argument top image

What is the sociological definition of a family?
Back to question

Families share these factors across cultures

These three pillars of a family are visible across cultures.

Context

George Peter Murdock collected data on family units from 85 societies when crafting his sociological theory of the family. He compared this with existing data on a further 165 societies.

The Argument

By analysing a cross-societal group of family units, Murdock concluded that the shared attributes of all families were a shared residence, economic cooperation, and reproduction. For him, these shared functions defined the family unit. [1] Any erosion of these attributes, for example if economic mobility forced members of the family to move out of the shared residence, would correspond with an erosion of the family ties. This weakening of the family unit would then have profound negative consequences.

Counter arguments

This narrow definition of a family cannot adequately account for families with LGBTQ parents for whom reproduction is not a core function of the family group. Murdock’s definition is also antiquated. The modern family may not share a residence, as economic conditions drive one parent to alternate regions for work. In these cases, economic cooperation may still be common, as one parent often sends remittance payments home to their partner and children, but a shared residence is often not possible.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] In all cultures, families are built around a shared shelter, shared finances, and the act of reproduction. [P2] Therefore, these three criteria make up the sociological definition of the family.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] The definition has become antiquated and no longer applies to the modern family.

References

  1. https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1525/aa.1950.52.1.02a00090
This page was last edited on Sunday, 28 Jun 2020 at 23:19 UTC

Explore related arguments