Sociology of the family is a branch of sociological knowledge. He studies the family as an integral social system based on consanguinity, marriage or adoption, which unites people with a common life, mutual responsibility, and mutual assistance.
The concept of family in sociology has a distinctive feature, since sociology studies it both as a social institution and as a small social group. It is the family that makes it possible to learn such forms of human relations as marriage, parenthood, and kinship.
The sociology of the family identifies the structure and functions of the family, which has a complex multi-level structure, including not only the number and composition of generations, but also social roles, the positions of each member.
The nuclear family consists of a married couple of parents and children who are dependent on them. An extended family includes in addition to the nuclear family and other relatives (grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.).
The sociology of the family thus separates the concepts of family and marriage. Marriage is the legal relationship between a man and a woman in relation to each other and to children. Historically, the following forms of marriage have been distinguished:
a) monogamy - one man and one woman;
b) polygamy - one man and several women (or one woman - several men)
c) group marriage - several men and several women.
In modern society, the most developed monogamous marriage of man and woman, based on love and personal choice. The role of intra-family relations as a factor in strengthening the family group and social institution is growing.
Sociology connects the functions of the family with the interests of society, the needs of the individual.
The economic function is to provide family members with livelihoods, including disabled and minor family members (children, the elderly, disabled)
The household function is related to the provision of household services by family members to each other. Joint management ensures the strengthening of family relations.
The reproductive function is the most important in social terms, as it consists in the reproduction of the population, in satisfying the natural need for children.
The educational function is aimed at educating and socializing the younger generation.
The family also performs the function of primary social control, which consists in the knowledge of social norms, sanctions, and regulation of behavior.
The function of spiritual communication ensures the satisfaction of a person ’s natural needs and includes spiritual enrichment, moral responsibility, and friendly relations.
The social status function is that the family provides its members with a certain position in the structure of society, starting opportunities.
The leisure function consists in organizing and spending free time of all members, developing abilities.
Emotional function also plays a large role in meeting the natural needs of family members, providing psychological assistance and support.
Family functions are interconnected, represent a holistic structure, complementing and enriching each element of the system.
The sociology of the family and its research are currently the most relevant, since in Russia there is a crisis of the social institution of the family. The number of families with a clear intra-family dysfunction, with a violation of the most important functions, has sharply increased. Many families are not only functionally insolvent, but also have a clear antisocial orientation. A sharp increase in the number of children left without parental care, divorces, alcoholization and anesthesia of parents leads to disappointing statistics.