Communications and Media

The family as an organization has played a major role in the society as it is the basic unit of a society (Castellano    17). It is a system that consists of members who relate to each and in most cases they are related by kin. This system basically forms the base of a society. It is for this reason that for a society to be considered morally upright, the family as an organization has to be considered. This is to say that if the family members have virtues then they will contribute positively to the society (Winch    13). Hence it is true to state that the family is important because it is a community of people where moral values are taught and both the spiritual and cultural heritage of society are passed on from one generation to another.

The family is also important in ensuring that people are strong in their commitments and encourage both social accountability and unity as it is a place where empathy is brought about and due to love within the family members, each member of the family is recognized, acknowledged and respected (Castellano    27).

The structure of the family
The structure of the family refers to the way in which the different social relationships between persons outline the basis for family arrangements (Winch    12).  The different structures of the family are extended and nuclear families.

Extended Family
This type of family structure is made up of relations for example uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents and so forth. Because of this, there are social reasons that explain the existence of this structure (Winch    102). In other words how its being is related to the various ways in which the family group responds to changes and developments in the society at large.

Therefore, the extended family structure in most cases arises in the societies where a large group of persons who are related and that live together can contribute to each others everyday lives. In simple words is that each family member provides some kind of support to the other members of the family (Castellano    37). For example in agricultural societies where people are reliant on working upon their land for survival, a large group of persons can work together to do tasks such as care for the sick, do domestic chores and so forth. The importance of this structure is that it provides its members with an extensive social support network that can help them in times of emotional or economic difficulty (Winch    272).

In this type of family, the members communicate from time to time by holding reunions frequently in order to maintain closer ties due to its large number of family members.

Nuclear family
The nuclear family basically consists of two generations of family members living together. Family contacts among kin are usually less frequent than among members of extended families. Its structure is usually found in two types of society

In those where a large family would be a hindrance rather than help for example in a case there would be short food supply like in the nomad societies (Winch    242) .

In industrialized societies where the country provides help for the unfortunate through a social security system. In such society, there is a lesser need to rely upon family support.

In this type of family, the members communicate with each other by presenting each member with peers that they are able to rely on in times of stress.

One of the familys functions is to procreate. In simple words, this is to start producing children to satisfy the need for one to become a father or mother. It is good to note that parents have both a right and an important duty to educate their children. Another function of the family is for companionship where a man and woman come together to be lifelong companions. They get a sense of belonging by doing this.  It is therefore safe to state that the family as an organization plays a crucial role in the society due to the factors discussed above (Winch    322).