ABSTRACT
Part of the explanation is to be found in the culture of society. Culture includes a set of shared norms and beliefs about marriage and the family, defining the behaviour which is generally expected in a variety of situations. The ‘institutionalists’ argue that any weakening of such rules, by liberalizing divorce laws for example, would lead to a fatal weakening of family ties and would contribute substantially to the disintegration of family life. The discussion so far suggests that one important variable associated with the family structure, and the existence of extended kinship ties beyond elementary family, is social class. The entry of women into the labour market is then a further way in which the family interacts with economic system with important consequences for family life. The reproductive function of the family is in many ways the most fully documented aspect of its behaviour in industrial societies. The interaction between family and the economic system provides the main clue.
