Lesson 4: The Family’s

Roles in the
Community’s Progress
 Objectives
• Describe activities or experiences in one’s family that show support to the
neighbors or community (social role) and in being vigilant about the laws
and the social institution (political role);
• Analyze an example of a family practicing its social and political roles
• Infer that the family has the responsibility in creating a caring community
through its support to the neighbors and community (social role) and in
being vigilant about the laws and social institutions; and.
• Carry out an activity appropriate to the social and political roles of the
family.
 The Family: Why Must It Be Involved in Community Development
▪ The Family is the first and basic unit of society.
▪ It is natural for families to interact with other families and with the
society as a whole to fulfill its responsibility to build a loving
community.
▪ There are two family roles in society: Social and political.
▪ Social role is the responsibility of the family to build a loving
community by helping the neighborhood or community, especially
those in need.
▪ Political role is the supervision of the implementation of social laws
and institutions for the well being of families and citizens.
 Social Responsibilities of the Family
1. Advancing human relationships
➢ The family is a small community in which genuine human relationships ar
first formed. Some characteristics of human relationships include support,
assistance, and respect for the right of every citizen to lead an orderly and
peaceful life in the community.
➢A human society is the result of its people having harmonious relationships.
It is the natural contribution of the family to the society in which it belongs
to guide and mold their members to become a part of the bigger society.
2. Serving fellow families.
➢One of the strength of the Filipino family is its family orientation – being
closely knit and its weakness is extremely family-centeredness.
➢A caring family should also serve other families. Example: Gawad
Kalinga, an organization that encourage families and its members to be
attentive and generous from within and outside of the home. This group
encourages members to volunteer their talents, skills, time, and resources to
help the poor live a dignified life. The organization is concerned in restoring
the dignity of poor families by engaging in beautiful, healthy, and productive
community.
3. Welcoming willingly a family in need
➢Good families are willing to accept families in times of extreme need. They
ignore the sacrifices and challenges when helping others. Some of the things
that good families do to help others who are in need are as follows:
• Showing sympathy to the bereaved family when a family member dies.
• Feeding the hungry or helping the unemployed.
• Providing temporary shelter for those who have lost their homes in a fire.
• Helping or supporting the educational needs of children from poor families.
4. Demonstrating actions toward the common good of the nation and
the world.
➢There is a saying that goes, “The pain in one part of the body is felt by the
whole body.” Any problem experienced by one family may be felt by the
country and the world. Every family is connected to the community, the
nation, and the world. Every family is part of a country, and every country is
an important part of the world.
➢The family plays a role in the progress and development of its country;
hence, it also plays a role in the progress of the world. The family needs to
be one with the country and the world in advancing the values of unity,
justice, care for the environment, freedom, and peace for all the people of
the world.
 Political Responsibilities of a Family
1. Supporting the government
• The family and the government work hand in hand in developing
harmonious society.
• The government has the responsibility to look after a good society by taking
care of the needs of the family such as economic, social, educational,
political, and cultural support.
• Families will do their best to fulfill their role in community development.
• As with the family, it also has to fulfill its duties for social welfare.
2. Observing the implementation of laws and social institutions.
✓ Government and institutions provide humanitarian support to families in
need.
✓ Every family should be held accountable for its duty to observe and be
vigilant with the implementation of laws and institutions aimed at defending
their rights and well-being. Among these laws are the provisions of the
Family Code of the Philippines.
✓ It is the responsibility of every family to make sure that these laws do not
violate morality and peaceful living, in terms of, institution of marriage and
child support, fail employment and benefits, drug use, and promoting
responsible and free expressions.
4. Defending family rights
The following are some of the most important family rights throughout the
world (Familiaris Consortio, 1981):
• The right to exist and progress as a family.
• The right to exercise its responsibility regarding the transmission of life and
to educate children.
• The right to intimacy of conjugal and family life.
• The right to stability of the bond and of the institution of marriage.
• The right to believe in and profess one’s faith and to propagate it.
• The right to bring up children in accordance with the family’s own traditions
and religious and cultural values, with the necessary instruments, means, and
institutions.
• The right, especially of the poor and the sick, to obtain physical, social,
political, and economic security.
• The right to housing suitable for living family life in a proper way.
• The right to expression and to representation, either directly or through
associations, before the economic, social, and cultural public authorities and
lower authorities.
• The right to form associations with other families and institutions, in order
to fulfill the family’s role suitably and expeditiously.
• The right to protect minors by adequate institutions and
legislation from harmful drugs, pornography, alcoholism etc.
• The right to wholesome recreation of a kind that also fosters
family values.
• The right of the elderly to a worthy life and a worthy death.
• The right to emigrate as a family in search of a better life.
• The best way for every family to contribute to and be involved in defending
family rights is by teaching its young members, the children, to be good
citizens.
• The modeling of parents and other adults in a family can help develop in
these children the values of truth, freedom, justice, love, and common good
and shape them into responsible and good citizens.
• The active participation of families in community development is also
important to support organizations that promote global issues to keep young
people informed about current issues affecting the community, especially the
family.
• The family should be at the forefront of monitoring the laws and institutions
for their well-being and other citizens.