Who first showed you the letters at home, who taught you to listen to your elders, and whom did you sit beside when you felt low? A family quietly does a great deal. The book sorts it all into six kinds of work.
1. Six kinds of work
To help its members build a good and safe life, a family performs many functions. The book's list has six: biological, educative, economic, political, psychological and entertainment.
2. Birth and the first lesson
Giving birth to children and raising them is the family's biological function.
In the educative function, the child meets the alphabet in the family. It is also the first chance to learn human values such as honesty, etiquette, kindness and punctuality.
Because a child's primary education begins in the family, the family is called the eternal school, or the first school of life. The reason comes first and the name after. Put them in order.
chain of reasoningreason first, name after
Why the eternal school?
What does the child meet first? Start there.
Right. And then?
Not yet. Unless education begins there first, the name has no reason.
Right order. Primary education begins in the family, and that is why it has this name.
3. The work of money and means
In the economic function, the family has to meet its members' needs: food, clothing, shelter, education and medical treatment.
Handicrafts, fishing, agriculture and animal husbandry are carried on around the family.
With progress in science and technology, the places where a family works have changed. New openings have appeared, and in some areas the work has shrunk. Even so, the family goes on meeting its members' needs.
Besides affection, love and compassion, an important task of the family is managing its members' wealth, and caring for and guiding them.
4. The first lesson in politics
In the political function, parents or elder siblings act as guardians. We follow their instructions, and they work to protect our rights.
The family teaches intelligence, conscience and self-control, which help us become good citizens. So a child's political education begins at home and later serves in the life of the state.
By listening to the elders' political talk and joining in, we grow aware of the politics of our country.
5. Heart and fun
In the psychological function, the family meets its members' emotional needs with love, affection and kindness. Sharing joys and sorrows brings solace.
Children pick up qualities like generosity, tolerance and fellow-feeling from the family, and these enrich their inner strength.
In the entertainment function, family members enjoy themselves by chatting, joking, singing, watching TV or going out.
With advances in technology these functions have shrunk somewhat. Still, for the greatest welfare of the members, their importance is enormous.
6. All six together
Match each function with the book's example. Tap any cell.
function and examplematch them
Function and example
function
example
Biological
giving birth
Educative
etiquette, punctuality
Economic
agriculture, fishing
Political
intelligence, conscience, self-control
Psychological
generosity, tolerance, fellow-feeling
Entertainment
chat, TV
Biological. Giving birth to children and raising them.
Educative. The alphabet, plus lessons in honesty, etiquette, kindness and punctuality.
Economic. Handicrafts, fishing, agriculture and animal husbandry around the family.
Political. Lessons in intelligence, conscience and self-control, which help us become good citizens.
Psychological. Generosity, tolerance and fellow-feeling enrich the inner side.
Now from the other side: look at an activity and say which box it belongs in.
family functionsix functions
Which function is it?
Pick up an activity, then drop it in a box. On a phone, scroll down to see all the boxes.
Right. Next one.
Not yet. Ask yourself: is it about the body, learning, money, obeying guardians, the heart, or fun?
All in place. The six: biological, educative, economic, political, psychological, entertainment.
7. Check yourself
Start with the first question.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 1
Giving birth to and rearing children is which type of family function?
Right. Giving birth to and rearing children is the biological function.
That is not the answer: Educative. Giving birth to and rearing children is the biological function.
That is not the answer: Economic. Giving birth to and rearing children is the biological function.
That is not the answer: Psychological. Giving birth to and rearing children is the biological function.
Think the second one through.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 2
The family is called the eternal school because-
i. i. the foundation of education is laid in the family ii. ii. children learn human qualities in the family iii. iii. all education is completed in the family
This combination does not match; the true statements are i and ii. The foundation of education and human qualities are learned there; the book does not say all education is completed there.
This combination does not match; the true statements are i and ii. The foundation of education and human qualities are learned there; the book does not say all education is completed there.
Right. The foundation of education and human qualities are learned there; the book does not say all education is completed there.
This combination does not match; the true statements are i and ii. The foundation of education and human qualities are learned there; the book does not say all education is completed there.
One last question.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 3
Shamim takes the whole family to a children's park and other places on a holiday. Which function of the family does Shamim's act indicate?
That is not the answer: Biological. Going out together is the family's entertainment function.
That is not the answer: Economic. Going out together is the family's entertainment function.
Right. Going out together is the family's entertainment function.
That is not the answer: Educative. Going out together is the family's entertainment function.
The whole note on seven cards.
cut from the notetap to turn over
Seven cards
QuestionHow many kinds of family functions does the book list? Name them.
AnswerSix: biological, educative, economic, political, psychological and entertainment.
QuestionWhy is the family called the eternal school or first school of life?
AnswerBecause the child's primary education begins in the family.
QuestionGive two examples of economic functions centred on the family.
AnswerFor example, agriculture and fishing (also handicrafts and animal husbandry).
QuestionTeaching intelligence, conscience and self-control belongs to which family function?
AnswerThe political function.
QuestionWhich qualities do children learn in the family that enrich their mental side?
AnswerKindness (generosity), tolerance and fellow-feeling.
QuestionChatting, singing, watching TV and going out are which family function?
AnswerThe entertainment function.
QuestionBesides affection, what two important tasks does the family perform?
AnswerManaging the members' economic wealth, and their care and control.
Source: Civics and Citizenship, Classes 9-10 (NCTB), Chapter 1 “Civics and Citizenship”, the “Functions of a Family” part.