首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Primary Functions of the Family The family is a basic unit in a society. Sociologists have clone much research about the func
Primary Functions of the Family The family is a basic unit in a society. Sociologists have clone much research about the func
admin
2010-01-18
37
问题
Primary Functions of the Family
The family is a basic unit in a society. Sociologists have clone much research about the function of family, and have come up with different opinions. This lecture is about some positive functions the family plays in human society.
Ⅰ. Definition of the Family
A family is a set of people who are related by blood, marriage,
or 【1】_______ and who share the primary responsibility for the society. 【1】_______.
Ⅱ.Understanding of the Family Functions in the Past
The family functioned as a source of society inequality or injustice because
A. It plays a role in the【2】_______of power, property, and privilege. 【2】_______.
B. It denies opportunities to【3】_______and limits freedom 【3】_______.
in sexual expression and mate selection.
Ⅲ. Family Performs Six Major Functions in Modern Society.
A. As a social system, it satisfies the needs of its members and contributes
to the【4】_______of society. 【4】_______.
B. As a basic unit of society, the family performs six vital functions:
1) Reproduction: Through reproduction, it contributes to human【5】_______ 【5】_______.
2) Protection: Human children experience
a very long period of 【6】_______ and the family 【6】_______.
assumes the responsibility of protecting and bringing up children.
3)Socialization: The family transmits norms,
values and【7】_______of a culture to the child. 【7】________.
4) Sexual behaviour【8】_______ :
Standards of sexual behaviour are most clearly defined 【8】_______.
within the family circle.
5) Supplying【9】_______ : The family provides its members with warm and intimate 【9】_______.
relationships and helps them feel satisfied and warm.
6) Providing social status: People inherit a social position
including【10】_______because of their family background. 【10】_______.
【8】
Good morning, everybody. In our lecture last week, we started our discussion of the family, and we ended the lecture with a comprehensive definition for this important concept. Today, we are going to focus on the functions of the family. That is, we will look at what the family can do to a society. Although it has many different forms, as a social institution, the family is present in all cultures. As a basic unit of society, what functions does the family perform in it? This is a question that interests many sociologists. As we have already talked about, a family can be defined as a set of people who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption and who share the primary responsibility for reproduction and caring for members of society.
Do we really need the family? Most of us may say "Yes, of course." But there have also been scholars who disagree& For example, more than a century ago, Friedrich Engels described family as an essential source of society inequality. That is, in his eyes, because the family plays a role in the transfer of power, property, and privilege. More recently, conflict theorists have also argued that the American family contributes to social in- justice, denies opportunities to women that are given to men, and limits freedom in sexual expression and mate selection.
In order to evaluate such issues, it is helpful to use the tools provided by the functionalist perspective. This means that we should examine how a social system satisfies the needs of its members and how it contributes to the stability of society. The family fulfils a number of functions, such as providing religious training, education, and recreational outlets. Yet according to sociologist William F. Ogburn a half-century ago, the family mainly performs six very important functions in the society. In the following part of the lecture, let’s explore these functions one by one.
The first of the six paramount functions is reproduction. This is easy to understand. As we know, if a society wants to maintain itself, it must replace dying members with newly born ones. By reproducing new members, the family can help maintain proper proportion of working force, thus ensuring the smooth running of the system as a whole. In this sense, the family contributes to the human survival through its function of reproduction.
The second is the function of protection. You may not like this, but you have to admit that human beings are extremely vulnerable. Unlike the young of animal species, human infants need constant care and economic security. They experience an extremely long period of dependency, which place special demands on elderly family members. In all societies, the family assumes ultimate responsibilities for the protection and upbringing of children.
What do you think is the third one? Well, it’s the function of socialization. By definition, socialization refers to the process in which people learn the attitudes, values and actions appropriate to individuals in a particular culture. In a family, parents and other kin monitor a child’s behaviour and transmit the norms, values, and language of a culture to the child. By doing these, they are helping the child to fit into the society, which is the final objective of socialization. Of course, as conflict theorists point out, the social class of couples and their children significantly influences the socialization experiences they are exposed to and the protection they receive.
Regulation of sexual behaviour is the next function we’ll discuss. Sexual norms are subject to change over time, for example, changes in customs for dating, and cross cultures. However, whatever the time period or cultural values in a society, standards of sexual behaviour are most clearly defined within the family circle. The structure of society influences these standards so that, characteristically in male-dominated societies, formal and informal norms permit men to express and enjoy their sexual desires more freely than women may.
The fifth function is the function of affection and companionship. Ideally, the family provides members with warm and intimate relationships and helps them feel satisfied and secure. Of course, a family member may find such rewards outside the family---from peers, in school, at work--and may perceive the home as an un- pleasant place. Nevertheless, the family is obligated to serve the emotional needs of its members. We expect our relatives to understand us, to care for us, and to be there for us when we need them.
The last one of the six paramount functions is the providing of social status. We inherit a social position because of the "family background" and reputation of our parents and siblings. The family unit presents the newborn child with a specific status of race and ethnicity that helps to determine his or her place within a society’s stratification system. Moreover, family resources affect children’s ability to pursue certain opportunities such as higher education and specialized lessons.
Now it’s time to put this lecture to an end. Today we mainly looked at the six vital functions of the family in human societies, namely, reproduction, protection, socialization, sexual behaviour regulation, supplying affection and companionship, and providing social status. However, one might ask if the family can effectively fulfil these weighty responsibilities. In our lecture next week, we will begin a more detailed examination of marital and family life in several countries to see how the family meet these needs. So see you then.
选项
答案
regulation
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/rRvO777K
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
WhichofthefollowingestablishmentsintheUKisleastlikelytohavetopaythedigitalservicestax?
HowmuchmoneyissetinthecooperationfundforsocialandculturalexchangesbetweenthetwoKoreas?
Britishpeoplearefarmoresophisticatedaboutbeveragesthantheywere50yearsago.WitnesstheStarbucksrevolutionandyou’
听是我们做的第一件事情,也是我们做的最多的事情。平均每个人日常交流中45%的时间都是在听,剩下的55%则用于写、读以及说。average:每个人。这段话的翻译不是很难,第一句话开宗明义,后面的内容其实可以从第一话推出来主要讲什么,考生需要注意的是两个数字要
Americanshavefourprimaryavenuesformakingfriends:atwork,atschool,throughahobbyora【C1】______suchasvolunteerwork
Americanshavefourprimaryavenuesformakingfriends:atwork,atschool,throughahobbyora【C1】______suchasvolunteerwork
A、Itassistschildrentodeveloplanguageskillsmorequickly.B、Itearnsmoreadmirationfromotherparents.C、Itmakeschildre
澳大利亚经济在今年往后的时间里会持续稳定增长,失业率从4%下降到2%,通货膨胀得到控制。
Inpolitics,inthecourts,evenontheubiquitousTVtalkshow,itisgoodformtopickanintellectualfight.Peopleattackeac
随机试题
阿昔洛韦为()。
受压杆件在下列各种支承情况下,若其他条件完全相同,其中临界应力最小的是()。
资产负债表是反映企业一定日期财务状况的( )。
通常,股价的变化要()发行公司盈利的变化。
2×20年1月1日,B公司为其100名中层以上管理人员每人授予100份现金股票增值权,这些人员从2×20年1月1日起必须在该公司连续服务2年,即可自2×21年12月31日起根据股价的增长幅度获得现金。该增值权应在2×22年12月31日之前行使完毕。B公司2
甲、乙两人站在匀速上升的自动扶梯从底部向顶部行走,甲每分钟走扶梯的级数是乙的2倍;甲走了36级到达顶部,而乙则走了24级到顶部。那么,自动扶梯有多少级露在外面?()
下列关于输入流类成员函数getline()的叙述中,错误的是
A、Theambitiontobecomethegreatestmagician.B、Therealitythathefailedinaswimmingrace.C、ThemagicianHoudiniandhis
Thestatement"Americansbathezealously"(Line1,Para.1)isclosesttosaying______.Abathwillnotkillthebacteriafrom
A、BecausetheystrolledundertheParismoon.B、Becauseshehadaninvitationfromherson.C、Becauseshedancedwithherson.D
最新回复
(
0
)