"A family is a small social group of people linked by ancestry or affection, who share common values ​​and goals, who can live together in the same home, and who can participate in the growth and the raising of their children. They have a physical or emotional bond between them that is continuous" (Vissing, 2011) and constitutes the foundation of all societies. They can be formed by a grouping of father-mother-children or by an even more complicated combination of relatives. In the primary stage of family life in the United States, everyone from each generation lived together in one house. Subsequently, the idea of ​​the traditional family evolved and now the married couple with children is often called the traditional family. There are many types of families; however, this article will focus on the traditional family. It will describe how the functionalist perspective, the conflict perspective, and interactionism theory apply to the sociological institution known as the family. It will explain some similarities and differences between sociological theories regarding families and how they influence family members. Families play an important role in shaping individuals and through them they also shape the entire society. But what does the term traditional family mean and who decides what constitutes a traditional family? According to Merriam-Webster (2011), the definition of a nuclear or traditional family means “a family group consisting of only a father, mother, and children.” A family might include anyone related by blood or adoption such as: adoptive parents, grandparents who act as parents, and even brothers and sisters who share the same household. However, throughout the world “the family is considered the most ba...... middle of paper......es. The strength of a family determines the strength of the society in which we live. It is each of us's responsibility to protect and strengthen families in whatever way we can. Maybe it will bloom once again. Works Cited Dunn, R. (2010, March 12). The three sociological paradigms/perspectives. Retrieved from Connections website: http://cnx.org/content/m33962/1.2/McLennan, G. etal. (2000) Exploring society: sociology for New Zealand students. Auckland: Pearson Education New Zealand Limited.Murdock, G.(1949). Social structure. New York: The MacMillan Company.Strong B, et al. (1998). The marital and family experience. 7th edition: .Wadsworth Publishing Company. P. 10Vissing, Y. (2011). Introduction to sociology. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu