“Most of us form an emerging sense of self and acquire most of our beliefs and values within the family context. We also learn about the larger dominant culture (including language, attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms) and the primary subcultures to which our parents and other relatives belong. The role of the family is especially significant because young children have little social experience beyond the family’s boundaries (Kendall, 2013, p. 104). “For many years the standard sociological definition of family has been a group of people who are related to one another by bonds of blood, marriage, or adoption and who live together, form an economic unit, and bear and raise children” (Kendall, 2013, p. 434). When I was a child in the 60s, the typical family was a married couple consisting of a man and a woman.
There can be blended, interracial, mixed families, as well as extended families. Families can have heterosexual or homosexual parents or consist of a couple. There are multigenerational families and sandwich generations who have the roles of being the caretakers of their parents and their children. A family can consist of good friends who want to be together to share. The family is a basic subsystem of the larger society.
Grandparents can sometimes become unable to care for themselves. Sharing an accommodation with their family members may be a better option than going to live in an age home. Grand children can look after their grandparents. Relatives are always loving and caring to the aged. Another advantage of having three or more generations living together under the same roof is that, there is always someone to watch the youngest generation.
They get most of their love from family members. Children who only have one parent sometimes turn to family members for the love that they are missing from the household. They may also look to the neighborhood for love. A lot of children look to neighbors when love is absent from the household. Teachers can also be a source of love to the children they are around.
One of the advantages is that the child resides with and has meaningful contact with both parents. The child or children is able to bond and know both parents, thereby, reaping the benefits of knowing and loving both. The importance of fathers in their children lives is becoming more of a realization every day. Joint custody gives children an advantage at maintaining a good relationship with both the father and the mother. When parents divorce or break up, children often feel rejected.
Culture and Group Influence Ada Bren PSY/400 February 10, 2014 Dr. Malia Sherman, PsyD Culture and Group Influence People belong to many types of groups. The family group is usually the first and most important. Then there are many social groups when an individual is younger he or she connects with a peer group however, as the individual ages he or she connects with groups that share his or her personal interests. In his or her community the group may be a church, sport team, or a group that shares his or her cultural background such as a Cherokee Indian group. The types of groups are as varied as there are types of people.
Types of families A family is a small social group of people related by ancestry or affection, who share common values and goals, who may live together in the same dwelling, and who may participate in the bearing and raising of children. They have a physical or emotional connection with each other that is ongoing. (soc101ch2) Extended families Is when most of your family lives together including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and kids. You may all share a house or have several houses next to each other. Some people find this as a good idea because the family is so close together.
My opinion is based on psychological, intellectual and financial reasons. Psychologically, the family is the central grounding factor for a young person, because the parents, brothers and sisters are the ones who actually love him or her. It is through thousands of life situations and family discussions that norms, values, customs, traditions and expectations are passed on to the youngster. The depth of relationship, developed over the years through shared joys and sorrows, place family members in an incomparably close bond which cannot easily be replicated by friends or anyone else. Intellectually, the family impacts the young person’s ability to think.
An ideal family is what society, as a whole, considers it to be and this view has long been changing since the past couple of years. The earliest view of an ideal family was a traditional one that consisted of grandparents, a father, a mother and their children. Today this view has changed. An ideal family can be described as one with a parent who is supportive and plays an active part in the child’s life. This parent or parents should be able to provide for their family and teach their kids values while raising them.
Angel Rosendo Professor Lund PACS 001 October 5th, 2011 Family is the Greatest Influence Upon Development of the Self The development of the self not only relies on the decisions one makes, but it also relies on the influence of the family. Family is a broad term; they are those individuals who are blood related, those who are close friends, and also those who have helped shaped one’s life one way or another regardless if positively or negatively. The structure given to every individual is usually brought upon them by their family. This structure consists of different things such as values, love, confidence, communication, culture, beliefs and many other topics that develop the self. “The structure of our families and the values, skills, and sense of community [received] from them often color the way [individuals] interact with others and work toward [the] conception of social good.” Arguments have developed on whether family is truly the greatest influence upon the development of the self.