ABSTRACT
It is argued that men and women should have equal opportunities in life and that it is unjust for mothers to be 'tied to the home' if they want to follow other occupations. In sociological terms the family fulfils functions which are important to society or which no other social institutions can adequately perform. The most usual view of socialization is of a learner being exposed to the expectations of others and responding to them. Rewards and punishments are used to inhibit behaviour not approved by the socializer and to encourage those which are approved. Although marriage is still popular with the majority of adults many are marrying later. The average age at marriage for both men and women has increased by about 2 years since the early 1970s, to just over 23 for women and 25 for men. The approach to socialisation presented by Symbolic Interactionism is frequently referred to as the biographical model.
