SOCI 2P21 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Talcott Parsons
Document Summary
Families most primary and basic institution of any society. Institution in which infants has first experiences of society. Form of families always changes (diversity) but remains as a social institution, weal or strong. Homogenous(simple) societies may have very few institutions. Socialization = way society transmutation its culture to the next generation. Agency: individual is active in their own socialization. Active socialization: bottom-up, individual exercises agency on their own socialization. Passive socialization: top-down, individual is socialized by society. Case of mormon cult which practices polygamy interacting with law. Winston blackmore, says he is not harming anybody, points out that mainstream society is also polygamous in its own right of having various sexual and romantic partners. Family as a conservative institution or dynamic institution: family as a conservative institution. How families as institutions responds to and are impacted by other institutions: family as a dynamic institution. Families as institutions affect change in other social institutions. Defining families: conventional and widely accepted definitions.
