Why is Family Important - Research Paper Example

? WHY IS FAMILY IMPORTANT Teacher’s of BRAINSTORMING General What is family 2. How is a family defined under differentaspects 3. Individualism and its effect on family 4. Importance of family Specific: 1. Why is family important 2. Money? 3. Prestige and recognition? 4. Parents? 5. What do parents give? 6. The emotional aspect of family? Is it really that important? 7. Studies show how children learn from families 8. Comparing those with and those without families and impact on lives 9. Evolution of family concepts Contrasting ideas: 1. Individualism 2. Collectivism 3. Dependency and independency 4. Is family an old concept now? 5. What about current family systems? Do they provide the same benefits? Individualism in many ways does not promote family systems Collectivism promotes family systems but does it lead to happier individuals Financial benefits are larger Mutual benefits both emotional and financial are better Religious emphasis on family Happiness associated with good family relations Families can be very small or very large depending upon the context Families important from medical aspects OUTLINE PAPER: WHY IS FAMILY IMPORTANT GOAL: The paper aims to identify why family is important and what benefits does it provide to people who are part of it. It will compare the effects of sound family life on an individual to those effects that emerge as a result of absent or broken homes. The paper will look at the sociological perspectives to the concept of family and how there are different types of families and briefly, challenges of each. STATEMENT: Family is important for proper identification and standing of an individual in a society. It provides legal and medical protection and information. It is able to give emotional stability to a person. Positive families create positive children, who in turn create better families. FRAMEWORK OF PAPER INTRODUCTION: Family is a very large sociological concept that has undergone much evolution. It now includes a number of living arrangements and relations, which can include two to many individuals. BODY: -Families remain the key method of identification of a person. It is still considered a mark of prestige and social standing in many parts of the world. -Each family is a combination of the people, their individual personalities, their financial and emotional relations and interdependence, and how they interact with each other -Families provide legal protection to the right of inheritance -Family history in medicine is a useful tool for diagnosis and treatment planning -Positive families lead to creation of positive individuals, who accomplish more as individuals -Families give emotional strength when positive relations exist, and create important examples for children to follow as adults -Controversy exists between schools of thoughts in individualism and collectivism over the importance and role of family CONCLUSION Families in all of its form remain an essential unit of society. a positive family environment translates in to well protected and emotionally sound individuals, who become better contributors to society The current debate in sociology regarding family and family systems is far more complex, with its implications even more so. The most important question that has risen is the simple question whether family is important in human society or not. Individualism and collectivism come at a deadlock here, for each group stands to demonstrate two different concepts of self and roles in societies. Family sadly suffers from the tug and pull of these two ideologies, which is easily seen by the many new family systems that have currently developed. Therefore, the most important question that arises before impact of different family systems is whether family is important in current societies. Although appearing as a simple term, the word family is often the most difficult to describe and define. This is because the word family has come to identify many close emotional, physical and biological social interactions, which take different meanings in separate cultures (Allan and Allan, 1999, pp 21). The definitions therefore, vary, depending upon the context in which family is defined. So in very technical terms, the term family comes to represent the biological or genetic linkage between people due to common set of parents (Allan and Allan 1999, pp 23). This information is of relevance in judicial systems during family court hearings. Finally, biological family history is an important component of the health assessment and history taking. It helps in scanning for potential illnesses that can arise in a person and how it can be prevented or treated successfully. However, when considered socially, the term family comes to stand as one of the many group living systems with some form of emotional attachment. In most of the societies, the common bond that forms this system is based on marriage (Allan and Allan, 1999, pp 126). In current times, and with the evolution of different sexual practices, predilections, and social and cultural norms, family comes to represent a variety of living situations. In either case, the essential concept remains impervious. A family is a system of social or biological living between individuals of same or different sex, of different numbers ranging from two to many, according to the cultural norms and values of the region (Blundell, McNeill and Griffiths, 2003, pp 6). Sadly, this system has been the most neglected, abused, questioned and altered during the last century. While these evolutions led to new ideologies, many new challenges also emerged. A primary question that presented itself was whether family is as important nowadays as it was before. Many progressive thinkers may claim under the influence of individualism that family is an outdated concept that limits the potential of a person. However, certain advantages of family remain the same, and new sociological researches are proving these accordingly (Blundell, McNeill and Griffiths, 2003, pp 9 and 13). Families provide a strong method of identification for a person. They indicate a person’s lineage, his or her ancestry, and biological and social impact and standing and role in life (Newman, 2009, pp 88). They help in identifying families, tribes and social circles, and allow for development of the future generations based on these factors. Family identifies the main social norms, cultures, customs, religious inclinations and mentality towards different areas of life (Newman, 2009, pp 88). Therefore, families can provide a biological as well as a social gene map of a person and indicate how he or she will perform in a society. In this regard, the foremost advantage of family systems, regardless of its type, is the safety net and “buffer” that it provides to children and the marriage partners/companions (Zimmerman, 2002, pp 127). Current sociological systems have provided enough evidence about the problems faced among children raised in broken or single family systems. A good family system provides protection to all of its members, “in any case of negative or undesirable outcome in the presence of risk” (Zimmerman, 2002, pp 127). It helps in providing security to the members that they will be taken care of, should they be faced with a challenge in life. The importance of this security can only be understood by one who does not have a family in the first place. These protective influences help in improving the environment of the home, which leads to positive life style and approach towards it among the family members (Zimmerman, 2002, pp 125). Women are more likely to be happier in positive families, which translate to better childcare, leading to more productive future generations (Zimmerman, 2002, pp 127 and 128). The contribution of different members of the family can lead to improved socioeconomic status as well. This is why most siblings show similar socioeconomic status and success of similar capacities. The positive approach towards each other is another term to define the word love that exists among family members. This simple emotion provides for the strongest protection to a person. The love between family members is in born, unlike social interactions such as friends or associates. The family works as a group in caring for each person and vice versa, leading to a concerning and caring environment for every individual (Ferrante, 2010, pp 100). Families the primary source from where trust and emotional balance or stability is attained. The family experiences are the first that one encounters in life, and these color and influence the way how a person approaches other people (Ferrante, 2010, pp 100). Therefore, families are the primary social environments which can be a guideline and learning area for young children. Families not only provide emotional strength to the members, but also important financial and legal protections. For example, financially, the parents help the children receive the best of food and education, until they are mature enough to become productive members of the society (Shepard, 2009, pp 304). Later on, the same children can provide the financial assistance to the parents when they retire and are no more able to fend for themselves. Another financial benefit is the acquisition of inheritance. Family systems protect the lawful right of inheritance of children, and help the children make claim for these should the situation arise ( Shepard, 2009, pp 12). Family is also a very strong indicator of the concept of self or individualism in a person, in contrast to thinking of the social individualists (Ellwood, 2004, pp 73). A person who is raised in a positive family environment grows up to be a strong and independent individual. Yet at the same time, the same individual becomes a productive member by providing for the family which raised him. Therefore, in order to create strong individuals, a strong family system is also important (Ellwood, 2004, pp 73). Families are able to give a strong sense of identity among people. Children grown in a positive family setup are more confident and happier (Osit, 2008, pp 159). They are able to achieve more in life due to the constant encouragement of the family. They therefore, turn out to be better spouses and in turn better parents for their children. Therefore, a successful family system is likely to translate itself in to another successful family system, thereby improving generational development and quality of the society (Osit, 2008, pp 159). In conclusion, a family is an important basic unit of any society. This system allows for the protection and promotion of an individual. It is able to give security and success to the people through cooperation. A positive family system is able to create an environment which when multiplied, can lead to development of a successful societal system. REFERENCES Allan Graham A and Allan G, 1999. The Sociology of the Family: A Reader. Wiley-Blackwell, 1999. Jonathan Blundell, McNeill P and Griffiths J, 2003. Sociology As: The Complete Companion. Nelson Thornes, 2003. Ellwood Charles A, 2004. Sociology and Modern Social Problems. Kessinger Publishing, 2004. Ferrante Joan, 2010. Sociology: A Global Perspective. Cengage Learning, 2010. Newman David M, 2009. Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life. Pine Forge Press, 2009. Shepard Jon M, 2009. Sociology. Cengage Learning, 2009. Zimmerman Toni Schindler, 2002. Balancing Family and Work: Special Considerations in Feminist Therapy.Routledge, 2002. Read More