- The family as the basic unit and its contribution in traditional and the modern society
- The concept of social stratification and social mobility
- Societal perception of marriage and its role in the society.
- The role of society in maintaining order
- The modern view of a family and life in marriage
- Traditional perception of the unmarried and the concept of cohabitation
- Social interaction in the society
- The concept of social dynamism and its effects on the modern society
- Single parent families in the modern society
Sociology is can be defined as the study of human society. It attempts to understand the organizations, institutions and developments that constitute a society. It particularly identifies the causes and effects of the changing relationships among members of a given society. It examines the structure, the mode of interaction and the collective behavior of certain groups in the society. In every society, the family is observed as the main production and consumption unit. A family traditionally composed of both the nuclear and the extended family. The nuclear family was responsible for providing for and taking care of the extended family. Both families maintained very strong social ties and social mobility. They lived closed to one another. However, in the modern society, several changes are evident. The family is mainly the nuclear family, and they are separated from the extended family. Social stratification is highly demonstrated where the modern family is mainly based in the city. Such families maintain loose ties with the extended family and only visit them once in a while. For example, my family is simply nuclear, and we live in the city.
Traditionally, marriage was a sacred activity which brought two persons of the opposite sex into one. The values, norms and beliefs regarding marriage were highly observed, and any violation attracted punitive measures (Bercovitch and Richard 14). Those traditional marriages lasted indefinitely because issues such as loyalty, obedience, truthfulness, faithfulness and respect were heavily unquestionable. Cases of conflict were unlikely. These are because the norms, values and beliefs created by the society were respected, and this promoted a peaceful coexistence. The society took part in implementing corrective measures in case of conflict. These involve naming and shaming, ridicule, excommunication and isolation from the rest of the society. This served to deter conflict (Bercovitch and Richard 17). However, marriages in the modern society are characterized by conflicts. Society no longer has power over marriages and families due to social inequality measured by a change in economic mobility. Society is dominated by social classes with the majority being the lower class. In fact, a few upper-class members control nearly all resources in the community. These generate conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
Furthermore, intimate partner violence and sexual abuse were rare in traditional society. These are because society played a direct role in ensuring that the perpetrators of such acts are severely punished. On the contrary, intimate violence is very common in the modern society (Gelles 30). Perhaps, social mobility and proximity to the families vary. The society lags behind and is no longer involved in solving family disputes. The family has been separated from the rest of the society, and this is due to rural-urban migration. Today, much effort is being devoted to work and ideally improving the economic standards of an individual. Marriage receives little attention as opposed to what happened in the traditional society. Moreover, separation and divorce cases are very common in the modern society. This is because values, cultural beliefs and traditions are no longer practical. Marriage is mainly based on financial stability unlike love and affection, which was practiced traditionally. Therefore, modern society is characterized by single parent families who tend to be independent of the society. Additionally, cohabitation is also increasing popularity especially in the western countries as a result of social dynamism and changing social views on matters regarding marriage, religion and gender.
In conclusion, there are variations in the family life all over the world. These are attributed to social dynamism and the changing perception the basic family unit. Despite such evolution, it is important to appreciate the role of society in conflict resolution. The society plays a crucial role in promoting peace through proper socialization and arbitration in case of conflict among families.
Works Cited
Bercovitch, Jacob, and Richard Jackson. Conflict Resolution in the Twenty-First Century: Principles, Methods, and Approaches. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2009. Internet resource.
Gelles, Richard J. Intimate Violence in Families. Thousand Oaks, Calif. [u.a.: SAGE, 1999. Print.
