Chapter 14 Family Life Today
361
Family Functions in Various Cultures
Although families take many forms, they perform many basic
functions that are the same from culture to culture. Families provide
economic and emotional support, nurturance, education about many
topics, children (through procreation), protection, and opportunities
for recreation.
Physical Needs
To the best of their abilities, families provide necessities of life such
as food, clothing, shelter, furnishings, and health care for their members.
The ways in which this is done, however, may vary between cultures. In
one culture, for example, a family may gather or grow enough food near
its home to get through the day. In another culture, families may buy
food with wages earned a considerable distance from home.
Many physical needs are met by adult family members as they
perform tasks within the home. Such tasks include preparing meals,
keeping the house clean, and doing the laundry. At least one adult
family member is likely to work outside the home to provide the
income to meet many physical needs.
Emotional Needs
An important family function is to provide
an emotional “safe haven” for family members.
Family members seek out this safe place,
where they know their emotional needs for
love, affection, and acceptance will be met.
At the same time, family members learn the
“give-and-take” of living together in a close
relationship. They learn to live in harmony
with each other while encouraging individual
growth. As a result, each person is free to reach
his or her potential within a loving family context.tx
Nurturance
The family provides the environment for nurturing the
social skills of children, 14-2. This equips them to function in the
world. Children learn about the culture of the society in which they
live and ways to function effectively in their culture.
The family transmits its values to children and guides them as they
learn about right and wrong. Families teach, mostly by example, the
difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. As a result,
their children can take their places as productive members of society.
14-2
Children
fi rst learn how to
interact with others
from the nurturing
they receive within
the family.
.
urtur i ng the