International Change and the Social World II Essay

International Change and the Social World II - Essay Example Family can be formally defined on the basis of two aspects namely as a social institution and as an ideology. The paper is aimed to discuss the two aspects of the family. In addition the, different theoretical bases in the study of sociology, the functionalist approach and the feminist perspective will be used to understand the different concepts within the family. In the study of the family, the common and universal knowledge that every individual in the society possesses is related to the function of the family as a social institution. Through the course of history until the present era though, the concept of the family is continuously developing and changing. During the early part of the 20th century, specifically the 50’s and 60’s, the concept of the family had been defined through the functionalist approach proposed by Talcott Parsons. The said theoretical perspective is mainly based on the different functions of the family as a whole as well as the role of the different members for the family. The functionalist approach can then be considered as a structured definition of the concept of the family. He defined the different functions of the family in the society such as the development of the children in terms of socialization and the stabilization of the adult personality. Parsons’ view specifically presented the family as an independent unit. The father as the one who defined the occupational role in the family and the stratification of the family based on gender were included in the said theoretical perspective (Unit B Introduction, p.58). The functionalist approach can be considered as a classical view on the concept of the family. This can be attributed to the fact that during the said era the family was more structured and there was strict cultural norms related to the roles within the family and in the society. As the needs of the people and the society changes, the theoretical perspective