Family in its common traditional form has been an ...
Family has fulfilled a wide range of personal and social needs of human beings along with providing the ground for and backing up of some facets of human life.
Family as an institution in its most basic and universal form has consisted of parents and children, with mother serving as the existential axis plus the internal manager and under the supervision and direction of father. Meantime family, with this very constitution, has been approved of by the elite and the intellectuals and specifically by the me of God and prophets within societies.
Despite the differences between social groups and societies in terms of aims, beliefs, cultures and social customs, the traditional family system has kept its inclusive and unique function in the following areas: emotional, personal (psychological), religious, educational,instructional,economic(financial) and physical (sexual).
Though these aspects are researchable as functions of the family, from another perspective they comprise the facets of human needs for which family – as an institution–has assumed responsibility.
As mentioned before, mother (woman) stands at the existential center of this institution – with its full function. On the one hand, woman is the center for stability and security in the family, preserving family limits, its security, sanctity, and immunity. This interaction and close connection guarantees family functions inclusively besides addressing women's most fundamental and natural need i.e. security and inviolability. Put differently, with support of the family and within its confines, woman can protect a basic right of hers, which is based on her natural and instinctive capacities. She for her part satisfies and safeguards the undeniable and irreplaceable necessities and needs of human life and society. How subtle, wise, and fruitful an interaction there is between woman – as the axis of security - and family – as a sanctuary.
In the shadow of this valuable interaction, family, having its ultimate function and impact, has got through in the history. This sanctuary, which is a safe haven for woman, relies heavily on her pivotal role as a cornerstone for preserving its integrity and effect while performing its functions. If, under any pretext or with any means, woman leaves, or is forced out of, this shelter, then there is no guarantee for the continuity of those functions and preservation of family's integrity. It's a fixed comprehensive principle in every system that, if its main axis, keystone, and fixed element are dislodged, the system will be bogged down and will eventually break up. Family as a system cannot be excluded from this issue and it's a sad fact that the same problem has plagued modern families within western civilization and societies have suffered the aftereffects of such instability and disintegration of the foundations of families, in part or as a whole. Western civilization has deviated women from their original path and secure position – assigned by God through nature and religion – under the guise of rights of women, fighting discrimination against women, creating social, political, and economic opportunities for them and feminism.
This has slid women toward endless competition and share seeking in social, political, and economic spheres and the terrifying arena of egotism, and materialism that is a horrible crime and an act of treachery against woman and family. In this complex and odd situation, woman, rather than demonstrating the fruits of her existence and her irreplaceable functions, in the family – and with its support – rather than providing the family with security and stability and satisfying its emotional and psychological needs, leaves her soul to the rough and inflexible arenas of economical and social issues. Her sensitive and delicate soul, which should be a center for the development of supreme human stages and emotions, grows to be upset, anxious, and distressed in an selfish and egotistic atmosphere that suppresses her. What the western civilization names "the right of women" is in fact an instance of oppression and incursion into her absolute original rights to deny her rights. Such notions as equality and sameness of man and woman are never proportionate and relevant to the original rights and place of woman. Women's rights as emphasized in divine religions in general and in Islam in particular are a set of principles proportionate to the status and the place of woman in the structure of nature and regarding this fact, the equality of woman and man is null. The reason is that the difference of man and woman in the nature in terms of creation and position is indisputable. Difference in nature and natural considerations, as it were, necessitates difference in religious matters and plus the assignment of rights and duties. Such difference is justice and respect for the rights of women in their full form and rejecting it is oppression and violation of that right. Such unjust system and false claims lead to the subjugation of women, men and the entire human race. With this introduction, this article will now survey the situation of family in the modern world and in relation to each of its functions and dimensions.
A- The emotional role:
Contrary to the traditional family, which was a center for gathering, affection, understanding, companionship, and a basis for mental and physical commonalities, the modern family has now become the place for the breaking out of fights, self-centeredness, and sensual and worldly competitions. The following are some of the factors bringing about the transformation of emotional relations in the family:
-- Women's engagement with social and economic issues and their absence and lack of focus on their family
-- The replacement of emotional dependence and connections within family by various social obsessions
-- The race for achieving better social and economic opportunities between men and women
-- The predominance of egotism and selfishness instead of seeking others' well-being and setting common goals among family members
B- he psychological function and the effect on personality:
One of the basic and essential functions of the family is the development and evolution of children in terms of psychology and character in the family. Mental security and strength of personality in children are realized, respectively, through mother and father and solely in the family. This is while no other person or institution is capable of securing and of guaranteeing these two fundamental matters in the growth and development of human personality. It's a sorry fact, though, that this significant key function has also been impaired and suffered serious injury in the process of modernization. The consequences of mental insecurity and instability of character of the children in the societies that are suffering from these problems, has inflicted irremediable injuries to the body of humanity. Personality disorders and antisocial behavior of children in early childhood and early youth as well as abnormalities of conduct and behavior during youth and adulthood, are all caused by problems in the process of growth and development of personality and mental security of the children.
Also with an eye on the share of a ruined or damaged psyche or personality in the social abnormalities and disorders such as addiction, misdemeanor, felony, crime, corruption and fornication, one should see these social crises as an outcome of the loss of the personality-psychological function of the family.
C- The religious function:
Creating and strengthening of spiritual links plus training persons in religious belief, rites and principles has always been one of principal family functions in societies.
Modernity's characteristics, humanism, materialism, worldliness, domination of technique and instrument, and secularism (the personal and instrumental reading of religion) have left no room for burgeoning of religion and spirituality in the family and social spheres and by limiting religion within personal and instrumental fields has practically paralyzed hence put a stop to the religious function of the family. The outcome is loss of commitment to religion, evident in the following dimensions:
- weak spiritual and religious links
- loss of belief in religious teachings
- Lack of commitment to religious ethics and the resultant irresponsible behavior
- Loss of attention to religious rites
D- The educational function:
Educating children according to social customs and value systems and teaching of politeness and the family or ancestral traditions are of familiar functions of the family in all societies, hence the modern civilization's barrenness in terms of the educational place of families that is overshadowed by the following factors:
- spreading of cultural paradigms against educational and traditional norms
- Anti-value currents of programs in media
- Negative instigations against traditions and traditional norms
- spreading of
The outcome is nothing less than the shattering of society's norms and value systems, disappearance of customs and brushing aside of indigenous cultures. In such a situation, family that is expected to pass norms and value systems down generations and to educate persons is itself subject to the smashing waves of cultural aggression. Not only does the family lose its educational function toward children, as a result, it also becomes unstable, and eventually digresses into transformation of values, which are due to cultural passivity and conflicting norms.
E) Instructional-professional function:
In traditional family, the responsibility for planning and organizing children's educational and professional affairs lies with parents and is proportionate to the child's sexual exigencies, the economic status of the family, father's job, and other necessities and requirements of the family. But in the modern society, due to the widespread and comprehensive educational programs – be it general or obligatory education – organizing and performing educational and professional plans for children is no longer within parents' power, and mostly depends upon governmental and general obligations or in some cases children's own taste and will. This is while children spend most of their time out of their homes and in the general, governmental, and educational institutes. In such a situation, family's role is reduced to preparation and offering back-up help to the obligatory education of the society, as it were, allowing only a minor role for the family to perform its professional and educational function.
F- The economic-financial function:
In traditional families, women stay at home and are responsible for the direction of interior affairs and the upbringing of children; on the other hand, men work out of the house and their duty is to provide financially for their family. This bilateral interaction brings builds up the mutual dependence and the union in psychological and emotional terms between man and woman. In addition, regarding the fact that this is an appropriate and fair division of labor in accordance with the natural exigencies of both men and women, it benefits the whole family and shapes up the economic and financial function of the family. But in the modern and western paradigms, on the one hand, woman is willing to work out of the house to have financial independence, and man sees no obligation to pay for woman's life financially, on the other. Therefore, both man and woman work separately to earn a living. Thus, the financial pattern in the family changes forms from a collective provision and financial dependence into individual provision and financial independence, leading into the removal of family economics and its replacement with individual economics.
G- The physical and sexual function:
In traditional systems the financial and economic function of the family, which centers on man, balances out another function, which rests on woman, by definition. Woman by directing and providing service for the fulfillment of the physical needs of the family members such as food, clothing, and regulation of home affairs, creates balance and discipline. Meantime by satisfying her husband's sexual need, brings stability and peace into the family and this is a unique role that woman performs in exchange for her husband's financial support. Accordingly, under the shadow of this fair interaction proportionate to the capabilities of both sides, family affairs are administered, and its members' needs are met, collectively and based on the distribution of duties. As a result, in modern family, the minimum presence of woman at home and her employment out of the house overshadow her administration of internal affairs of the house and the handling of issues related to her children and husband. The mutual presence of men and women in society and their mix in working environment, makes sexual enjoyment possible outside the house and breaks the monopoly of sexual pleasure within family restraints. In view of this fact, the level of family function in terms of physical and sexual issues also falls to its minimum. Regarding what was mentioned, and to sum up the topics unspoken of here, we should say:
With the changes brought to family issues in the modern society, family as an institution has encountered problems in carrying out its duties and performing its functions – in some occasions this is absolute, in others partial. Therefore, regarding the fact that the permanence and survival of any institution is dependent upon the durability and continued existence of its functions and achievements it's inevitable that the partial or absolute malfunction of the family has made it partially or absolutely shaky and led into its disintegration. Shakiness of the foundation of the family – which is the core of human life – and loss of its respectful status has afflicted irremediable damages to human society. The appearance of obscene phenomena such as the one-person family, union of human and animal as a family, homosexuality besides the emergence of human crises including crises of identity, piety and spirituality, depression and isolationism, crime and tendency toward violence, addiction, severe abnormalities of character, etc is a serious warning of the danger that threatens not only our social life, but also the survival of human kind.
Creating and strengthening of spiritual links plus training persons in religious belief, rites and principles has always been one of principal family functions in societies.
Modernity's characteristics, humanism, materialism, worldliness, domination of technique and instrument, and secularism (the personal and instrumental reading of religion) have left no room for burgeoning of religion and spirituality in the family and social spheres and by limiting religion within personal and instrumental fields has practically paralyzed hence put a stop to the religious function of the family. The outcome is loss of commitment to religion, evident in the following dimensions:
- weak spiritual and religious links
- loss of belief in religious teachings
- Lack of commitment to religious ethics and the resultant irresponsible behavior
- Loss of attention to religious rites
D- The educational function:
Educating children according to social customs and value systems and teaching of politeness and the family or ancestral traditions are of familiar functions of the family in all societies, hence the modern civilization's barrenness in terms of the educational place of families that is overshadowed by the following factors:
- spreading of cultural paradigms against educational and traditional norms
- Anti-value currents of programs in media
- Negative instigations against traditions and traditional norms
- spreading of
The outcome is nothing less than the shattering of society's norms and value systems, disappearance of customs and brushing aside of indigenous cultures. In such a situation, family that is expected to pass norms and value systems down generations and to educate persons is itself subject to the smashing waves of cultural aggression. Not only does the family lose its educational function toward children, as a result, it also becomes unstable, and eventually digresses into transformation of values, which are due to cultural passivity and conflicting norms.
E) Instructional-professional function:
In traditional family, the responsibility for planning and organizing children's educational and professional affairs lies with parents and is proportionate to the child's sexual exigencies, the economic status of the family, father's job, and other necessities and requirements of the family. But in the modern society, due to the widespread and comprehensive educational programs – be it general or obligatory education – organizing and performing educational and professional plans for children is no longer within parents' power, and mostly depends upon governmental and general obligations or in some cases children's own taste and will. This is while children spend most of their time out of their homes and in the general, governmental, and educational institutes. In such a situation, family's role is reduced to preparation and offering back-up help to the obligatory education of the society, as it were, allowing only a minor role for the family to perform its professional and educational function.
F- The economic-financial function:
In traditional families, women stay at home and are responsible for the direction of interior affairs and the upbringing of children; on the other hand, men work out of the house and their duty is to provide financially for their family. This bilateral interaction brings builds up the mutual dependence and the union in psychological and emotional terms between man and woman. In addition, regarding the fact that this is an appropriate and fair division of labor in accordance with the natural exigencies of both men and women, it benefits the whole family and shapes up the economic and financial function of the family. But in the modern and western paradigms, on the one hand, woman is willing to work out of the house to have financial independence, and man sees no obligation to pay for woman's life financially, on the other. Therefore, both man and woman work separately to earn a living. Thus, the financial pattern in the family changes forms from a collective provision and financial dependence into individual provision and financial independence, leading into the removal of family economics and its replacement with individual economics.
G- The physical and sexual function:
In traditional systems the financial and economic function of the family, which centers on man, balances out another function, which rests on woman, by definition. Woman by directing and providing service for the fulfillment of the physical needs of the family members such as food, clothing, and regulation of home affairs, creates balance and discipline. Meantime by satisfying her husband's sexual need, brings stability and peace into the family and this is a unique role that woman performs in exchange for her husband's financial support. Accordingly, under the shadow of this fair interaction proportionate to the capabilities of both sides, family affairs are administered, and its members' needs are met, collectively and based on the distribution of duties. As a result, in modern family, the minimum presence of woman at home and her employment out of the house overshadow her administration of internal affairs of the house and the handling of issues related to her children and husband. The mutual presence of men and women in society and their mix in working environment, makes sexual enjoyment possible outside the house and breaks the monopoly of sexual pleasure within family restraints. In view of this fact, the level of family function in terms of physical and sexual issues also falls to its minimum. Regarding what was mentioned, and to sum up the topics unspoken of here, we should say:
With the changes brought to family issues in the modern society, family as an institution has encountered problems in carrying out its duties and performing its functions – in some occasions this is absolute, in others partial. Therefore, regarding the fact that the permanence and survival of any institution is dependent upon the durability and continued existence of its functions and achievements it's inevitable that the partial or absolute malfunction of the family has made it partially or absolutely shaky and led into its disintegration. Shakiness of the foundation of the family – which is the core of human life – and loss of its respectful status has afflicted irremediable damages to human society. The appearance of obscene phenomena such as the one-person family, union of human and animal as a family, homosexuality besides the emergence of human crises including crises of identity, piety and spirituality, depression and isolationism, crime and tendency toward violence, addiction, severe abnormalities of character, etc is a serious warning of the danger that threatens not only our social life, but also the survival of human kind.
Creating and strengthening of spiritual links plus training persons in religious belief, rites and principles has always been one of principal family functions in societies.
Modernity's characteristics, humanism, materialism, worldliness, domination of technique and instrument, and secularism (the personal and instrumental reading of religion) have left no room for burgeoning of religion and spirituality in the family and social spheres and by limiting religion within personal and instrumental fields has practically paralyzed hence put a stop to the religious function of the family. The outcome is loss of commitment to religion, evident in the following dimensions:
- weak spiritual and religious links
- loss of belief in religious teachings
- Lack of commitment to religious ethics and the resultant irresponsible behavior
- Loss of attention to religious rites
D- The educational function:
Educating children according to social customs and value systems and teaching of politeness and the family or ancestral traditions are of familiar functions of the family in all societies, hence the modern civilization's barrenness in terms of the educational place of families that is overshadowed by the following factors:
- spreading of cultural paradigms against educational and traditional norms
- Anti-value currents of programs in media
- Negative instigations against traditions and traditional norms
- spreading of
The outcome is nothing less than the shattering of society's norms and value systems, disappearance of customs and brushing aside of indigenous cultures. In such a situation, family that is expected to pass norms and value systems down generations and to educate persons is itself subject to the smashing waves of cultural aggression. Not only does the family lose its educational function toward children, as a result, it also becomes unstable, and eventually digresses into transformation of values, which are due to cultural passivity and conflicting norms.
E) Instructional-professional function:
In traditional family, the responsibility for planning and organizing children's educational and professional affairs lies with parents and is proportionate to the child's sexual exigencies, the economic status of the family, father's job, and other necessities and requirements of the family. But in the modern society, due to the widespread and comprehensive educational programs – be it general or obligatory education – organizing and performing educational and professional plans for children is no longer within parents' power, and mostly depends upon governmental and general obligations or in some cases children's own taste and will. This is while children spend most of their time out of their homes and in the general, governmental, and educational institutes. In such a situation, family's role is reduced to preparation and offering back-up help to the obligatory education of the society, as it were, allowing only a minor role for the family to perform its professional and educational function.
F- The economic-financial function:
In traditional families, women stay at home and are responsible for the direction of interior affairs and the upbringing of children; on the other hand, men work out of the house and their duty is to provide financially for their family. This bilateral interaction brings builds up the mutual dependence and the union in psychological and emotional terms between man and woman. In addition, regarding the fact that this is an appropriate and fair division of labor in accordance with the natural exigencies of both men and women, it benefits the whole family and shapes up the economic and financial function of the family. But in the modern and western paradigms, on the one hand, woman is willing to work out of the house to have financial independence, and man sees no obligation to pay for woman's life financially, on the other. Therefore, both man and woman work separately to earn a living. Thus, the financial pattern in the family changes forms from a collective provision and financial dependence into individual provision and financial independence, leading into the removal of family economics and its replacement with individual economics.
G- The physical and sexual function:
In traditional systems the financial and economic function of the family, which centers on man, balances out another function, which rests on woman, by definition. Woman by directing and providing service for the fulfillment of the physical needs of the family members such as food, clothing, and regulation of home affairs, creates balance and discipline. Meantime by satisfying her husband's sexual need, brings stability and peace into the family and this is a unique role that woman performs in exchange for her husband's financial support. Accordingly, under the shadow of this fair interaction proportionate to the capabilities of both sides, family affairs are administered, and its members' needs are met, collectively and based on the distribution of duties. As a result, in modern family, the minimum presence of woman at home and her employment out of the house overshadow her administration of internal affairs of the house and the handling of issues related to her children and husband. The mutual presence of men and women in society and their mix in working environment, makes sexual enjoyment possible outside the house and breaks the monopoly of sexual pleasure within family restraints. In view of this fact, the level of family function in terms of physical and sexual issues also falls to its minimum. Regarding what was mentioned, and to sum up the topics unspoken of here, we should say:
With the changes brought to family issues in the modern society, family as an institution has encountered problems in carrying out its duties and performing its functions – in some occasions this is absolute, in others partial. Therefore, regarding the fact that the permanence and survival of any institution is dependent upon the durability and continued existence of its functions and achievements it's inevitable that the partial or absolute malfunction of the family has made it partially or absolutely shaky and led into its disintegration. Shakiness of the foundation of the family – which is the core of human life – and loss of its respectful status has afflicted irremediable damages to human society. The appearance of obscene phenomena such as the one-person family, union of human and animal as a family, homosexuality besides the emergence of human crises including crises of identity, piety and spirituality, depression and isolationism, crime and tendency toward violence, addiction, severe abnormalities of character, etc is a serious warning of the danger that threatens not only our social life, but also the survival of human kind.
