Sociology on Marriage
12/2/2010
Sociology Final Paper
Marriage and Family The simplest and most basic foundation of a sociological civilization or group begins at the core center of sociology; which is marriage and the inner-fabric creation of a family. It is said that matches are made in heaven, however finding and defining your “soul mate” differs from one social group to the next. The social institution of marriage changes and adapts consistently through time, religious practice, and national beliefs. Many people believe they lead happy and satisfying lives without a marital partner, as others highly value and desire a life-long marital partner as the pinnacle achievement of their life. The uniqueness of marriage is that every race, class, religion, and country is involved one way or another in that social institution. One particular reason is the need to reproduce and add new members to a group. Margaret Anderson and Howard Taylor in Sociology: The Essentials mention the concept of a functionalism. Functionalism is defined as a theoretical perspective that interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole society. The creation and upbringing of a son or daughter in a marriage fulfills society’s needs. Whether the upbringing of a child is conducted properly and positively varies by family, but sexual reproduction accomplishes the selfless task of adding to a society. The traditional Functionalist Theory in the United States of America interprets the proper family consisting of a monogamous relationship of one father and one mother from an endogamous group; meaning from a similar race/religion/wealth class (Anderson, Taylor: 314). A small group of Utah Mormons practice polygamy (multiple wives), but it is very rare. Traditional marriages expect the men to take the dominant role of the family providing income and protection as the women accomplish the house chores and child upbringing. As expected, over the course of time
Sociology Final Paper
Marriage and Family The simplest and most basic foundation of a sociological civilization or group begins at the core center of sociology; which is marriage and the inner-fabric creation of a family. It is said that matches are made in heaven, however finding and defining your “soul mate” differs from one social group to the next. The social institution of marriage changes and adapts consistently through time, religious practice, and national beliefs. Many people believe they lead happy and satisfying lives without a marital partner, as others highly value and desire a life-long marital partner as the pinnacle achievement of their life. The uniqueness of marriage is that every race, class, religion, and country is involved one way or another in that social institution. One particular reason is the need to reproduce and add new members to a group. Margaret Anderson and Howard Taylor in Sociology: The Essentials mention the concept of a functionalism. Functionalism is defined as a theoretical perspective that interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole society. The creation and upbringing of a son or daughter in a marriage fulfills society’s needs. Whether the upbringing of a child is conducted properly and positively varies by family, but sexual reproduction accomplishes the selfless task of adding to a society. The traditional Functionalist Theory in the United States of America interprets the proper family consisting of a monogamous relationship of one father and one mother from an endogamous group; meaning from a similar race/religion/wealth class (Anderson, Taylor: 314). A small group of Utah Mormons practice polygamy (multiple wives), but it is very rare. Traditional marriages expect the men to take the dominant role of the family providing income and protection as the women accomplish the house chores and child upbringing. As expected, over the course of time