Impact of Social Change upon Family as SocialInstitution with Special Focus on Pakistan: ASociological Analysis

Family is considered as the oldest social institution in the world. As aninstitution it performs many important functions and valuable tasks. Itprovides bedrock for its members. Family as a social institution hasdirectly or indirectly got affected due to the rapid social changes.Technology which is considered as the basic factor of social changehas made important changes in the family structure and organization.Nuclear family has replaced joint family system. Schools and otheragencies like baby homes have stolen the basic functions of family.Industrialization and urbanization have weakened the basic fabric ofrelationships. People rush to work in industries than the agriculture.Pakistan is one of the countries of the world where family as a socialinstitution has got a new shape with new assignments. As a result,general masses are migrating from rural areas to the urban.Feudalistic approach of life where females used to be dealt assecondary in social status has vanished to certain extent. This paperwill try to analyze the factors of social change and its overallsociological impact upon family. The main focus will remain onPakistan, however, theories and literature included in this paper is ofgeneral nature.