The traditional image of the family in Western culture is composed of a father, a mother and a child. With the father as the head of the family, the mother as the caretaker of the home and the children as learning beings; a social construct is then launched. However, as time passes, traditional family structures begin to adapt and adapt to the behaviors and influences of the society around them. Now, this doesn't always mean that these changes benefit the family. Indeed, many cases show that any social pattern, intentional or unintentional, recognized or unrecognized, can lead to consequences that translate into the overall well-being of the family, economically or socially. This illustration is called manifest or latent functions and is often used by sociologists to describe the actions of society in cohesion with the groups that follow that society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The functioning of a family will always be a reflection of the ideals and structures it brings with it into this already invented world, whether these functions are socially conflictual, gendered, or racialized, or through the social interactions that meet. Like an onion, a family has layers. These layers are made up of emotional and physical needs that each family member desires. For a family to operate in the most mundane of ways, things like warmth, food, safety, belonging, esteem, and self need to be attainable. Like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, humans are meant to accomplish things in a set order that cannot be advanced until one layer is satisfied to achieve abundance on the next layer. Just like a family, obstacles must be overcome together to reach the most comfortable state of living. This then separates the traditional family into individual but cooperating parts; as the father provides economic stability, the mother and children can provide a sense of emotional security and vice versa. This is significant because it highlights one of the most important theories in sociology, the theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote stability. Without the cooperation of every individual in the family, for example the father dies in a car accident, the children and mother find themselves in economic and emotional turmoil. Since this event could perhaps cause a lot of stress to the mother as she is now the main source of monetary needs, this could result in less financial support to feed her children or involve them in extracurricular activities. Without the contributions of all householders, a pleasant life may be more difficult to achieve. The structural approach to a family and its ability to function successfully can also be reflected in the systems of government, business, and sports teams; without cooperation from all parties, a business can fail, a government can become tyrannical, and a sports team can lose. While job inactivity in a family may call for disharmonious relationships, other components such as gender and racial conflicts of society may also calculate a family's social, economic, or political advantages. Many traditional families will consist of a male and female marriage and children, however, for smaller families, such as those with two married women of color, there may be an uneven distribution of resources and benefits compared to a heterosexual married family. For example, in some states gay marriage is still not legal and because many liabilities.