Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
What is the sociological definition of a family?
Position‹3 of 6›

Family is dependency

This position defines the family, sociologically, in terms of dependency. It holds that what makes a family is the physical and economic dependency its members have on one another — relying on each other for the various forms of support that sustain daily life.

Supporting arguments · 1

  1. Families are dependent on each other for multiple forms of support.
    Families are dependent on its members for survival in physical, emotional, and economic ways. Parents birth, nurse, and feed their children. Parents offer economic support for their dependents. Children, as parents get older, return that support.