Barbara Ehrenreicht Ideal Families

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ideal families Have you ever been walking down the street and seen the “perfect” family? Do you think that other people ever look at your family in this way? Ever since there have been families, there have been images of the “perfect” family and the “Ideal American Family.” This image is described as: a mom, a dad, two and a half kids, a white house, green grass, and a white picket fence. Everything is perfect about this family. They are always happy and never get into fights. Every member of the family has utmost respect and love towards the other members of the family. Do you think your family is perfect and fits into this category? I know that my family doesn’t fits this description. It might seem like that from the outside, but being part…show more content…
Considered by most to be the backbone of America, it is how we socially and culturally indoctrinate our offspring so they are able to become a functional member of society. A lack of a full family is often cited as the reason that children end up as criminals or delinquents. The notion of family being the birthplace of problems is not even something most people could find feasible, which is what makes Barbara Ehrenreicht's essay "Are Families Dangerous?" seem a bit out in left field to most readers. But upon closer inspection and reflection into ones own family life, and the lives of those around them, Ehrenreicht's essay begins to make a lot more sense. It is because of my understanding of values within our culture and my own personal experience with my family that I believe Ehrenreicht's essay on family is completely true in the ideas that it…show more content…
Ehrenreicht hits the nail on the head when she talks about the plight of the wife, many of their problems come not from outside of the house, but within. Turn to any daytime TV show to see the crying and emotional pain that family members cause, whether it be from physical or emotional abuse. While the examples like Lorena Bobbitt, OJ Simpson, and The Menendez brothers may be a bit extreme, they are representative of the reality of American Families (though to a lesser degree). Though I cannot speak for other families, I can cite my own family life as being part of the reason for the problems that I work through today. As Ehrenreicht says the Family is the place where we go for comfort and to relax, but it is that very notion of family being a safe haven makes it all that much... In my opinion the ideal family is a group of people that have emotional, blood, or legal ties. The ideal family to me includes a monogamous marriage between two adults who are socially and financial dependent. These adults should also care for young including biological children, adopted children, or mentoring for disadvantaged children. The parents should teach the children, and also provide proper education. Other important responsibilities of the parents include nourishment, affection, housing,
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