As a non-specialist navigating sociological terminologies and themes, I find contextualizing the family institution through Emile Durkheim’s structural functionalism to be highly engaging in learning about both its functions and dysfunctions in society. However, because the family, as a nucleus of social invasion, is responsible for giving birth to new members and molding their behaviors and beliefs, I thoroughly feel that it is a societal institution where anomy operates. Thus, I intend to explore various aspects of family planning, especially its functions and expectations from different members of society. Similarly, I will relate anomy to this institution to discuss Durkheim’s view critically.
First and foremost, the family institution is established to perform its manifest function, which is responsible for nurturing and socializing individuals in society. It is the fundamental unit for reproduction, rearing children, and passing cultural values, norms, and traditions from one age group to the next . Thus, families maintain society’s stability and sustain its members by increasing social integration and solidarity.
In addition to the manifest function outlined above, the family institution also fulfills several latent functions – those that are unnoticeable at first glance but are crucial for the smooth operation of the social body. Economic cooperation and support are in one of these latent functions; families often join their resources and allocate them to assist the members in need. Thus, corporations and families contribute to the overall economic stability of society. The family is also an important institution in terms of social control; socialization in the family introduces individuals to the major societal norms, values, expectations, thus maintaining order and helping achieve the consensus.
Anomie, a concept central to Durkheim’s theory, may be defined as a state of normlessness or the breakdown of social norms and values. In the realm of the family institution, anomie may occur when familial relationships are disrupted or when conventional family structures are disturbed. When, for example, divorce or parental negligence contributes to family members feeling alienated from one another, the social order is destroyed, and the family unit is left to feel directionless. According to my reflection on Durkheim’s theory, I found that functionalism has offered beneficial lessons regarding the family institution’s operations. Durkheim’s focus on social integration and regulation emphasizes the significance of familial relationships in preserving social unity. However, Durkheim’s thesis may ignore the complex nature and diversity of family structures, especially in today’s culture, where non-traditional family structures are becoming more frequent.
To conclude, the application of Durkheim’s structural functionalist perspective to the family institution revealed various functions and dysfunctions of the family as an institution in society. The family performs manifest functions, including nurturing and socialization, and latent functions, including economic cooperation and social control. Nonetheless, the notion of anomie suggests that relationships within the family institution are fragile and can be easily disrupted. In general, Durkheim’s theory provides valuable perspective on the family in the society and could be complemented by the understanding of the family dynamics in truly existing society.
