THE FAMILY

Society
Marriage
Rights and Duties of
Parents

THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY

INSOCIETY
It has been said that the family is the bedrock
of society and can be proven by the fact that
all over the world every society is structured
by the same pattern. A man and woman
marry and form a family. This process is
repeated multiple times making multiple
families which form villages, regions, and
eventually countries. When several countries
come together they form a continent and all
of the continents make up the world. The
foundation of this entire process is the family.

As people we are created to be visual with a

need to see illustrated models of things that
are important to our lives, especially the love
relationship between children and their
parents. As children we learn everything by
watching the examples or models of others
such as eating and walking. The family
functions the same way. For example, sons
who have seen their parents abuse alcohol or
show extreme violence towards one another,
practice these same activities. The role of the
family is to give a good model so that others
within the society can imitate resulting in the
edifi cation of the society.

The family has a decisive role having the

capacity and responsibility to impact the entire
society by its positive example. The parents
must show love towards their children by
spending time with them and building intimate,
personal relationships. Spouses must love each
other according to the pattern of Jesus Christ.
In order to fulfi l its role in society the family
will educate children in moral values so that
they will mature and pass on these values to
the future generations making society a safe
and happy place for all people to live and enjoy.

MARRIAGE
Also called matrimony or wedlock is a socially or
ritually recognized union or legal contract between
spouses that establishes rights and obligations
between them and their children and between them
and their in-laws.
Defi ned as the union of a man and a woman, has
always been essential to creating, promoting and
protecting the family.
The defi nition of marriage varies according to
diff erent cultures, but it is principally an institution
in which interpersonal relationships, usually sexual,
are acknowledge. In some cultures, marriage is
recommended or considered to be compulsory
before pursuing any sexual activity. When defi ned
broadly, marriage is considered a cultural
universal.

TYPES OF MARRIAGES
Monogamy
-is a form of marriage in which an individual has only
one spouse during their lifetime or at any one time.
Polygamy
- Is a mariage which includws more than two partners.
When a man is married to more than one wife at a
time, the relationship is called polygyny, and there is
no marriage bond between the wives: and when a
woman is married to more than one husband at a time,
it is called polyandry, and there is no marriage bond
between the husbands. If a marriage includes multiple
husbands and wivws, it can be called group marriage.

 Child Marriage Where one or both spouses are under the age
of 18. (It is related to child betrothal and teenage pregnancy)
Same-sex and third gender marriages
Forced Marriage
Cohabitation
Partner Selection
Marriage has proven to be the most eff ective way to
transform a man into a husband/father and a woman into a
wife/mother and to ensure that a child will know and be cared
for by his biological parents. The married parent/children
relationship is not only the best way to guarantee that these
children will be provided with the basics of life, but also that
they will be nurtured and raised in ways that will make them
responsible and contributing members of that society.

RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF

PARENTS
1. Parents have the right to raise their children
without discrimination on the grounds of the colour of
their skin, their ethnic background, nationality,
beliefs, gender or economic position.
Parents have the duty to raise their children
towards a sense of responsibility for each other and for
a humane world.
2. Parents have the right to recognition of their
primacy as educators of their children.
Parents have the duty to raise children in a
responsible way and not to neglect them.

 3. Parents have the right to full access to the formal

education system for their children on the basis of
their needs, talents and merits.
Parents have the duty to commit themselves as
partners in education to the school of their children.
4. Parents have the right of access to all information
at educational institutions which concerns their
children.
Parents have the duty to give to their children's
schools all information relevant for the attainment of
the educational goals on which they work together.

 5. Parents have the right to make a choice for the

education which is closest to their convictions and to
the values they hold dear in raising their children.
Parents have the duty to make well-informed and
conscientious choices about the education their
children should receive.
6. Parents have the right to respect from the formal
education system for the spiritual and cultural
background of the education they give their children.
Parents have the duty to raise their children to
respect and accept other people and their
convictions.

 7. Parents have the right to exert infl uence on the

policy which their children's school implements.
Parents have the duty to be personally committed to
their children's school as a vital part of the local
community.
8. Parents and their associations have the right to be
consulted actively about the policy of public
authorities in education at all levels.
Parents have the duty to maintain democratic
representative organisations at all levels to represent
themselves and their interests.

 9. Parents have the right to public material assistance

to take away fi nancial impediments to the access to
education for their children.
Parents have the duty to give both time and
personal commitment to their children and their school
to support its eff orts in attaining educational goals.
10. Parents have the right to high quality educational
provision from the responsible public authorities.
Parents have the duty to help each other to improve
their skills as prime educators and partners in the
home-school relationship.