1. Social Institutions
Family

2. The family is the most important primary group in society
The family is the most important primary group in society.It is the simplest and the most elementary form of society. It is the basic form of all social groupings.It is the first and most immediate social environment to which a child is exposed.The family, as an institution is universal.

3. The word ‘Family’has been taken over from Latin word’Famulus,’which means a servant . Thus , originally , family consisted of a man and woman with a child or children and servants.

4. “Family is a more or less durable association of husband and wife with or without child, or of a man or woman alone, with children.” Nimkoff
“Family is a group defined by sex relationship sufficiently precise and enduring to provide for the procreation and upbringing of children.” Maciver

5. “Family is a group of persons united by ties of marriage, blood or adoption constituting a single household interacting and intercommunicating with each other in their respective social roles of husband and wife, father and mother , son and daughter, brother and sister creating a common culture.”
Burgess and Locke

6. Elements/Characteristics/Features of family
Universal Nature
Emotional basis
Formative influence
Nuclear Position in the social structure.
Unlimited responsibility of the members
Social regulations

7. Permanent and Temporary nature of the family
A mating relationship
Selection of mates
A form of marriage
A system of nomenclature
A way of Tracing the descent

8. A common residence
An economic Provision
Social Control
Blood relation
Helpful in socialisation
Family is an association

9. Types of Family On the basis of marriage- Monogamous family
Polygamous family
Polyandrous family
On the basis of nature of residence-
Patrilocal family
Matrilocal family
Neolocal family

10. On the basis of descent -
Patrilineal family
Matrilineal family
On the basis of members -
Nuclear family
Joint family
Extended family

11. On the basis of authority -
Matriarchal family
Patriarchal family

12. Functions of family Broadly of two types- Primary &Secondary Functions
Primary Functions
Satisfaction of sexual needs
Reproduction or Procreation
Production and rearing of children
Provision of home

13. Provides physical security
Provides psychological security
Provision of clothing
Provision of food
Secondary functions –
Educational functions
Economic functions

14. Division of labour
Provision of income and property
Inheritance
Social functions
Provision of status
Transmission of experience from generation to generation
Social control
Recreational functions

15. Agent of socialisation
Agent of transmitting culture
Development of human characteristics
Standardisation of behavioural pattern
Cultural functions
Religious functions
Political functions

16. Factors responsible for the changes in Family
Economic Factors
Industrialisation
Economic independence
Working mothers
High living standard

17. Mobility in population
Higher education among females
Urbanisation
Commercialised entertainment
Revolution among the Youth
Political Factors

18. 2.Social Factors
Dominance of state over parents
Voting rights to females
3.Philosophical Factors
Decline of religious basis of marriage
Materialistic ideology

19. New pattern of moral values
Individualistic ideology
Recrational function