What Is Family?

In sociology, the family is just a significant social institution as the smallest unit of society. On the other hand, we know very little about the family because usually family is a closed-in Turkish society, it is closed within four walls. So, what is going on in the family? Family dynamics are a major interest of sociology. Some theories are about how to approach the family, why family is significant in sociology. Talcott Parsons as a structural-functionalist thinks that family is a major institution and with among all other social institutions family has a major role in adapting the individual to society. That is, family is the important link between the individual and society. After family, it is the school with education but family is the first because human beings first of all encounter with the family. That is why probably institution is very important in functionalism about dominant values of the society.

Another approach comes from Marx. There is a little bit of a contrast to functionalism theory. Whereas family has all the positive values and functions in functionalism, in Marxism family has positive functions but not mainly for the system, for the capitalists. Family is understood to be the cheapest environment and mechanism where the labor power can be reproduced to the next day namely related to his concept of social reproduction.

There is also a third approach that comes from the feminist theory. Feminist theory is very much interested in families.  It uses the concept of patriarchy to understand the family. As all we know, there is age-old male domination in human society from the beginning onwards. Feminists are mainly trying to understand the basic may causes behind male domination and its consequences, especially for women.

Christine Delphy started the discussion about the domestic labor of women and how they were exploited through domestic labor. They talk about the dual labor market and dual exploitation which Marx is also talking about. Delphy's main argument is the exploitation of women's domestic labor. She says the exploitation of domestic labor air rises as a result of capitalist exploitation following Marxist lines more or less. She connects the capitalist exploitation and domestic exploitation of women together, as in terms of cause-effect relationships. So, the women are subordinated in the household and through the domestic division of labor. They are subject to male exploitation and patriarchal exploitation in the house.

There is another discussion is by Sylvia Walby who is also from the feminist school of thought. However, she rejects Delphy's argument that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between capital exploitation and domestic exploitation of women through domestic labor. In fact, her argument is based on the patriarchal structures in the societies. Patriarchy has developed, but after the primitive communal society as soon as we have private ownership of land and labor. As soon as they have private ownership then we can talk about domestic, they did exploitation of women through postured for patriarchal exploitation of women because all through the country male-dominated social structures and institutions has been established. Therefore, women are subjected to this patriarchal situation that is not necessarily related to capitalistic exploitation.

To be continued in the next chapter.