INT101 Research Report: Family as a Social Institution in Australia

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the family as a social institution within Australian society. It begins by describing the diverse frameworks of families in Australia, including couple families and lone-parent families, supported by statistical data. The report then delves into the theoretical underpinnings of the family, focusing on sociological theories such as conflict theory and structural functionalism. Furthermore, it evaluates the significant impact of the family on Australian society, highlighting its role in meeting basic needs, fostering a sense of belonging, and ensuring financial security for its members. The research concludes that the family remains a fundamental social unit, essential for child-rearing, social support, and overall societal well-being.

Introduction
Social sciences incorporate with many concepts that
are fundamental to the grasping of the subject
matter. One such crucial idea in the field of social
sciences is that of the family. The family is
generally termed as a significant social institution in
the Australian society as well as other parts of the
globe (Ogormegbunem, 2014). It is regarded as a
locus of much of one’s social activity. The family is
a social unit created by marriage or adoption and
can be grouped as either extended or nuclear. A
nuclear family consists of father, mother, and
children while the extended family consists of the
nuclear family and other relatives. The main
contention of this paper is to complete research on
the family as a social institution in the Australian
society.
The framework of the Family
1

Families in Australia come in many sizes and
shapes. Furthermore, the size and shape of one's
family change over their life course (Germov &
Poole, 2015). One can even define their own family
differently from diverse vantage points. From one
perspective, Australian families might consist of the
members of the immediate family living in one
household or from another aspect; the family might
consist of family members scattered across several
different houses and generations.
Couple families are the common family frameworks
in Australia (Crouch, McNair, & Waters, 2016). In
this framework, children live all or most of their
childhood in this structure. Most of these families
include a couple. Additionally, in these families, a
number of them have dependent or nondependent
children while others do not contain any child at all.
The significant majority of parents in this setup are
married.
2

Another type of family framework in Australia is
the lone family structure (Fucik, 2016). This
framework can also be called a single parent family.
Here, one parent, either the father or mother raises
one or more children on his or her own. This family
framework has taken a more substantial proportion
of the Australian family social institution
frameworks.
Family Profiles in Australia
Family
Type
Couple Families
5, 676,500
Single Parent Family
948,800
Population
Percentag
e
With
dependants
Without
dependant
s
Almost
two in
three had
dependants
living with
them
Led by
singles
mothers
44% 56% 65% 83%
Source: (ABS, 2017)
3

Theoretical Underpinnings of the Family
Sociological theories are the pivotal and underlying
strengths of the family as an institution in the
Australian society (Shildrick & Rucell, 2015).
Arguments are sets of interrelated ideas and
concepts that have been scientifically tested and
combined to clarify, enlarge, expand, and magnify
the Australians, their behavior, and their societies.
Conflict theory is one of the assumptions
underpinning the family. This is a theory that was
founded by Karl Marx. The argument is useful in
understanding war, wealth and poverty, revolutions,
divorces, slavery, and more conflict-related
phenomena. The second theory is the structural
functionalism theory. This theory underpins the
family as a social institution. The method claims
that the family is in a state of balance that results
from efficient functioning of the different parts of
the family.
4

Impact of the Family as a Social Institution in the
Australian Society
Life has changed so much for most of the
Australians. With the changing cultural norms,
advancement in technology, new forms of
communication geared by the internet, it is ideal for
one to wonder whether the family has any
importance or impact in the Australian society.
Indeed yes, the family has so many implications on
the Australian population as discussed below.
To begin with, the family meets the crucial needs
of the Australians who cannot provide for
themselves (Anderson, 2014). In the society, the
family, which is a fundamental social unit, is tasked
with meeting the significant needs of individuals
who cannot provide for themselves. This includes
the elderly, minors, disabled, or those individuals
who cannot afford enough to stay by themselves.
When one or more members of the family can
5

provide for their members, basic needs such as
shelter, water, and food become accessible.
The family increases the feeling of belonging in the
Australian society (Callan, 2014). Several years
ago, Abraham Maslow came up with the hierarchy
of needs diagram. The picture showed the
requirements that were fundamental to the family.
The base of the pyramid represented basic needs
that must be fulfilled first. In Australian society,
these needs have been affordable due to family
units.
A well working family ensures financial security for
every occupant of the household (Oláh, Kotowska,
& Richter, 2018). For example, all the working
members of the family contribute part of their
earnings to the family to ensure that everyone in the
family meets their needs appropriately. The families
in Australia combine resources to pay bills and
manage their income to ensure that every need that
requires money is taken care of. Parents in each
6

family also teach their children on the safest and
economical methods of managing money and
resources. Even when these children move out of
the family, they easily thrive by themselves.
Conclusion
The family is the most fundamental social unit in
the Australian society. This serves as the fact that
everyone must learn. The family serves as an
essential societal unit, necessary child raising unit
as well as all-round friendship and fun unit. One
might feel satisfied when not in the family, but they
have to understand that family is the basic unit of
society.
References
ABS. (2017, May 15). ABS shows changes on
International Families Day. Retrieved from
Australian Bureau of Statistics:
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs
%40.nsf/mediareleasesbyCatalogue/
7

5E4BABA5BD22D73DCA2581210009D3
D8
Anderson, J. (2014). The impact of family structure
on the health of children: Effects of divorce.
The Linacre Quarterly, 378-387.
Callan, S. (2014). Building a Strong society
Requires Effective Family Policy. DIFI
Family Research and Proceedings, 1-14.
Crouch, S. R., McNair, R., & Waters, E. (2016).
Impact of family structure and socio‐
demographic characteristics on child health
and wellbeing in same‐sex parent families:
A cross‐sectional survey. Journal of
Paediatrics and Child Health, 499-505.
Fucik, P. (2016). Where Are the Effects of Family
Structure? The Educational Level, Current
Partnership, and Income Level of the Czech
Adult Population Socialised in Single-Parent
Families. Sociologický časopis/ Czech
Sociological Review, 375-402.
Germov, J., & Poole, M. (2015). Public Sociology :
An Introduction to Australian Society (3rd
Edition ed.). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen &
Unwin.
8

Ogormegbunem, D. E. (2014). The Changing
Nature of the Family and Its Duty as
Foundation for Morals and Sustenance of Core
Societal Value. Journal of Sociology and Social
Work, 195-209.
Oláh, L. S., Kotowska, I. E., & Richter, R. (2018). The New
Roles of Men and Women and Implications for
Families and Societies. A Demographic
Perspective on Gender, Family and Health in
Europe, 41-64.
Shildrick, T., & Rucell, J. (2015). Sociological
perspectives on poverty. Joseph Rowntree
Foundation, 0nline.
9