The essential and multiple functions assigned to the family are considered constant, even if their names differ from one researcher to another, and if they move from expansion to narrowness and from multiplicity to contraction due to social developments occurring in society. It is noted that the modern family has been robbed of some of its functions. Such as the productive function that moved to the factory and the educational function that moved to the school, but that did not cause the family to deviate from its basic functions. Despite this, the family maintained its functions, which can be summarized in the following points: -
The biological function - the reproductive function: - which ensures society’s growth and continuity and provides it with new individuals. The family is the natural place for having children in the manner approved by society, which can be called the preservation of the human species.
Satisfying basic needs:- It is either for the stability of life itself, which are physiological needs such as the need for food, clothing, housing, and health care, or for living a better life by satisfying psychological and moral needs, such as: the need for the individual to feel safe, and that he is a loved and accepted person by others. He also needs to feel a sense of belonging to a group that gives him confidence and responsiveness.
Economic function:- The family, through its members, participates in the overall production processes in society, as sons and wives begin to participate in work and increase the family’s income, and women also have a prominent role in making economic decisions related to purchases and in controlling the family budget.
The educational function:- The family is considered the first social environment in which the child begins to form himself and get to know himself through interaction with its members who transmit to him the culture of society. Although part of the function of education has been transferred to regular institutions in society that are subject to planning and implementing unified programs such as the school, However, the family still has influences on education and socialization, especially its influence as a system used by modern societies in raising children and guiding young people, in addition to the influence of parents’ culture, their direct supervision, their cooperation with the school, and their understanding of the principles of education in building children’s personalities.
Religious and moral function:- The family is considered the primary environment in which religious beliefs, various rites and rituals, and moral principles are inculcated among its members.
Cultural function: - The cultural function of the family is to transmit the cultural heritage, as the family remains the field in which the child learns the general ways of life and the norms and behavioral patterns prevailing in society. The more educated the family is, the more its experience, awareness and knowledge help it achieve this cultural function in an integrated manner, as it selects the best from Heritage and its transmission, and do not transmit obsolete and harmful heritage such as revenge, magic, and other matters.
Psychological function:- It is the function that infuses family members with psychological comfort and a sense of security and social stability, thus making them have balanced personalities. This is done by giving the children respect and appreciation and developing self-confidence within them. It also enhances their value within the family, making them successful and outstanding people. It is considered a stage Adolescence is one of the most important stages in which the foundations of psychological and emotional structure are established, and parents at this stage have the greatest influence in shaping that psychological state through their guidance and methods of communicating with their children. The family can also give its children a healthy personality when they are surrounded by an atmosphere of trust, care, and love within the family.
The creative function: - This means that the family forms the child’s aesthetic taste and develops his creative sense. The child who lives in a family with a tidy, harmonious, and clean home learns to appreciate beauty, perceive symmetry and harmony, and grows up loving order and arrangement, unlike the child who lives in a house filled with chaos. It is filled with turmoil, as such a home reflects anxiety, instability, loss of concentration, and poor balance in the child’s behavior.
The emotional function:- It means the in-depth interaction between all family members in light of feelings of affection between parents and children, when they all work for the benefit of family life, and to preserve its entity and unity, and this function defines the main distinguishing features of the modern family.
Protection function:- The family protects its members from external attacks that may befall them from other families in the local community. It also protects them all and provides them with all the material and moral support they need. In fact, the family’s protection of its members extends even after their marriage and separation from the original family, and this is represented by Protection in providing financial and moral support
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