How Non-Profits Evolved With Changing Family and Religion

Introduction: Institutions, Interconnections, and Non-Profits

Turner concludes that the interchanges and interconnections between the cores of the major social institutions have become more complex over time. He adds, however, that although these interchanges have varied historically, the more fundamental relationships among institutions have remained the same. This paper analyzes how the role of non-profits — including their impact, scope, and mission — has evolved historically alongside the evolving interconnections and interchanges of core institutions. It focuses specifically on the evolution of the interconnections between the cores of family and religion, and the impact of these on the missions of early childhood education and daycare centers.

Evolution of the Family Institution

Before the industrial and commercial revolutions, the family was largely patriarchal, and its role extended beyond the procreative couple to include lateral kin and grandparents. The pre-industrial family gained legitimacy from the traditions of property, community, and religion (Gerstein et al., 1988). With the demands of social and geographical mobility resulting from industrialization, this type of family was replaced by one that (a) was authorized by civil contracts, (b) possessed greater equality between parents of different genders, and (c) was isolated from the extended kin (Gerstein et al., 1988). Some sources have viewed these changes as evidence of deterioration of the traditional Western family, while others see them as a sign of the family's adaptability in fitting into modern institutions (Gerstein et al., 1988). There is contention, nonetheless, that the institutional cores of the family have changed along several fundamental lines.

First, the family unit has evolved from the extended family setup to the residentially nuclear family type as a result of commercialization and industrialization, which led to rural-urban migration (Stevenson & Wolfers, 2007). According to Gerstein et al. (1988), the pre-industrial extended family setup provided an environment in which children were raised in an emotionally supportive setting to be responsible and independent. However, the ties of the extended family were not completely eroded — despite families being geographically dispersed, lateral kinship ties are still maintained through telephone and social media networks (Gerstein et al., 1988).

Society has also changed the way it defines and structures the human life span. In traditional society, the stages of life — childhood, adolescence, youth, midlife, and old age — were primarily biologically driven (Gerstein et al., 1988). Today, however, these are mostly shaped as a product of educational and social forces (Gerstein et al., 1988). The post-industrial family has surrendered much of its direct control over marriage, courtship, and the economic training of the young (Gerstein et al., 1988). With increases in crime and immorality involving young people, these age groups demand new social attention that is mostly provided in schools and other community settings such as churches, rather than within the family.

A third area of change has been the rise in the proportion of women joining the labor force and the growing incidence of divorce and separation (Gerstein et al., 1988). These changes have been driven by advocacy for gender equality, increases in the number of families founded through civil contracts, and no-fault divorce legislation (Gerstein et al., 1988). These factors have led to unprecedented growth in single-parent families that are no longer patriarchal in nature, and in which women spend less time raising their children — especially when they are the sole breadwinners (Buehler & O'Brien, 2011).

Evolution of Religious Institutions

Scholars contend that as societies modernize, there is a move toward secularization, in which religion tends to lose its social force (Gerstein et al., 1988; Wood & Shaver, 2018). Religion was a powerful force in traditional society, and religious values served as guidelines for the social order (Wood & Shaver, 2018). With modernization and rising literacy levels, society has grown less reliant on traditional religious beliefs (Wood & Shaver, 2018). Very often, changing values derive from shifts in society's interpretation of phenomena — attaching new meanings based on the socio-cultural and socio-economic context in which individuals live (Wood & Shaver, 2018). Industrialization and modernization brought substantial developments such as urbanization, growing economic security, and advances in science and technology, all of which have strongly influenced the standing of religious values (Wood & Shaver, 2018).

A change in values can be observed in religious norms, with institutions such as churches losing their influence over certain domains of social life — particularly in matters of crime, marriage, divorce, and abortion. The declining involvement of the church in marriage issues, for instance, is partly attributable to the passage of no-fault divorce legislation by the political class, which limits religious involvement and changes the way society views divorce. As more couples divorce under the provisions of these laws, society's attitudes toward religious values emphasizing eternal marital vows are gradually eroded. Thus, the evolution of political institutions drives changes in family structure, which in turn affects the religious values and beliefs traditionally held by society.

Conclusion

It is evident from the discussion above that non-profit institutions such as early childhood centers have evolved over the years to reflect changes in the cores of basic social institutions. The evolution of the family and religion transformed family structure, creating new demands that pushed traditional daycare centers — which had primarily played a custodial role — to evolve into early childhood education centers focused on preparing children for school. Non-profit missions, in other words, do not exist in isolation but are fundamentally shaped by the shifting interconnections among the major institutions of society.

References

Buehler, C., & O'Brien, M. (2011). Mothers' part-time employment: Associations with mother and family well-being. Journal of Family Psychology, 25(6), 895–906.

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Gerstein, D. R., Luce, R. D., & Smelser, N. J. (1988). The behavioral and social sciences: Achievements and opportunities. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Kamerman, S. (2006). A global history of early childhood education and care. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Background Paper.

Stevenson, B., & Wolfers, J. (2007). Marriage and divorce: Changes and their driving forces. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 21(2), 27–52.

Wood, C., & Shaver, J. (2018). Religion, evolution, and the basis of institutions: The institutional cognition model of religion. Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture, 2(2), 1–20.