A family definition elaborates cases of two or more individuals related by either blood, marriage or adoption and they reside together. Traditional families were known to comprise offsprings and their parents. An excellent description of what a family entails is the deep bondage between parents and their children based on genes, emotions and also legal aspects. These aspects are critical about the children’s well-being, health, development, growth, and source of financial resources. The family is the basic social unit of an individual since it provides a sense of belonging, a source of affection and validation. The family also allows socialization, bonding,nurture and mutual respect which are guiding elements for children’s development. Traditions and religious beliefs get passed on through the family ties and interactions.  The paper aims to define and describe in detail the concept of family, its structure, functions, examples, classification, comparisons and process analysis.

A family is a social unit that is dynamic and is in four categories based on lineage, headship, transfer of bridegroom and quantity of mates. Based on lineage is divided into two the patrilineal and matrilineal, whereby the patrilineal family occurs when inheritance and descent get passed along the male line. A matrilineal family is when the bequest and descent are passed correctly along the female line. Classification on headship is divided into two the patriarchal and matriarchal family. The patriarchal family is when the male assumes the role of the family head while matriarchal the female assumes the role of being head of the family. Transfer of bridegroom is also divided into two the patrilocal and matrilocal. The patrilocal family is where the wife joins the husband’s family after marriage while matrilocal family the husband enters the wife’s family. An excellent example of a matrilocal family is current Indian families whose traditions require the woman to take dowry to the man’s family.

Classification based on the number of mates includes monogamous, polygamous and, polyandrous families. The difference between monogamous and polygamous families is that the monogamous families are situations where the husband gets married to one wife. Polygamous families the husband occurs in cases where the husband is allowed to marry several wives. A contemporary example of religious cultures that accept polygamy is the Islam where the husband can get married to a maximum of four wives. A polyandrous family defines cases where the wife is allowed to get married to more than one husband. Nuclear families are the ordinary families described as traditional as it comprises of husband, wife and their children. The final classification is the extended family also known as the consanguineal family that consists of grandparents, their offsprings and the grandchildren thus where more than one generation share household.

A family is, therefore, an essential social unit that uses a process to nurture children through the rules, values, and expectations defined by the set social standards. The process takes time in developing and inculcating positive values and social conduct transforming children into healthy people within human society(Gunindi et al., 449). Furthermore, the family fulfills psychological, economic and socio-cultural needs compared to other social institutions that cannot simultaneously account for these needs (Gunindi eta l., 550).  Notably, governments as well require a concise definition of what a family is since they need to establish who specifically benefit from family programs. Therefore, it is correct to say the family also entitles one to political rights which are significant to better the lives of the individual. Another great benefit of the family currently is in situations where towns define zones and house regulations which accredit members to access to social resources. Examples of these social resources include education, health services and recreational resources such as swimming and parks.

Human history evidenced that family acts as a focal point for several junctures of decision making at different aspects of human societies. Work production, government resources, sexual regulation, and emotional security are some of the general functions of the family. Broad definitions of family are subjective in law, nurturance, and biology. The law defines family on the concept of marriage where two or more people are joined through marriage to form a family. Biology approach defines family as genetic and blood ties. Lastly, the nurturance approach views the family as situations compelled by social structures and culture. Therefore it is essential for Zargh to comprehend the entire scope of family and the related concepts.

For cause-effect relationships, there are several examples which describe the interconnection between the family and social issues such as overall health of an individual. Low-income family surroundings impact the overall health status of the family members. Cases of dietary choices, healthy lifestyles, and money availability are some of the triggers to influence the lives of the health status of family members either positively or negatively. The preferences and health-seeking activities are what determine excellent or ill health. Money availability is another concept that alters with the overall well-being of family members. For example, affluent families with more than enough money easily access excellent health care services due to the availability of financial resources. On the contrary, low-income families that struggle to make ends meet tend to face difficulties, especially when in need of health services due to inadequate financial resources. Thus, it is clear that there is an interconnection between the several aspects of the family to form the overall family concept making it easier for Zargh to comprehend what family entails.

Reference

Günindi, Yunus& Tezel Şahin, F &Demircioğlu, Haktan. Functions of the family: Family structure and place of residence. Energy Education Science and Technology Part B: Social and Educational Studies. 4. 549-556.(2012).

Do you need high quality Custom Essay Writing Services?