the spouses.

At each stage, the family has specific social and economic characteristics.

The family as a social institution arose with the formation of society. The process of family formation and functioning is determined by value-normative regulators.

Such, for example, as courtship, choosing a marriage partner, sexual standards of behavior, norms that guide wife and husband, parents and children, etc., as well as sanctions for non-compliance.

At the first stages of development of society Relations between men and women, older and younger generations were regulated by tribal and clan customs, which were syncretic norms and patterns of behavior based on religious and moral ideas.

With the emergence of the state, the regulation of family life acquired legal nature. Legal registration of marriage imposed certain obligations not only on the spouses, but also on the state sanctioning their union. From now on social control and sanctions were carried out not only by public opinion, but also by government agencies.

Proponents of functionalism analyze the family from the point of view of its functions or social needs, whom she serves. Over the past 200 years, the main changes in the functions of the family are associated with its destruction as a cooperative labor association, as well as with the limitation of the ability to transfer family status from parents to children.

Main, defining family function, as follows from the definitions of the domestic sociologist A.G. Kharchev and American researcher N. Smelser, - reproductive, that is, the biological reproduction of the population and the satisfaction of the need for children.

Along with this main function, the family performs a number of other social functions:

1. Educational function - socialization of the younger generation, maintaining the cultural reproduction of society. The family is the main agent of socialization in all societies. It is here that children acquire the basic knowledge necessary to perform the roles of adults.

But industrialization and associated social changes have to some extent deprived the family of this function. The most important trend was the introduction of a system of mass secondary education.

Already at the age of 4 or 5, children were raised not only at home, but the teacher had a deep influence on them. System development preschool institutions and voluntary associations for children (for example, scout troops and summer camps) have increased the number of socialization agents performing this function along with the family.

2. Household function means maintaining the physical health of members of society, caring for children and elderly family members.

In traditional peasant and artisan societies, the family performed many functions to maintain the well-being of the people, such as caring for sick and elderly family members. But these functions changed radically during the emergence and development of industrial society. In developed countries of Western Europe and the United States, doctors and medical institutions have almost completely replaced the family in caring for people's health, although family members still decide whether there is a need to seek medical attention. medical care.

Life insurance, unemployment benefits and emergency funds social security have reduced the need for the family to take full responsibility for helping its members during periods of economic hardship. Likewise, welfare benefits, hospitals, and retirement homes have eased the burden of caring for the elderly on families.

In modern Russian society, the level of well-being of the bulk of the population is very low; on the other hand, the social sphere is poorly developed; in our country, as a rule, the family takes responsibility for disabled members of society.

3. Economic function means receiving material resources from some family members for others, economic support from the family of minors and disabled members of society.

Among the enormous changes brought about by the emergence of industrial production, there was the destruction cooperative production system.

Workers began to work outside the home, and the economic role of the family was reduced to only spending the money earned by the family breadwinner. Although the wife worked occasionally, her main responsibility was raising the children. In modern society, as a rule, both spouses work and either have a joint budget or each has their own individual budget.

In peasant agriculture and handicraft production, the family was a joint cooperative labor association. Responsibilities were distributed according to the age and gender of family members.

4. Function of primary social control means the moral regulation of the behavior of family members in various spheres of life, as well as the regulation of responsibilities and obligations in relations between spouses, parents and children, representatives of the older and middle generations.

5. Function of spiritual communication covers the development of the personality of family members, spiritual mutual enrichment.

6. Social status function means providing a certain social status to family members, reproducing the social structure.

In medieval society, there were various customs and laws that more or less automatically secured the status occupied by families from different walks of life.

A hereditary monarchy is shining example such a custom. Aristocrats who owned land and titles could pass on their high status to their children. Among the lower classes, there were systems of guilds and training in crafts - thus, professions could be passed on from one generation to the next.

The revolutions that took place in the 19th and 20th centuries were carried out with the aim of destruction of class privileges some groups. Among these privileges was the right to pass on title, status and wealth to the next generation. In some countries, including Russia and the USA, the inheritance of aristocratic titles is outlawed.

Progressive taxes, as well as taxes on insurance and death, also limit the ability to preserve wealth and pass it on to inheritance. However, wealthy, high-ranking families still have an advantage when it comes to passing on wealth and status to their children. But this is carried out rather not on the basis of inheritance, but in the form of preparing children to receive such an education and such work that provide high status.

Members of the upper class are able to pay for elite education and maintain "acquaintances" that contribute to high status. But these advantages have largely lost their significance, becoming less stable and reliable than before.

7. Leisure function includes the organization of rational leisure, mutual enrichment of interests.

8. Emotional function involves the possibility of obtaining psychological protection, emotional support, emotional stabilization of individuals and their psychological therapy.

Sociologists, comparing family structure in different societies, highlight several parameters, by which all families can be differentiated into certain varieties. These parameters include: the form of the family, the form of marriage, the pattern of distribution of power in the family, the choice of a partner, the choice of place of residence, as well as the origin and method of inheriting property.

In modern developed societies it prevails monogamy- a marriage between one man and one woman. However, there are reports of several other forms. Polygamy is called a marriage between one and several other individuals. A marriage between one man and several women is called polygyny; marriage between one woman and several men is called polyandry. Another form is group marriage- between several men and several women.

Most societies favor polygyny. George Murdoch studied many societies and found that polygyny existed in 145 of them, monogamy prevailed in 40, and polyandry was observed in only two. The remaining societies did not fit into any of these categories. Since most societies have a male to female ratio of approximately 1:1, polygyny is not widely practiced even in societies where it is considered preferable. IN otherwise the number of unmarried men would greatly exceed the number of men with multiple wives.

Some scientists emphasize the importance economic factors for the predominance of a certain form of family in society.

For example, in Tibet, land owned by a family is inherited by all sons together. It is not divided into separate plots that are too small to support each brother's family. Therefore, the brothers use this land together and have a common wife.

Of course, economic factors only partially explain the uniqueness of certain family forms. Other factors also play an important role.

For example, polygyny is beneficial for women in societies where many men die in war. Similarly, among the inhabitants of the Todas tribe in southern India (where the number of women was reduced due to the custom of killing female children), so-called fraternal polyandry (brothers sharing a common wife) was also practiced.

The British colonialists put an end to the practice of infanticide, and the number of women among the Todas began to increase rapidly. However, paired marriages never became widespread among the Todas. Instead, brothers who previously would have had one common wife began to have several common wives. Thus, a rarely observed trend towards group marriage emerged in Todas society.

Depending on the structure of family ties, simple (nuclear) and complex (extended) are distinguished. family type. Nuclear family represents a married couple with unmarried children. If some of the children in the family are married, then extended or complex a family that includes two or more generations, such as grandparents, cousins, grandchildren, etc.

Most family systems in which extended families are considered the norm are patriarchal. This term denotes the power of men over other family members.

With matriarchal In the family system, power rightfully belongs to the wife and mother.

In recent years there has been a transition from patriarchal to egalitarian family system. This is mainly due to the increase in the number of working women in many industrialized countries. Under such a system, influence and power are distributed almost equally between husband and wife.

Depending on the preferred partner There are exogamous and endogamous families. Rules governing marriages outside certain groups, such as families or clans, are rules of exogamy. Along with them there are rules of endogamy, prescribing marriage within certain groups. Endogamy was characteristic of the caste system that developed in India. The most famous rule of endogamy is prohibition of incest(incest), excluding marriage or sexual relations between persons who are considered close blood relatives.

In almost all societies, this rule applies to the relationship between a child and a parent, as well as siblings. In many societies this even applies to cousins ​​and other close relatives. The prohibition of incest is not universal, despite its wide prevalence. Marriages between siblings were encouraged in the pharaonic family of Ancient Egypt.

Why is the prohibition of incest so widespread? This issue is hotly debated. Some researchers have suggested that humans tend to have an aversion to incest. Others believe that people have long been aware of the dangers of the genetic consequences of incest. Still others emphasized that rules prohibiting sexual intercourse between non-spousal family members reduced the likelihood of jealousy and conflict.

However, the last argument loses its persuasiveness when we consider that many people are able to share without any jealousy. sexual partner with someone else. And polygyny, which often gives rise to rivalry between wives, persists despite conflicts. In addition, it was emphasized that the prohibition of incest forced people to look for a life partner outside the groups to which people belonged.

Different societies have different rules for choosing a place of residence newlyweds Depending on the nature of the choice of place of residence, sociologists distinguish neolocal, patrilocal and matrilocal family types.

patrilocal residence, the newlywed leaves her family and lives with her husband’s family or near his parents’ house. For example, according to the customs of Irish peasants, a young wife enters her husband's family and finds herself under the authority of her mother-in-law.

In societies where the norm is matrilocal residence, newlyweds must live with or near the bride's parents.

Neolocal residence, considered the norm in the West, is rare in the rest of the world.

In only 17 of the 250 societies studied by Murdoch, newlyweds moved to a new place of residence. Patrilocal residence became widespread in societies where polygyny, slavery, and frequent wars existed; members of these societies usually engaged in hunting and gathering plants. Matrilocal residence was considered the norm in societies where women enjoyed land ownership rights. Neolocal residence is associated with monogamy, a tendency toward individualism, and equal economic status for men and women.

In the sociology of the family, a special problem is the problem of determining pedigree and the nature of inheritance of property. If a person could count all the people with whom he is related by blood (including ancestors and most distant relatives), the list would be enormous. Pedigree rules shorten this list and indicate which relatives play an important role in a person's life. There are three types of systems for determining ancestry and rules for inheriting property.

The most common lineage is through the male line.

As is believed in rural Ireland, the main kinship ties are between father, son and grandson. Although the wife maintains some relationship with her relatives and her child inherits her genes to some extent, the children become members of the husband's family.

In some cases, kinship is determined through the female line.

As is customary in the Trobriand Islands, newlyweds live in the village with the husband, but property and daily assistance come through the wife. The mother's property becomes the property of the daughter, and the main support for the young family is provided by the wife's brother. The way of family life in the Trobriand Islands is based on family ties through the male and female lines.

There is a family system based on bilateral ancestry that is common in 40 percent of the world's cultures. In such systems, when determining kinship, blood relatives on the father's and mother's sides are taken into account equally.

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Introduction

1. Family as a social institution

2. Trends in the development of the modern family

3. The role of family in society

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

A family is a small group and a special social institution that regulates interpersonal relationships between spouses, parents, children and other relatives, connected by a common life, mutual moral responsibility and mutual assistance.

In our country, the family is the object of attention of various specialists. The family is the most important attribute of social life; it is a source of happiness and fullness of life for a person.

In family life, a person is required to have very different knowledge and skills, as well as skills that are formed throughout life, starting from the parental family.

The family is a complex social phenomenon, in which diverse forms of social relations and processes are woven together and which is characterized by numerous social functions. It is difficult to find another social group in which so many diverse human and social needs are satisfied, in which the basic processes of human life unfold and which is so connected with the life of each individual that it leaves an imprint on his entire development.

The constant change in socio-economic relations in the country entails changes in the structure of many families as small groups. These intragroup changes affect the increase in the parameters of internal family conflict, as well as a decrease in the birth rate and an increase in the number of disintegrating families. This circumstance determines the relevance of studying factors influencing psychological climate family, which is necessary for psychological support for the family.

1 . Family as a social institution

The family as a social institution arose with the formation of society. The process of family formation and functioning is determined by value-normative regulators. Such, for example, as courtship, choosing a marriage partner, sexual standards of behavior, norms that guide the wife and husband, parents and their children, etc., as well as sanctions for non-compliance. These values, norms and sanctions represent the historically changing form of relations between a man and a woman accepted in a given society, through which they regulate and sanction their sexual lives and establish their marital, parental and other kinship rights and responsibilities.

At the first stages of the development of society, relations between men and women, older and younger generations were regulated by tribal and clan customs, which were syncretic norms and patterns of behavior based on religious and moral ideas.

With the emergence of the state, the regulation of family life acquired a legal character. Legal registration of marriage imposed certain obligations not only on the spouses, but also on the state sanctioning their union. From now on, social control and sanctions were carried out not only by public opinion, but also by government agencies.

To understand the family as a social institution, the analysis of role relationships in the family is of great importance.

Family role is one of the types of social roles of a person in society.

Family roles are determined by the place and functions of the individual in the family group and are divided primarily into:

marital (wife, husband),

parental (mother, father),

children's (son, daughter, brother, sister),

intergenerational and intragenerational (grandfather, grandmother, elder, younger), etc.

The fulfillment of a family role depends on the fulfillment of a number of conditions, first of all, on the correct formation of the role image. An individual must clearly understand what it means to be a husband or wife, the eldest in the family or the youngest, what behavior is expected of him, what rules and norms are expected of him, what rules and norms this or that behavior dictates to him.

In order to formulate the image of his behavior, the individual must accurately determine his place and the place of others in the role structure of the family. For example, can he play the role of the head of the family, in general, or, in particular, the main manager of the family’s material wealth.

In this regard, the consistency of a particular role with the personality of the performer is of no small importance. A person with weak strong-willed qualities, although senior in age in the family or even in role status, for example, a husband, is far from suitable for the role of head of the family in modern conditions.

The successful fulfillment of its functions by a family largely depends, on the one hand, on how conscientiously each family member occupying a certain position fulfills his social role, and on the other hand, how much “role behavior” corresponds to the “role expectations” of family members in relation to to each other.

For the successful formation of a family, sensitivity to the situational requirements of the family role and the associated flexibility of role behavior, which is manifested in the ability to leave one role without much difficulty and enter a new one as soon as the situation requires, is also of no small importance. For example, one or another wealthy family member played the role of financial patron of its other members, but his financial situation has changed, and a change in the situation immediately requires a change in his role.

Role relationships in the family, formed when performing certain functions, can be characterized by role agreement or role conflict. Sociologists note that role conflict most often manifests itself as:

conflict of role models, which is associated with their incorrect formation in one or more family members;

inter-role conflict, in which the contradiction lies in the opposition of role expectations emanating from different roles. Conflicts of this kind are often observed in multi-generational families, where second-generation spouses are both children and parents and must accordingly combine opposing roles;

intra-role conflict, in which one role includes conflicting demands. In a modern family, problems of this kind are most often inherent in the female role. This applies to cases where the role of a woman involves a combination of the traditional female role in the family (housewife, child teacher, etc.) with modern role, which presupposes equal participation of spouses in providing the family with material resources.

The conflict can deepen if the wife occupies a higher status in the social or professional sphere and transfers the role functions of her status into intrafamily relationships. In such cases, the ability of spouses to flexibly switch roles is very important. A special place among the prerequisites for role conflict is occupied by difficulties with the psychological development of the role associated with such characteristics of the personalities of the spouses as insufficient moral and emotional maturity, unpreparedness to perform marital and, in particular, parental roles. For example, a girl, having gotten married, does not want to shift the family’s economic concerns onto her shoulders or give birth to a child; she tries to lead her old lifestyle, not subject to the restrictions that the role of a mother imposes on her, etc.

In modern society, there is a process of weakening of the family as a social institution, a change in its social functions, and non-role family relationships. The family is losing its leading position in the socialization of individuals, in organizing leisure time and in other important functions.

It can be argued that both in society and in the family, women are still subject to discrimination. Often this is facilitated by women themselves, who place demands on their daughters to help around the house, while their sons lead an idle lifestyle. With such attitudes, society (represented by men and women themselves) seems to perpetuate further discrimination against the female sex. If we analyze sociological data, the most obvious form of discrimination is the nature of the distribution of housework in the family. Although studies over the past three years have documented a more equal distribution of household responsibilities, the problem still remains open.

However, traditional roles, in which the woman ran the household, gave birth and raised children, and the husband was the owner, often the sole owner of property, and ensured the economic independence of the family, were replaced by role ones, in which the vast majority of women in countries with Christian and Buddhist cultures began to participate in production, political activity, economic support for the family and take equal and sometimes leading participation in family decision-making.

This significantly changed the nature of family functioning and entailed a number of positive and negative consequences for society. On the one hand, it contributed to the growth of women’s self-awareness, equality in marital relations, on the other hand, it aggravated the conflict situation, influenced demographic behavior, leading to a decrease in the birth rate and increased the mortality rate.

The family, in the process of socialization, prepares children to fulfill family roles. I. S. Kon writes that the concept of social role is central in the analysis of social interactions. The study of social roles in the family makes it possible to identify the social changes occurring in it, to clarify the question of the functions of the family and the social conflicts associated with them.

The concept of a social institution is widely used both here and abroad. In relation to the family, it is used, first of all, as a complex system of actions and relationships that performs certain social functions. Or, the concept of a social institution is viewed as an interconnected system of social roles and norms that is created and operates to satisfy important social needs and functions. Social roles and norms included in a social institution determine appropriate and expected behavior that is aimed at satisfying specific social needs.

The family is analyzed as an institution when it is especially important to find out the compliance (or non-compliance) of the family’s lifestyle and its functions with modern social needs. The model of the family as a social institution is very important for predicting changes in the family and trends in its development. When analyzing the family as a social institution, researchers are primarily interested in patterns of family behavior, family roles, features of formal and informal norms and sanctions in the sphere of marriage and family relations.

The family is considered as a small social group when the relationships between individuals in the family are studied. This approach successfully explores the motives for marriage, the causes of divorce, the dynamics and nature of marital relations and the relationship between parents and children. Although it must be taken into account that group behavior is influenced by socio-economic and socio-cultural conditions. Families are a more complex system than marriage, since it usually unites not only spouses, but also their children, as well as other relatives and loved ones. In addition, the family acts as a socio-economic unit of society, thus representing a very close “original” model of the entire society in which it functions.

A family is a social group in which certain processes take place and which carries out certain functions and develops historically.

2 . Trends in the development of the modern family

The development trends of the modern family can be traced based on changes in its functions, since the functions of the family change over the course of history, just as the family itself changes.

There is a significant intertwining of the functions of family and society, and the latter takes on a significant part of the functions of the family.

1. Economic functions. In any society, the family plays the main economic role. In peasant, agricultural and handicraft production, the family is a joint cooperative labor association. Responsibilities are distributed according to the age and gender of family members. Among the enormous changes brought about by the rise of industrial production came the destruction of this cooperative system of production. Workers began to work outside the home and the economic role of the family was reduced to only spending the money earned by the family breadwinner.

2. Transfer of status. In industrial society, there were various customs and laws that more or less automatically secured the status occupied by families from different strata of society. The hereditary monarchy was a striking example of such a custom. Aristocrats who owned land and titles could pass on their high status to their children. Among the lower classes there were systems of guilds and training in crafts; thus, professions could be passed on from one generation to the next.

3. The revolutions that took place in the 19th and 20th centuries were carried out with the aim of destroying the privileges of certain groups. Among these privileges was the right to pass on title, status and wealth to the next generation. In some countries, including the United States, the inheritance of aristocratic titles is outlawed. Progressive taxes, as well as taxes on insurance and death, also limit the ability to preserve wealth and pass it on to inheritance. However, wealthy, high-ranking families still have an advantage when it comes to passing on wealth and status to their children. But this is carried out rather not on the basis of inheritance, but in the form of preparing children to receive such an education and such work that ensures high status. Members of the upper class are able to pay for elite education and maintain “acquaintances” that contribute to high status. But these advantages have largely lost their significance, becoming less stable and reliable than before.

4. Social welfare. In traditional peasant and artisan societies, the family performs many functions to maintain the “well-being” of the people, such as caring for sick and elderly family members. But these functions changed radically during the emergence and development of society. Doctors and medical institutions have almost completely replaced the family in caring for people's health, although family members still decide whether there is a need to seek medical help. Life insurance, unemployment benefits, and social security funds have completely eliminated the need for the family to take care of its members in times of economic hardship. Likewise, welfare benefits, hospitals, and retirement homes have eased the burden of caring for the elderly on families.

5. Socialization. The family is the main agent of socialization in all societies. It is here that children acquire the basic knowledge necessary to perform the roles of adults. But industrialization and associated social changes have to some extent deprived the family of this function.

In a nuclear family, the problem of raising children becomes much more complicated. This is due to the fact that, firstly, in big family All family members took part in raising children. Maternal responsibilities in such a family were shared by the sisters of the father and mother, paternal responsibilities - with the brothers of the father and mother; Grandparents and older brothers and sisters played a significant role. Now all these influences have been minimized, and having few children even eliminates the educational influence of older brothers and sisters.

Secondly, the non-family work of parents forces them to increasingly entrust the care and upbringing of children, even in the most early age public institutions: nurseries, kindergartens, schools, etc. In this regard, the nuclear family becomes extremely open, and the social impact on the nature of family relationships is becoming increasingly significant.

Third, the relative isolation of the nuclear family from older relatives makes it difficult to assimilate the social values, worldly wisdom and moral wealth accumulated by previous generations.

Fourthly, the separation of work from family complicates the problem of labor education. Previously a child was brought up by work, by example and under the supervision of older family members. He knew that his work was needed by his family. He had responsibilities that he could not shift to anyone. Social forms of labor education have not yet been able to compensate for the lack of labor family education. They are more of labor training than education.

Fifthly, the lack of family professional guidance and the inability to inherit one’s specialty to children makes the process of upbringing itself more universal, but at the same time more contradictory. Parents cannot clearly determine which moral qualities give preference: what skills children will most need in future activities.

Sixthly, the inclusion of younger generations in broad social life and work is moving away. A long period of life comes down only to preparation for work and social activities. The benefit that society receives in the development of personality is largely devalued by the delay in the social development of the younger generation, the development of socio-psychological infantilism among some young people, and the artificial restraint of the energy of young people, which sometimes finds an outlet in antisocial behavior. Moral values oriented towards a deferred future are perceived by young people as empty abstract sermons.

The family performs primarily a reproductive function - the reproduction of people. Now the average family in Russia consists of 2-3 people. This indicator differs significantly across regions of the former USSR. The highest indicator is the population of Tajikistan and Azerbaijan (the average number of children is 5-6 people), and the lowest indicator is the population of the Baltic countries and Belarus. There is a significant specific gravity occupied by a family with 1 child. Having one child is typical for most urban families.

And although the number of such families decreased in the 90s, even simple reproduction is under threat. Until this process is stopped, there remains a very real possibility of depopulation in a number of regions of the country.

And in this sense, in almost all industrial countries there is a tendency towards a reduction in population size (as a result of a decrease in the birth rate).

One of important factors One factor influencing this function is the employment of married women in production. Since World War II, the proportion of women working in manufacturing has increased significantly. Statistics show an inverse correlation between a woman’s level of professional employment and the birth rate.

Women's employment has a profound impact on families with young children. However, the number of families with babies and children preschool age where women work is increasing. According to statistics, almost half of women plan to return to work when their youngest children turn 6 years old or earlier.

The reproductive function of the family is negatively affected by divorce, so society cannot be indifferent to this phenomenon. The attitude towards divorce has changed; it ceases to be exceptional and becomes a common, ordinary phenomenon. The number of divorces has increased over the past 30 years. For many centuries, divorce was allowed in extremely rare cases. The following reasons for divorce can be identified: firstly, in most cases, marriage has ceased to be associated with the transfer of property and status from generation to generation, with the exception of a small proportion of rich people. Secondly, due to the growth of a woman’s economic independence, she becomes less and less economically independent from her husband. Thirdly, marriage has acquired a significant emotional connotation and has increasingly come to be seen as a way for a married couple to obtain pleasure.

The rapid increase in divorce rates has contributed to the creation of many non-traditional families. The single-parent family represents a significant deviation and greatly encroaches on the almost complete monopoly of the traditional two-parent family.

Several other alternatives to family life have emerged in recent decades. Among them the main ones are living together without marriage (cohabitation) and the creation of a commune.

Living together (cohabitation) means that couples live together and have sexual relations with each other, but are not married.

This phenomenon is widespread in Western countries. In Sweden, Germany and other countries, cohabitation has become the norm and is seen as a “trial” marriage for a couple about to enter into a legal marriage.

Most married couples do not have children. However, they challenge the family's monopoly on regulating intimate relationships between adults. The legal aspect of these relationships is of particular concern, since there is no law controlling the behavior of the partners.

Two partners living together is not an alternative to marriage, although in some countries the law recognizes that people living together but not married have the same rights as a married couple.

3 . The role of family in society

family conflict reproduction education

Statements about the withering away of the family, or at least its impending decline, seem greatly exaggerated. While the obituary is being written for the family, it continues to exist and, according to many, even flourishes. Some experts argue that “families are back in fashion,” while other sociologists believe that the family is a timeless social unit rooted in human social and biological nature. However, society is constantly changing, and the family must also change, adapting to social changes. From the perspective of family reorganization, marriage and family are simply changing to reflect the personal life styles observed in modern society. The family is not just a flexible social institution; it is one of the constant factors of human experience.

Scientists who regret the modern state of the family assume that in other times the family was more stable and harmonious than it is now. However, despite extensive research, historians have been unable to discover the “golden age of the family.” For example, a hundred or two hundred years ago, marriages were based on family and property needs, and not on love. Often they were destroyed due to the death of one of the spouses or due to the fact that the husband left his wife. Marriages without love, tyranny of husbands, high levels mortality, as well as child abuse, added to this grim picture. In general, anxiety about the state of the family has a long history. Even in the Middle Ages and the Enlightenment, the best minds expressed concern about the decline of family relationships. In general, it can be noted that the “family question,” despite its many formulations, is far from new.

The family can be considered the initial form of group life for people, since it is here that the ability to live in society is laid and formed. Compared to other social groups, the family occupies a very special position in many respects. All other social groups can be considered “inventions” of culture, the sphere of their existence is public life; The sphere of the family is, first and foremost, personal life.

One of the most important branches of sociology is the study of family and marriage. Family sociology is a branch of sociology that studies the patterns of the emergence, functioning and development of the family (family and marital relations) as a social phenomenon in specific cultural and socio-economic conditions, combining the features of a social institution and a small social group.

A family is an association of people based on consanguinity, marriage or adoption, connected by a common life and mutual responsibility for raising children.

Kinship - this term means a set of social relationships based on certain factors. These primarily include biological ties, marriage, sexual norms and rules regarding adoption, guardianship, etc. In the general kinship system, there are two types of family structure: nuclear family and extended family.

Marriage can be defined as a socially recognized and approved union of the sexes between two adult individuals. When two people get married, they become related. Marriage is a historically changing form of relationship between a man and a woman. Monogamous and polygamous marriages are known.

Monogamy is a type of marriage in which a man and woman are in only one marriage.

Polygamy is when a man and a woman can be in several marriages at the same time. Here we distinguish between polygyny, in which a man can be married to more than one woman, and polyandry, in which a woman can have several husbands at the same time. Most societies favor polygyny. George Murdoch examined many societies and found that 145 of them had polygyny; in 40 monogamy prevailed and only in 2 polyandry. The remaining societies did not fit into any of these categories. Since most societies have a male to female ratio of approximately 1:1, polygyny is not widely practiced even in societies where it is considered preferable. Otherwise, the number of unmarried men would significantly exceed the number of men with several wives. In fact, most men in polygonic society had one wife. The right to have several wives was usually given to a man from the upper class.

In many traditional societies, the following forms of preferred partnership prevailed. In exogamous (inter-clan, inter-tribal) marriage, the taboo applied only to members of one’s own clan, and sexual intercourse was limited only to blood relatives; This did not apply to representatives of other clans and tribes. In other cultures, on the contrary, marriages were concluded only between individuals belonging to the same clan. This form of marriage is called endogamy.

Regarding the rules for choosing a place of residence, societies have different rules. Neolocal residence means that newlyweds live separately from their parents. In societies where patrilocal residence is the norm, the newlywed leaves her family and lives with her husband's family or near his parents' home. In societies where matrilocal residence is the norm, newlyweds must live with or near the bride's parents.

Neolocal residence, considered the norm in the West, is rare in the rest of the world. In only 17 of the 250 societies studied by Murdoch, newlyweds moved to a new place of residence. Patrilocal residence became widespread in societies where polygyny, slavery, and frequent wars existed; members of these societies usually engaged in hunting and gathering plants. Matrilocal residence was considered the norm, where women enjoyed land ownership rights. Neolocal residence is associated with monogamy, a tendency toward individualism, and equal economic status for men and women.

In terms of ancestry and property inheritance, there are three types of systems for determining ancestry and property inheritance rules. The most common pedigree is through the male line. Although the wife maintains relations with her relatives and her child inherits her genes, the children become members of the husband's family.

In some cases, for example among the inhabitants of the Trobyand Islands, kinship is determined through the female line, i.e. according to the woman's ancestry. As is customary in the Trobiand Islands, young wives live in the village with their husbands, but property and daily assistance come through the wife. The mother's property becomes the property of the daughter, and the main support for the young family is provided by the wife's brother.

In our society, a family system based on two-way pedigree has become widespread. It is common in 40% of the world's cultures. In such systems, when determining kinship, blood relatives on the father's and mother's sides are taken into account equally. However, problems may arise with such a system. Numerous responsibilities to many relatives, such as the need to visit them, give gifts on special occasions and borrow money, can become burdensome. Of course, this is quite suitable for children who like to receive gifts from relatives.

The functions of the family are the ways in which its activity is manifested; life activity of the entire family and its individual members. In all societies, the family performed the main functions:

Population reproduction. The population reproduction function includes physical (childbirth) and spiritual and moral reproduction of a person in the family. The predominantly economic incentives of childbearing in the past are being replaced more and more by spiritual and moral ones: a deep-seated moral and psychological need for one’s child, the desire to have one from a loved one, the desire to reproduce oneself in children, to repeat the path of life with them, hope and confidence in the upcoming spiritual relationship with children and grandchildren, cementing the consanguineous union, family pride;

Household. The economic and household function of the family is expressed in the management of household and personal subsidiary farming, gardening and vegetable gardening, in the maintenance and self-service of family members, in maintaining proper sanitary condition and hygiene in the home, and compliance with the family budget;

Educational. The educational social function of the family determines the responsibility of parents for the spiritual, moral, political, aesthetic education children; folk wisdom says: “The parent is not the one who gave birth to the child, but the one who raised him”;

Mutual care of family members for each other, especially for the elderly, is aimed at increasing the responsibility of children for the well-being of their parents, their secure and peaceful old age, as well as constant and mutual moral and psychological support for members, families, ensuring the fullness of their lives, comprehensive communication and personal happiness ;

Organization and use of free time, primarily * leisure. Its goal is to help family members most fruitfully realize their abilities and talents in amateur activities, in the reasonable consumption of spiritual values, and in providing active recreation.

In modern conditions, not everyone adheres to this classification of family functions. Thus, Russian sociologists Vasily Ryasentsev and Gennady Sverdlov call the most important functions of the family: procreation, educational, economic and mutual assistance; philosopher Vladimir Klyuchnikov notes: continuation of the human race, raising children and economics; Belarusian sociologist Sergei Laptenok defines: economic and household, population reproduction, educational and leisure activities for his family members; philosopher Alexander Kharchev - population reproduction, socialization, economic, organization of consumption and leisure; Ukrainian sociologist Nikolai Yurkevich - spiritual communication, sexual, birth of children, cooperation in the process of education, obtaining the necessary funds for housekeeping, organization of leisure. But what is important is not so much a scrupulous listing of all family functions as their division, on the one hand. to satisfy predominantly material, household, and on the other hand, predominantly emotional and socio-psychological needs of people.

After all, it is known that the complete collectivization carried out in the late 20s and early 30s in Ukraine and other Commonwealth countries, even in rural areas, separated the main part of work activity from family life, helping to transform it largely into only a consumer unit. And only in the second half of the 80s did the development of individual labor activity, family contracting, rental relations, etc. begin, gradually returning productive labor to the family. Such shifts contribute significantly to an increase in the production of food and other essential goods, but also to the earlier involvement of the younger generation in labor activity. And they naturally contribute to increasing the effectiveness of the labor education of young people, in which the economic function of the family will play a significant role, which will turn into the main production and labor unit of society, but on a new basis, in new form and with new content.

Of course, population reproduction has not only a biological, but also a social aspect associated with the upbringing and education of children. It has been established that in the upbringing and education of children, the family cannot be replaced by any public institutions. Only in the family does a child naturally and most effectively receive the first socialization of his personality and find his “I”. In modern conditions, it is rare that a family can give its child the training that society and social institutions (school, technical school, lyceum, university, etc.) can give him. But the moral and psychological potential that is instilled in the child by the family remains long years, and maybe for life. It is in the family that the child learns the basics of life, encounters relationships with authority - official, parental and functional, based on the higher competence of parents or older brothers and sisters, their developed skills and abilities, and the success of their activities.

The reproductive and economic activities of the family are closely connected with the life of society and therefore the state is not indifferent to how these problems are solved. If for a long period it was believed that raising children was not so much a state matter as a purely personal matter for everyone, now raising children is both a state matter and a family matter. That is why the educational function of the family is closely related to the reproductive function when it comes to the social reproduction of the population. The family teaches the child to live among people, instills in him the foundations of certain ideological and political views, worldviews, moral norms and rules. A child in a family learns and masters moral standards. Here the child develops primary skills and patterns of behavior, individual moral and psychological traits are polished, and the foundation of mental health is laid.

Education is a great thing: it decides the fate, the fate of a person. Education is carried out in the process of daily communication of the child with family members, relatives, and all people with whom the family maintains more or less permanent relationships. And while a child is studying at school, in a technical school, a lyceum, a higher educational institution, or while working in production, the educational function of the family does not die out, the educational impact on the younger, maturing generation does not stop. A person who grew up in a normal family, in his actions, as a rule, is guided not only by the opinion of the whole society or members of his work team, but also significantly by the opinion of his loved ones. The world exists not to be known, but to be educated in it. We are born weak - we need strength, we are born helpless - we need help, we are born senseless - we need reason. Everything that we do not have at birth and which we cannot do without when we become adults is given by upbringing. And every personality realizes itself primarily in social useful activity. Of course, every year a working person receives professional leave, sometimes, if he is very lucky, he ends up in rest homes, sanatoriums, goes to resorts and other places to restore his strength. But the main center for recuperation is still the family, in which we receive physical, material, moral, and psychological help from each other. But family relationships develop differently: both positive and negative, which affect a person in different ways. This is where the communicative function of the family plays an important role - satisfying a person’s needs for communication and privacy.

In modern conditions, communication has become more complex; a number of areas and types of communication have emerged. Forms of professional and business communication that have high degree formalization. Another matter home furnishings, where, as a rule, we treat people who are, firstly, socially and psychologically close, and secondly, where we treat everyone’s personality more delicately and respectfully. Here the need for intimate communication, mutual understanding and mutual support is satisfied. It goes without saying that such a function can only be performed by a healthy family in which the moral and psychological climate is high.

Naturally, the social functions of the family reflect all aspects of the family’s life - demographic, socio-economic, educational, spiritual-emotional and moral-psychological.

Sociologists note that the spiritual and moral basis of marriage and family is the unity of love and duty, responsibility and duty. And further. What is love? Love is one of the most complex intimate feelings of a person, the unity of the natural and social connection of a man and a woman, including a natural biological need, humanized by the development of culture, as well as moral, aesthetic, physical and psychological relations between the sexes. The feeling of love is deeply intimate and is accompanied by emotions of tenderness, delight, and jealousy. It is impossible to absolutize the biological principle of love, reducing it only to the sexual instinct, identifying it with sex, just as it is wrong to deny the biological principle and interpret it as a purely spiritual feeling, as platonic love. Sociologist Nikolai Gorlach said that love is the physical, spiritual and moral unity of a man and a woman, a complex set of feelings and thoughts experienced by a loving person. Being a selective feeling, love is directed towards a specific person, who is unique in its physical and spiritual qualities for the loving person. loving person voluntarily physically and spiritually gives himself to another and strives to mutually possess him, feels the need for comprehensive unification and rapprochement, identifies his own interests and goals with him.

Love is a biosocial phenomenon; it has two purposes - biological and social, with the determining role of the social.

Love, according to Anton Makarenko, “is the greatest feeling that generally works miracles, which creates new people, creates the greatest human values.” Love is an international feeling, but specific in each specific case.

Falling in love shows a person what he should be. Anton Chekhov said: “When you love, you discover such wealth in yourself, so much tenderness, affection - I can’t even believe that you know how to love like that...”

Teacher Vasily Sukhomlinsky noted that “love is a huge work.”

The German sociologist-hygienist Karl Hecht rightly noted that the biological basis of love is sexual attraction. The social basis is the moral and ethnic side of love, issues of equality of partners, conscious choice. Intimate relationships perform two functions: they serve procreation - the conception of children, at the same time they bring with them a feeling of pleasure, happiness and love, sexual release.

People who are connected by great love receive, thanks to sexual relations, an influx of new strength, experiencing the excitement of work. Leo Tolstoy said: “He who knows how to love knows how to live.”

Charles Darwin lived with his wife for 35 years. He wrote: “My wife is my greatest happiness... She, a person immeasurably superior to me in her moral qualities, agreed to become my wife. She was my wise advisor and bright comforter all my life."

The family as a social institution goes through a number of stages, the sequence of which forms the family cycle or family life cycle. Researchers identify a different number of phases of this cycle, but the main ones are the following:

marriage - formation of a family;

the beginning of childbearing - the birth of the first child;

the end of childbearing - the birth of the last child;

“empty nest” - marriage and separation of the last child from the family;

the cessation of the existence of a family is the death of one of the spouses.

At each stage, the family has specific social and economic characteristics.

In the sociology of the family, the following general principles have been adopted for identifying types of family organization. Depending on the form of marriage, monogamous and polygamous families are distinguished. A monogamous family provides for the existence of a married couple - husband and wife, while a polygamous family - either the husband or the wife has the right. Have several wives or husbands. Depending on the structure of family ties, simple, nuclear, or complex, extended family types are distinguished. A nuclear family is a married couple with unmarried children. If some of the children in the family are married, an extended, or complex, family is formed, including two or more generations.

Conclusion

The functions of the family change over the course of history, as does the family itself. So, for example, during the period when the family was distinguished by a primitive organization, its functions were not sharply separated from social ones, because a weakly technically armed and weakly protected person could not live and work only within the family. Later, the family becomes a “small society” and largely frees a person from dependence on society as a whole (patriarchal family). In the end, there is again a significant intertwining of the functions of family and society, and the latter takes on a significant part of the function of the family.

There are many different predictions about the future of the family, for example, Edward Cornish (1979) suggested several trends in the development of the future family. Among them:

preservation of the modern family;

destruction of the family;

revival of the family (by improving the dating service using computers, providing consultations);

creating “fake families” based on common interests and needs;

return to the traditional family.

What actually happens will probably not exactly match these predictions. On the other hand, the family is flexible and resilient. The prediction of “darkness and doom” reflects the anxiety of researchers rather than the real situation. In the end, the complete destruction of the family is not observed.

At the same time, we can confidently say that the traditional family is a thing of the past. As we see, the history of the family is accompanied by a gradual loss of its functions. Current trends indicate that the family's monopoly on regulating intimate relationships among adults, childbearing, and caring for young children will continue in the future. However, there will be a partial disintegration of even these relatively stable functions. The function of reproduction inherent in the family will also be carried out by unmarried women. The socialization function performed by the family will be more divided between the family and strangers (teachers at play centers). Friendly disposition and emotional support can be found not only in the family.

Thus, the family will take its place among several other social structures that govern reproduction, socialization and the regulation of intimate relationships. As the family's functions continue to change, it will lose its once-inherent sanctity, but it will certainly not disappear from society.

Bibliography

1. Bogolyubov L.N., Lazebnikova, A.Yu., Ivanova L.F.. Man and society. M., 2007.

2. James M. Marriage and love. - M, 2005.

3. Enikeev E.I. General and social psychology. M., 2001.

4. Radugin A. A. Sociology: Course of lectures. 3rd ed., supplementary and processed M.: Center, 2001. 224 p.

5. Tulina N.V. Family and society: from conflict to harmony. - M., 2004.

6. Tseluiko V.M. Fundamentals of family psychology. Volgograd, 2003.

7. Schneider D.B. Family psychology: tutorial for universities. 2nd ed. M., 2006. 768 pp.

8. Sociology. Textbook. /Ed. Kravchenko A.I. Arsoft, 2005.

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The origin of the family and its evolution in traditional society. Development of the family institution modern stage. Changing functions in the nuclear family. The current state of the family in the Russian Federation. Crisis or evolution. The future of the family.

course work, added 08/07/2007


Stages of the family life cycle and marital relationships. Laws of changing stages of the family life cycle, reducing the duration of the nuclear family cycle. The effect of joint life activities in the family. Developmental tasks and family dynamics, stages of parenthood.

presentation, added 11/03/2015


Family as a social institution. Family functions. The situation of the modern family in Ukraine. Modern family assistance. Socialization of the individual in the family. Marriage is a historically changing social form of relationship between a man and a woman. Types of families. Single-parent family.

test, added 09/30/2008


The concept and types of social institutions. Marriage is the basis of family relationships. Historical direction in the sociology of family and marriage. Family as the most important social institution: life cycle, forms, functions. Distribution of roles in the family. The crisis of the family, its future.

course work, added 12/07/2007


Family as a social institution. The causes and difficulties of the existence of an incomplete family in modern society. The main ways of state social policy in providing assistance to single-parent families. Center Project social assistance incomplete family.

course work, added 06/16/2010


Marriage as the basis and core of the family. A study of the history of the family institution in different cultures. The family as a unit of primary socialization. Features of the educational function of the family. Main trends in the development of family and marital relations. The crisis of the family institution.