Page 71 - DSOC201_SOCIAL_STRUCTURE_AND_SOCIAL_CHANGE_ENGLISH

Social Structure and Social Change

Notes relationship in other primary groups like friends’ group, neighbourhood, village, etc., in the sense
that primary relationship in the former is based on sexual relationship also, and this sexual relationship
brings further intimacy and permanence in the relationship between a man and a woman. Primary
relation in marriage performs two important functions: one of need gratification and other of social
control. It gratifies biological (sex satisfaction), psychological (affection and sympathy) and economic
(food, clothing and shelter) needs of the individuals and also acts as a primary source of morality and
ethics. When one finds one’s partner performing certain tasks for him/her, he/she considers it his/
her moral obligation to care for her/him or to listen to her/him. One is, thus, no longer free to be
immoral and irresponsible.
A sociologist, while studying marriage, analyzes not only the primary relationships involved in it
but also how marriage involves performing new and varied roles and whether the persons involved
are capable of performing those new roles or not, and how the inadequacy of performing these roles
leads to family disorganization. What is important in marriage is how the role enactment of one
partner corresponds to the role expectations of the other.
According to Koos (1953: 44), marriage is a dividing line between the family of orientation and family
of procreation in terms of the nature of roles one performs in the two families. The roles in the family
of orientation vary in infancy, childhood and adolescence and carry no responsibilities and obligations,
but the roles one performs in the family of procreation after the marriage as a husband, a father, a
wage-earner, a grandfather, a retired person, etc., have different expectations and obligations.
Thus, marriage is a miniature social system which must be kept in equilibrium if it is not to fall apart.
Equilibrium requires adjustment which in turn requires give and take or some sacrifice on the part of
both husband and wife. It is a dyad system. To maintain equilibrium requires certain tasks to be
performed by someone; for example, of cooking, cleaning, washing, wage-earning, child-care and so
on. Who performs which role is immaterial (though society has certain expectations from both husband
and wife). What is significant is that somebody should perform these roles for the stability of marriage.

Diagram showing different stages in families of orientation and procreation
involving different roles

Family of Birth
orientation Infancy
Childhood

Marriage
Child-bearing
Family of
orientation Child-rearing

Child-launching

Ageing
Death

Marriage also involves ‘instrumental’ and ‘integrative’ leadership roles. The ‘instrumental’ leader is
concerned with getting things done and pushing the group to its goals. The ‘integrative’ leader is
concerned with holding the group together despite the strains created by the instrumental leader.
Thus, though the two roles are contradictory, yet they are complementary. It is all these roles that are
studied by the sociologists in the institution of marriage.

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