FAMILY: THE CRADLE FOR BUILDING A BETTER SOCIETY

 

"The family is the bed rock of society. As the family is, so is the society, and it is human beings who make a family - not the quantity of them, but the quality of them”- Ashley Montagu

Family is a group of people related by blood, marriage, law or custom and it is a basic unit of the society. Family is said to be the focal point around which the entire life of an individual revolves. 

Figuratively, cradle is the place of origin in which anything is nurtured or protected in the earlier period of existence.

 Building a better society involves an important aspect, foundation or basis known as family. There is a close connection between family and society; family is the unit of the society and society is made up of number of families and households.

That, family plays an important role in the life of society is an open secret. Every individual in this world is a part of one family or the other. There is no other human group whatsoever that dominates the life of the individuals, more than family.

According to Ashley Montagu quote earlier mentioned, family is the basis or foundation of a society, the society is made up of families and human beings make up that family. This quote further explained that what is important is not just the quantity of family but the quality of the family that makes up a society.

Family as the cradle for building a better society is on based on several important functions that family help to preserve social stability and keep the society working. 

Here are four core social functions of the family (as a social institution) that helps make a better society possible.

Socialization of children:

 Family is the major unit in which socialization happens. Family as the primary unit that socialize children or young ones. The existence of society is impossible without the proper socialization of young ones. Family which can include parents, siblings, grandparents and other relatives all help the children to socialize right from the time they are born. Family contributes to the growth and development of individual in areas such as education, training, cultures, norms, values etc.

Provision of social identity to its members: -

 As earlier mentioned, the society is made up of number of families and households. Every individual in this world is a part of one family or the other. That is, children are born into families of different race, religion, social class, ethnicity, tribe, countries and so forth. Therefore, every individual acquires their social identity from their parents (family). 

Provision of supports for its members: Family provides practical care and emotional support for its members. The practical care includes provision of the basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter.

 Emotional support such as love, care, comfort, help, word of encouragement in times of distress and other types of intangible support that we all need at one time or another.

Regulation of sexual activity and sexual production: The family is the major unit for teaching these norms and the major unit through which sexual reproduction occurs. The family ensures that incest taboo (sex between close relative) is prohibited to reduce conflict within the family and also, to establish social ties among different families and thus among society as a whole.

These functions of family make building a better society viable. That is, taking into account the core functions of family such as socialization of children, provision of social identity, provision of physical care and emotional support for its members, regulation of sexual behaviour and sexual reproduction; we can conclude that family is the cradle in building a better society.

In addition, family support is very crucial to individuals for various reasons but majorly for one’s personal well-being. Family provides benefits to one’s physical, emotional, and mental health that can't be gotten  anywhere else.

 Mogaji Iseoluwa Joanna

OS/20B/1732

 Building Technology