Sociological Perspectives on the Family
Sociological Perspectives on the Family
SOC101: Introduction to Sociology
Instructor: Jeanette Maxey
August 15, 2011
Sociological Perspectives on the Family
In the field of sociology, there are numerous approaches sociologists reflect on when studying humankind’s behavior. Sociologists argue that no single theory is correct by itself; but to a certain extent, they draw on all of them for various purposes. Sociologists vision the social world in diverse ways, meaning seeing the world as stable and a continuing entity. Those who have this view contend they are impressed with the endurance of social institutions such as family.
Family is “one of the most important aspects of what happens to us over the life course.” (Vissing, 2011) However, historically, the three major theoretical perspectives, functionalism, conflict, and interactionism, are most commonly considered and used by sociologists (Vissing, 2011). Some details about family are the three major groups: theoretical, perspective, impact, and the institution. By evaluating the family unit from various sociological viewpoints gives insight into the development of socialization within the familial framework and society at large.
The Institute of Family The family unit is often seen as a societal institution which initiates the positive and negative process of social interactions between people. Over the last decade what constitutes the family unit has changed throughout the world. Family units in today’s environment are diverse in nature and may go beyond the scope of just parents and their children. Families can consist of variations in relationships such as close relatives, stepparents, half siblings and/or extended non-biological members. Typically, immediate family members live in the same household, nearby, or close in heart until a state of maturation or appropriate age has been attained. Most often members of the families have intimate and personal relationships with each other. According
SOC101: Introduction to Sociology
Instructor: Jeanette Maxey
August 15, 2011
Sociological Perspectives on the Family
In the field of sociology, there are numerous approaches sociologists reflect on when studying humankind’s behavior. Sociologists argue that no single theory is correct by itself; but to a certain extent, they draw on all of them for various purposes. Sociologists vision the social world in diverse ways, meaning seeing the world as stable and a continuing entity. Those who have this view contend they are impressed with the endurance of social institutions such as family.
Family is “one of the most important aspects of what happens to us over the life course.” (Vissing, 2011) However, historically, the three major theoretical perspectives, functionalism, conflict, and interactionism, are most commonly considered and used by sociologists (Vissing, 2011). Some details about family are the three major groups: theoretical, perspective, impact, and the institution. By evaluating the family unit from various sociological viewpoints gives insight into the development of socialization within the familial framework and society at large.
The Institute of Family The family unit is often seen as a societal institution which initiates the positive and negative process of social interactions between people. Over the last decade what constitutes the family unit has changed throughout the world. Family units in today’s environment are diverse in nature and may go beyond the scope of just parents and their children. Families can consist of variations in relationships such as close relatives, stepparents, half siblings and/or extended non-biological members. Typically, immediate family members live in the same household, nearby, or close in heart until a state of maturation or appropriate age has been attained. Most often members of the families have intimate and personal relationships with each other. According