- Position‹6 of 6
- Family has different meanings at different times
- Argument
The family unit is constantly evolving
Social attitudes to families are constantly shifting. Therefore, any definition is only valid at the time it was written.
The argument
No definition of a family can hold weight for eternity. The sociological definition of a family can only be accurate for as long as social attitudes remain fixed. As social attitudes towards marriage, sex, property, and economics change, the sociological definition of a family must also change. In pre-industrial society, most families were a traditional nuclear family with one woman and man bonded through marriage, and their offspring. This social construct no longer applies to many post-industrial societies, forcing sociologists to revisit their definitions of a family.
Context
Because a family is a social construct, any definition can only be accurate for that time period. As social attitudes change so too does the sociological definition of a family.
Premises
Counter-arguments
Social and political attitudes change, but the core function of a family has remained the same since primitive family units roamed the Pangea supercontinent. Therefore, defining a family by what it does, rather than what it is, is still useful. A functionalist approach to defining a family can, therefore, effectively define a family.
Rejecting the premises
[Rejecting P3] A functional approach is not dependent on social attitudes.