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Unlock This CourseWhen we think about families, we might picture a mum, dad and their children living together. But families come in all shapes and sizes! Sociologists are interested in understanding what makes a group of people a 'family' and what roles families play in society.
Key Definitions:
Traditionally, a family was seen as a married heterosexual couple with their biological children. This view was dominant in the UK until the mid-20th century and is still common in many societies. The husband was typically the breadwinner while the wife took care of the home and children.
Today, sociologists recognise many different family forms including single-parent families, same-sex parents, blended families and families where grandparents raise children. What matters is the relationships and functions, not necessarily the structure.
Families around the world take many different forms. Here are some of the most common types you might encounter:
Two parents living with their biological or adopted children. Still common but no longer the only 'normal' family type.
One parent raising children alone, often following divorce or separation. About 25% of UK families with dependent children are single-parent families.
Also called 'blended families' - formed when parents with children from previous relationships create a new family unit together.
Beyond these common types, families can take many other forms:
In the Nayar society of southern India (historically), women would have multiple visiting husbands who didn't live with them. Children were raised by their mothers and maternal uncles, not their biological fathers. This shows how what we consider 'normal' family arrangements are culturally specific rather than universal.
Meanwhile, in many parts of Africa and Asia, extended family households are the norm rather than the exception, with multiple generations living together and sharing resources and childcare responsibilities.
Sociologists are interested in what families do - the roles they perform in society. Different sociological perspectives emphasise different functions.
Functionalists like Talcott Parsons see the family as performing essential functions for society:
Other perspectives are more critical of traditional family structures:
Family structures have changed dramatically in the UK over the past century:
Rhona and Robert Rapoport identified five types of family diversity in modern Britain:
This framework helps us understand the complexity of modern family life beyond simple categories.
There are several ways sociologists try to define what counts as a 'family':
Defines family by its composition - who is included (parents, children, etc.) and how they're related (by blood, marriage, etc.).
Defines family by what it does rather than who's in it - any group that performs family functions like socialisation and emotional support.
Lets people define their own families - "family is who you feel like family" regardless of legal or biological connections.
Understanding what families are and how they function helps us make sense of one of the most important institutions in society. Families shape who we become, influence our life chances and connect us to wider society. As family forms continue to diversify, sociologists help us understand these changes and their impacts on individuals and society.
Remember that there's no single 'correct' or 'normal' family type - families vary enormously across cultures and time periods. What matters most is not the structure of families but how well they perform their functions of providing care, support and socialisation for their members.