Characteristics of Family Institution
The essential characteristics of family institution are as under.
- Attachment of Blood Relations: The family members have blood relations with one another. But on the other hand blood relation is not so important is a family because if the family members there would be no blood relatives is case if adoption, relation is that of affinity. So, family is not restricted to the blood relations among its members.
- Economic Provision: Family is the basic institution for the provision of the economic resources. Every individual is assigned a specific work, man can go outside of the home for earning while women do her domestic works. So, this division of labour is a source of economy provision and the basic help of dependent members like children and old age people.
- Emotional Basis: Family institutions is characterized by the emotional relationships b/w family members. It brings unity and harmony is family members due to “we feelings” among them. Family members feels themselves attach to on another on the basis of personal interests and relations.
- Common Habitation: Family members have the characteristics to live is a common home. This home may be a single roof or an entire place, rented or the ancestral home of the family but they live is a particular place together. The nomadic families also have the common habitation under a tent.
- Nomenclature System: Every family has its own ancestral name for which the whole family can be recognized. For this purpose a nomenclature system go as is a family and attach to the member’s names.
- Permanent Relations of Husband Wife: Family is a social institution is which there exists a permanent relationships b/w the couple to produce young ones and to look after them.
- Permanent Sexual Relations: Only place is which the husband and his wife has permanent sexual relations and needs satisfaction. This relationship gives a charm to their social life due to marriage and marital relationships.
- Universality: Family is a universal institution recognized and accepted everywhere. Family system is in practice everywhere even the primitive societies is.
- Limited Size: In comparison to other social institutions, family is a small one but the basic institution. It is very small but very much multi-functional for society.
- Closed Group: Family is a closed group is which the members have tied themselves to one another. Every person cannot become the group member of a family but there is small chances of gaining a family like marriage, birth, adoption etc.
- Each Family has a Head: It is also the basic characteristic of a family to has its own head. It would be the father, mother or any other member of family but must be a powerful authority to govern the rules of a family.
- Permanency: Family is a permanent social institution is which members live is a lifelong time connected to one another.
From the above discussion is an institution is which the members have close relationships with one another and share their common fillings.
