The usefulness of the family even at present times to society cannot be understimated. The progres and character of a nation largely depends upon the proper organisation and development of family. The family has been called the craddle of civil virtues and the child learns its first lesson of citizenship on the lap of his mother. The love and affection which surround him teach him his first lesson of love and fellow feeling. His parents sacrifice their comforts and endure all sorts of difficulties and hardships to provide him with the amenities of life and to save him from trouble and pain. He learns to sacrifice him own selfish interest and to lead a life of selfishness and devotion.
Further the family represents and adjustments of social relationship in miniature. The various and sometimes conflicting claim of the members are harmonised and secured in a spirit of mutual accomodation and goodwill. Members of family learn to adjust themselves to each others temperaments and peculiarities and to cultivate a spirit of toleration and compromise which is essential for social living. Children are taught to respect their elders and to render them obedience. Respect for other and obedience to those in an authority are important social virtues. Lastly, all members of the family are knit together by a common idea of family loyalty which later on develops into a feeling of loyalty to the greater brotherhood or community to which the citizen belongs.
The structure of the family is not fixed, it varies in different cultrue likewise the function of the family are flexible. The sex and parental function are the primary functions of the family. In addition to these fuctions the family may provide economic services to its members; it may help to educate them give them religious guidance, furnish recreation, protect them against dangers of various sorts and provide affection and social intercourse. It is important in appraising the significance of the family in any culture to ascertain what function are performed and to what extent they are exercise. The family may thus be interpreted, in terms of its varying organisation and function. Thus the family performs various fucnction which have got universal importance.
The family to-day seems to be troubled institution. The divorce rate is high, and the number of separations is large. Families without children are numerous. This situation is source of anxiety to many persons, virtues are developed. It is evident that there has been no unliberal evolution of the family from the simple to the compel family life to-day is not greatly unlie early family has shown a great deal of variation at different times and in differnt places. The modern family stands in a marked contrast to the early agricultural family.
With the growth of the factor system and the rise of cities family undergoes profound changes. The economic functions are largely transferred to outside agencies, and the family declines in economic significance. A mate is no longer automatically a worker and an economic asset as before but may now be an economic liability. Hence the economic motive for marriage long ceased to be important.
Children also are expensive to have, so with the aid of scientific contraception the family tends to be much smaller. With the large scale transfer to traditional functions to outside agencies and the reduction in the size of the family increasing emphasis is placed on psychological values such as affection, companionship and emotional security.
The wireless, the gramophone, television and fascimile transmission all may make the home a very attractive recreation centre. While the intestification of research along these lines in the future is likely to provide new aids in these lines strengthening the personal aid of family life. The extension of electric power into home may increase the economic and recreational functions of the family as well.
The institution of family has got universal importance. We agree that there will be a change in its from and functions but it will not disappear.
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