2. To what extent is a stable family vital for a successful society?

In this essay, a "stable family" is defined as a nuclear family which consists of a cohabiting man and woman who maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and have at least one child. In addion to that, members of the family must at least be on speaking terms with one another. A "successful society" is defined as the sum of human conditions and activity regarded as a whole community, where people in the community should have a high standard of living(have roofs over their heads, enough food to eat).

A stable family is important for a successful society. If a family was to split(divorce), the most common pattern is a rise in the husband's income and a decline in the wife's. That is because husbands tend to earn more, children typically live with their mother, and support payments are oftern inadequate. Characteristically one study found that in the three months after seperation, 38% of custodial mothers but just 10% of noncustodial fathers fell below the poverty line(Bartfield, 2000: 209). This may eventually lead to a condition where the custodial mothers and their children to live in poverty, which is something that does not account to a 'successful society'.

Moreover, negative and permanent emotional effects inflicted on a child due to the instabilty of the family will also have a negative imapct on the society. Children of instable families might not be getting the attention they need and hence their conduct, regardless of it being acceptable or not, might go unnoticed. They might not get the compliments or encouragement from their parents and hence do not feel it is right to do the 'right' things that they are dong. On the other hand, children who had misconduct themselves may feel it is right and hence continue to misbehave themselves. Parents of instable families are likely to get a divorce and when they do, the children of divorced parents tend to develop behavioural problems and do less well in school than children in intact familie. They are more likely to engage in delinquent acts and to abuse drugs and alcohol. They often experience emotional crisis, particularly in the first two years after divorce. In addion to the that, children of divorced parents are less likely to be happy compared to children of nondivorced parents. They are more likely to suffer health problems. depend on welfare, earn low incomes, and experince divorce themselves. In one California study, almost half the children of divorced children of divorced parents entered adulthood as worried, underachieving, self-deprecating, and sometimes angry yound men and women (Wallerstein and Blaksee, 1989; Wallerstein, Lewis, and Blakslee, 2000). The problems that children of instable families will accumulate to form a bigger problem for societies as they might be more dependant on others. This further proves that stable familes are vital for a sucessful society.

Of course, there are other crucial factors that lead to a successful society. One such factor is the government policies that are implemented. The society can progress only when the appropriate policies are implemented. For example, the Singapore government issued Pioneer Certificates to industries that manufactured new products not previously made in Singapore, or not produced in sufficiend quantities to satisfy local demands. This and other policies eventually led to Singapore's success in industrial development. The society benefits on the whole as it grows more prosperous and money made can be used to develop other areas of Singapore leading to a higher standard of living in Singapore.

In conclusion, a stable family is vital for a successful society, but stable families alone cannot guarantee a successful society. The government is also important in the sense that their decisions and policies implemented are appropriate in developing the society. As citizens who wish to have a successful society, we must play our part in keeping our families together and to maintain good relationships with our family members.



Soucres: Sociology: Your compass for a new world by Robert J. Brym and John Lie, Social Studies for upper secondary(sec 3) by Curriculum Planning & Development Division Ministry of Education, Singapore.