The family unit as we know it today is very diverse. While there may be many types of family structures, one thing they all have in common is the bond between the people in them. We could begin to describe the family as the main social institution. The family system responds both to the personal needs of individuals and to the fundamental needs of society. In the family, husband and wife help procreate, protect, and care for young people as family members look to this structure for peace, security, and guidance. These needs are satisfied by the functions that the family performs for society. The four main functions performed by a family are reproduction, protection and care of young people, and socialization. The first function performed by a family structure is the biological function (the need to reproduce). “We must reproduce our species; otherwise our species will end." This function depends on the husband and wife of the family, although this action can be performed outside the family, it is not socially accepted. Although this function is essential, in the last 20 years the number of families without children or with few children has increased. This is possible thanks to contraceptive techniques. These effective contraceptive methods have allowed women to delay having children to pursue professional education and achieve their career goals. Next is the function of protecting and caring for children in the family. Parents must ensure that children are cared for, protected and safe both mentally and physically so that they can grow up to become valuable citizens in society. Finally, the socializing function. This function instills the values, morals and beliefs of the society. Within the family structure is where the child is first brought... middle of paper... more and more people are choosing not to get married and are instead choosing to live together without getting married. For those who choose to marry, most end up in divorce, leaving a higher rate of singles caring for children and partners choosing to cohabit. One of the reasons this practice is on the rise is the desire to avoid legal complications at the time of separation. The inevitable change of the family has forced society to reorganize the way we view the family structure. Regardless of the structure or variety of the relationship, one thing is generally important to everyone: the children within the family. It is the reality today that both women and men consider higher education, choose to have children later in life (if they ever have any), and seek self-satisfaction by focusing on free time, personal freedom, and job satisfaction. Today's struggle is the balance between self-realization and