The social status of the family: what is it?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:46

Family is a rather complex social entity. Sociologists are accustomed to viewing it as a system of close relationships between individual members of society, which are bound by responsibility, marriage and kinship, social necessity.

What is the social status of the family?

The problem of family adaptation in society is extremely acute for sociologists who are studying this issue. One of the main factors in the socialization of a married couple is precisely the social status of the family.

The main characteristics when considering social status are the material capabilities of members of society united by marriage, the presence of a common responsibility, educational obligations. There are also potential risk factors that increase the likelihood of losing acquired status. Thus, the rupture of marital relationships most often leads to a deterioration in parent-child ties. Remarriage can, to a certain extent, eliminate these negative trends.

Families,the composition of which is characterized by a complex structure, create fertile ground for the formation of a diverse picture of interaction between individuals, which opens up broader opportunities for the socialization of the younger generation. However, highlighting the negative aspects of such family education, one can note the presence of discomfort when several generations need to live together. In this case, the situation worsens the lack of personal space, scope for the formation of an independent opinion.

Functional structure

What does the social status of the family mean? Its formation is largely influenced by the performance of certain functions by this public education. Among the main functions of the family are the following:

1. Reproductive - procreation, reproduction in the biological sense.
2. Educational - the spiritual development of offspring. The formation of a marital relationship allows not only to create conditions for the birth and upbringing of a child. The presence of a certain atmosphere in the house is reflected in the formation of the personality of babies, and sometimes affects a person throughout life.
3. Household - the most important function on which the social status of the family depends. It consists in the ability to maintain the physical condition of relatives, care for not yet mature or elderly persons.
4. Material - determined by the ability of family members to mutually support financially.

Normal families

Considering socialfamily status, types of status, first of all, you should look at the concept of a normal family. However, the idea of it is rather conditional and does not have a clear framework. Normal families are considered to be those that are able to ensure their own well-being at the minimum sufficient level, create he althy conditions for the socialization of the child, take care of the protection of relatives and friends.

Prosperous families

Despite the very definition, people who secure this social status of the family experience certain difficulties. As common problems here, it is worth highlighting the presence of conflicts and contradictions, which are manifested in connection with the transition to a new level in society, the influence of gradually changing living conditions.

Prevents from acquiring such a social status of a family by an excessive desire to help relatives living separately, the formation of an atmosphere of excessive guardianship, or too condescending attitude towards loved ones.

Problem Families

It is also worth paying attention to the so-called dysfunctional families, considering the social status of the family. What are problem structures?

The very definition of social status indicates the presence of difficulties not only in relationships between loved ones, but also in the search for individuals of their own place in society. Psychological troubles usually arise here due to the failure to meet the needs of several or one family member.

A common problem in disadvantagedFamilies are left with an unhe althy relationship between the couple or the parents and the child. Living in dysfunctional, problem families, children have to look for ways to overcome various psychological difficulties. Often this leads to the formation of psychogenic deviations, which later manifest themselves in the emotional rejection of the environment, poor development of parental feelings.

Asocial families

If we talk about the social status of the family, types of statuses, it is impossible not to single out such a common phenomenon as an asocial family. This is where interactions between individuals are most complex.

It is possible to call asocial formations in which spouses tend to lead a permissive or immoral lifestyle. As for living conditions, in this case they do not meet the elementary requirements of hygiene and sanitation. As a rule, the upbringing of children takes its own course. The younger generation is often subjected to moral and physical violence, experiencing backwardness in development.

Most often, this category includes persons who have the social status of a large family. The main factor that leads to the formation of such a negative environment is low material security.

Risk groups

Families with a normal or prosperous social status often have periods of decline, which can potentially lead to a transition to a lower levelsocialization. The main risk groups include:

1. Destructive families are characterized by the frequent occurrence of conflict situations, lack of desire to form an emotional connection, separative behavior of spouses, the presence of complex conflicts between parents and a child.
2. Incomplete families - the absence of one of the parents leads to incorrect self-determination of the child, reducing the diversity of family relationships.
3. Rigid families - the dominance of one individual is clearly manifested, which leaves an imprint on the family life of all relatives.
4. Disintegrated families - maintaining family contacts with a separate way of life of spouses. Such relationships leave a strong emotional bond between loved ones, but at the same time lead to some loss of their own role by parents.