Indian Legal System > Civil Laws > Family Laws > Family > A Family and its Characteristics
Family is one of the most important social institutions. It is the most pervasive and universal social institution. They usually share common residence, at least for some part of their lives. Thirdly, there is the relational aspect among the members. Members have reciprocal rights and duties towards each other. Let us its definition given by different sociologists.
- K. Davis defines, family as a group of persons whose relations to one another are based upon consanguinity and who are, therefore, kin to one another.
- Mack and Young define it as the basic primary group and the natural matrix of personality.
- Clare defines it as a system of relationships existing between parents and children.
- Maclver and Page define it as a group defined by a sex relationship, sufficiently precise and enduring to provide for the procreation and upbringing of children.
- Nimkoff defines it as a more or less durable association of husband and wife with or without children, or a man and a woman alone with children.
- Burgess and Locke define it as a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood or adoption; consisting a single household, interacting and intercommunicating with each other in their social roles of husband and wife, mother and father, son and daughter, brother and sister creating a common culture.
- Eliott & Merril defines it as the biological social unit composed of husband, wife, and children.
- Bureau of Census (U.S.A.) defines it as a social unit of two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption and having a shared commitment to the mutual relationship.
Characteristics of Family:
Universality:
Family is found in each stage of society and everywhere. There is no society without it. It is found in some form or the other, in all types of societies whether primitive or modern. There is not a single man who does not belong to one or other kind of family. It is the most pervasive and universal social institution.
Mating Relationship:
Sex relationship should be there between husband and wife. This relationship may be of short one or endures for a lifetime. According to Maclver if this relationship breaks then the family slowly breaks.
Form of Marriage:
The mating relationship is established through the institution of marriage. Marriage may be monogamous or polygamous or polyandrous and in any form. The society regulates sexual behaviour between opposite sexes through the institution of marriage. Without marriage, family is not possible. Partners may be selected by parents or by the elders, or choice may be left to the wishes of the individual concerned. It may be a love marriage or arranged marriage.
A System of Nomenclature:
Every family is known by a particular name. Thus its members are known by the nomenclature or by a distinctive name. It has own system of reckoning descent. In India, it is usually referred as ‘surname’ while in the US it is referred as ‘family name’. In patrilineal families, descent is recognized through the male line. Similarly, in matrilineal families descent is recognized through the mother’s line. Today, it is quite common that, after marriage, a girl retains her maiden surname or adds the surname of her husband to her maiden name.
Financial and Economic Provision:
Every family needs an economic provision to satisfy the economic needs of its members. Its members more or less share with each other. Usually, the head of the family carries on certain profession and earns to maintain the family. He/she tries to make all possible arrangement to provide economic comfort to the members.
Common Habitation:
Each family has a common and more or less fixed home in which all the members can live together. After the marriage the wife may reside in husband’s parental home or the husband may reside in wife’s parental home or she may stay in her parental home to which the husband pays occasional visits or both of them may establish a separate home of their own. A living or dwelling place is necessary to bear and care child. Childbearing and child-rearing cannot be adequately performed in the absence of home.
Emotional Basis:
The biological relationship and mutual affection create an emotional bond among the members. Every family is based on human impulses of mating, procreation, motherly devotion and parental love and care. The love between husband and wife, parents and children makes it an institution of self-sacrifice.
Limited Size:
The family is very small in size and the smallest primary group. It includes husband and wife and the persons who are born in it or are adopted. It is the nucleus of all social group. Due to small and limited size, the relations among the members are direct, intimate, close, personal and permanent.
Closed Group:
The membership to the family is only through birth, marriage, or adoption only. Hence it is a closed group.
Sense of Security and Responsibility:
The members of the family have a deep sense of responsibility and obligation for the rest of the members. Due to this sense of responsibility, all the member discharge their duties. This sense of responsibility, cooperation, and obligation provides security to members.
Educative Role:
Family is the earliest social environment which surrounds trains and educates the child. It is a mechanism of social control and provides early education. It shapes the personality and moulds the character of its members. It emotionally conditions the child. When one is small he does not know what’s wrong or right. It helps everyone to learn lessons of socialization.
Social Regulation:
Every family has its own customs, traditions rules and regulations. As an important agent of socialization, the family teaches the norms and culture to its members. The family is peculiarly guarded both by social taboos and by legal regulations. The society takes the precaution of safeguard this organization from any possible breakdown, by divorce, desertion or separation.
Persistence Coupled With Change:
As an institution it is permanent. When a couple after marriage settle in an independent residence, the family continues to exist with other members. Thus the family is permanent as an institution. At the same time, it is temporary and transitional. Because the structure of the family changes over time in terms of size, composition, and status of persons. It undergoes constant changes due to births and deaths in the family.