The family is one of nature's
masterpieces.
~George Santayana, The Life of Reason
There are five major social institutions:





The Family
Education
Religion
Economics
Government
The family is the smallest social institutions
with the unique function or producing and
rearing the young.
The family is closely knit and has strong
family ties. The member have the
tendency to cling together in there
activities and feelings. There is a strong
loyalty among them not usually found in
Western families. The interest of the
individual are often sacrificed for the
welfare of the group.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Reproduction of the race and rearing of
the young.
Cultural transmission or enculturation.
Socialization of the child.
Providing affection and a sense of security.
Providing the environment for personality
development and the growth of selfconcept in relation to others.
Providing social status.
Kinds of Family Patterns
- Listed below are the different patterns as classified by sociologist:
Membership
Residence
Authority
Descent
Nuclear
Neological
Patriarchal
Bilineal
Extended
Matrilocal
Matriarchal
Patrileneal
Patrilocal
Equalitarian
matrilineal
Membership
Conjugal or nuclear family – This is the primary or elementary family
consisting of husband, wife and children;
Consanguine or extended family – It consists of married couple, their
parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins.
Monogamy and Polygamy.
3 kinds of Polygamy:
Polyandry – woman is married to two or
more men at the same time;
 Polygamy – where one man is married to
two or more women at the same time;
 Cenogamy – two or more men mate with
two or more women in group marriage.

Descent
Patrilineal, Matrilineal or Bilineal
Patrilineal – when the descent is
recognized through the father’s line.
 Matrilineal – when the descent is
recognized through the mother’s line.
 Bilineal – when the descent is both
recognized through mother and father.

Residence
Patrilocal – when the newly married
couple lives with parents of the husband.
 Matrilocal – when the newly married
couple lives with the parents of the wife;
and
 Neolocal – when the newly married pair
maintains a separate household and live
by themselves.

Authority
Patriarchal – when the father is
considered the head and plays a dominant
role;
 Matriarchal – when the mother or female
is the head and makes the major
decisions; and
 Equalitarian – when both father and
mother share in making decisions and are
equal in authority.

Bibliography
Book:
Social Dimensions of Education
( Revised Edition, 2011)