Answer to Question #203654 in Sociology for Jane

Question

Discuss the role of the family as a social institution. 

Answer 1

A family performs several roles in society. For instance, it acts as a unit of socialization for children. Parents, siblings, and members of the extended family help children to socialize from the period they are born. Additionally, the family provides emotional and physical support for each member. For example, it provides food, shelter, and other essentials. A family also helps to regulate sexual activity and reproduction among its members because they provide norms to guide whom to relate with. Lastly, the family is a source of social identity because children are born into their parents’ race, ethnicity, religion, and other social categories.