On the Idea of Family

Is the family an universal sphere? What is the family. George Peter Murdock in a study made over 250 societies defined the family as a social group characterized by common; residence, economic cooperation, including adults of both sexes to whom approved sexual relationship exist among children or adopted children. But debates emerges among sociologist in this case in regards what is a family. Such as what is religion, what is a and B. Lyotard use the term language game that the definition depend on the game we are playing and again the debate whether according to this language game of family as we perceive it is in Capitalist mode according to Marxism who Marx nevertheless is not necessary false other sociologist criticize the fact that such family is not universal. Due to the fact that they see other models of the Nayar population who according to Kathleen Gough 1956 the Nayar Girls married their husband before puberty in the tali rite and she had only one duty to mourn to his death there were no other obligations. Then when she reached near puberty or after puberty she could be visited by other man warriors that came from war zones and such wariors left there shield out as a sign of conquered territory. A woman could hold 12 man a man a infinite number of woman. The man who came late who saw the garments warrior could sleep in the Veranda. Man had no duty towards the offspring and a relationship could be terminated therefore there was no economic nucleus only thus children were adopted by same man or other man but not necessary by the biological father. Thus it was a matrilineal society helped by  mother a female sisters with no need of men which Germaine Greer a radical feminist that argues that family life oppress woman as they need to be wife and motherhood is the only thing that gives fulfillment perhaps to woman and so women also are seen as daughters and the fact that young woman are called babes and subject to abuse and so she conclude in a matrilocal model of household. She suggest segregation. These can also help old woman alone. Murdock’s definition is either not universal or else such is that the defenition of family like all defenition can be debated. Some argue that this is a fragmentation of the nucleus family. Woman are more free to work, choose to enter in lesbian relationship, marry or cohabitate, live as single mothers or on their own. These are the reality that the fragmented post modernism produced and are producing. Universality is thus only apt to the language game used.

In my opinion it time to believe to start to define the family first and to do this we need to define the family why it exists.