Family as a fundamental social institution performs several functions in human society. It performs multifarious functions. According to Goode family performs the functions like: (i) Procreation, (ii) Socio-economic security to family members, (iii) Determination of status of family members, (iv) Socialization and emotional support and (v) Social control. K.Davis enumerated four functions of family i.e. (i) Reproduction, (ii) Maintenance, (iii) placement, and (iv) socialization. Ogburn and Nimkoft have divided the functions of family in six types. They are (i) Affection, (ii) Economic, (iii) Recreational, (iv) protective, (v) Religious and (vi) Educational.

MacIver and page have classified the functions of family into broad category i.e. Essential and Non-essential. Under essential they include three functions (I) stable satisfaction of sex need, (ii) production and rearing of children and (iii) provision of a home. Under the non-essential functions, they mention religious, educational, economic, health and recreation.

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