According to some sociologists family plays an important role and considered the backbone of society. Family as a social institution perform the following functions.
Biological & Psychological Functions
- Reproduction: Reproduction provide the chance to give birth to the children. These children are the nucleus of society and perpetuates human race.
- Provision of Food, Housing and Clothing: Family provide its member the facilities and requirements of basic needs like food supply, house and clothing. These things are to be provided by the family to its members.
- Love and Affection: Love and affection for its members is necessary especially for children. The socialization of a child depends on love and affection which leads to personality development. If there is no love and affection, the children would be socially and mentally retarded. So, it is the basic institution which regulates these outstanding duties.
- Security: Security from all outside and internal dangers is necessary for its members. So, the shelter, Security and protection is provided to its members.
Sex Satisfaction
Family regulates and give better chance to the adult members to satisfy their sexual needs and sexual behavior of the members is standardized.
Protection and Care
As child is a helpless being, for which the protection and care is necessary. For this purpose it is the only place to provide protection and care to the children.
Economic and Social Functions
- Division of Labour: Mostly male members are doing outdoor jobs while female members are assigned to do indoor jobs. This division of labour is given by family to its members according to their physical and mental abilities and capabilities.
- Arrangement of Income: In rural areas male arrange these activities for the fulfill mint of basic needs of the dependents while in urban female are educated and perform this duty. She may bring the daily use things for its members and save the money properly.
- Organization and care of Property: Most of the families have property is the form of cash money, farms or house. The equal distribution and care of this property is the fundamental role of family members.
- Status Establishment: Status determines the sex identification and status.
- Socialization: It is the primary and basic school for a child to learn initial knowledge within it. It is the imparting place of knowledge and learning. Child socialization takes place within it and thus has personality can be developed.
- Social Control: It keeps its members within control and aware them from rules and regulations. It told the members about the importance of the social norms within a society.
- Mate- Selection: Mate- selection is very difficult but family solve this problems. It gives chance to its members for selection of life partners.
- Imparting basic Education: Impart knowledge to its members about every little thing. Members seeks the same language is family. If also helps in solving the basic conflicts among the members.
- Care of old Members: Old members are always helpless and wants the supports of others. So, family gives support to the old age members and provide them love and affection.
- Name to New born: It is also responsibility for giving names to the new born members. It is a type of property which is provided by its members to their children.
- Health Care: Family also perform the duty to provide care in health. When any one of its members fell ill, it provides its members basic first aid and medical care. The other members give then proper food and at proper time.
Cultural, Religious & Recreational Functions
Family as a social institution try to keep alive the culture. Its members seek about the culture due to proper education. These members also transmitted the culture from one generation to the other as a heritage.
Children adopt basic knowledge about religion within the family. Daring the time of birth parents speak. “Azan” is the ear of new born. It prepare the child to know about the right and wrong. Muslims send its children to mosque to gain knowledge about. Islam and keep their lives is the boundaries of the Islamic Ideals.
Family is also a place of recreation. It provides indoor and outdoor recreations to its members for entertainment and enjoyment. These facilities are including T.V, Radio, internet, Cable, Mobile Phone and other outdoor like playground, Cinema, gardens, parks etc. All these things are organized by the family for its members and give them a better chance for enjoyment and it remains the important functions of family.