Promoting Unity in the Family Unit in the twenty First century - Essay Example

Promoting Unity in the Family Unit in the twenty First century The family as a social unit is under threat in the twenty first century. Several factors contribute to the weakening of a family unit and it is mostly the change in the gender roles that took place during this century that led to this alteration. While not imposing it as a normative structure that everybody necessarily has to follow, the family unit can also be a space that is open to people who wish to be a part of such unit. Queer theorists and radical feminists have often argued against the family unit, since they feel it does not allow for a change in the roles that women and homosexuals have to play in the society. While it is true that family units as they existed in earlier times were sites of patriarchal oppression, it is also true that the form and function of the family has undergone changes and has the potential to experience further change without compromising on the unity between its members. Most theorists fail to see the advantages of the family system and the advantages that children of a healthy and happy family unit have over children who do not receive the same kind of care. This paper shall search for understanding the family unit and explore possibilities for the improvement of the unity of the family structure. The arguments shall seek to take into account the changed nature of the family structure and the developments that led to these changes through a historical perspective. Accepting the changes in the family unit that have occurred during the twentieth century can be one of the best methods of achieving harmony in the family. An acceptance on the part of the parents of the changed social codes regarding the manner in which men and women are to conduct themselves in society, can help bridge distances between the two parents in case any clash happens. On many occasions, conflicts arise as a result of the inability on the part of either parent to accept that the gender roles that the other is supposed to adhere to have changed from previous generations. Parents who have grown up seeing earlier models of manhood and womanhood may not be able to adjust to modern lifestyles that demand different definitions of either category of genders. During the twentieth century, the notions of differences between sex and gender that came about primarily due to feminist movements have also caused changes in the structure of the family. The establishment of the differences in the sexual and gender roles, that a person is supposed to perform, was explained at length by the French feminist, Simone De Beauvoir in her book, The Second Sex (Beauvoir). A redistribution of jobs within the family may enable different members, whichever sex they are, to feel themselves more a part of the family. This would follow from the fact that they would be able to see themselves not just as members of a family as a result of their crudely reproductive functions but also because of the characteristics as individuals. Contrary to popular perception gay and lesbian families can actually strengthen family structures since the reproductive aspect of relations that is present in heterosexual families is less a part of homosexual families. The structuring of such families can function as models for units that are distinct from conventional standards of the family. Such standards may enable people of any orientation to bring in more of their individuality into family units as a positive change. To be a part of a united group of individuals that form a unit within a society, one needs to feel accepted within that group. Unconventional models can be the next step in the evolution of the family unit in the twenty first century. Such a process of evolution may lead to models of the family that are stronger and more united than those which were a feature of the past. Strict patriarchal authority that was the driving force of earlier models of families can be substituted with love and acceptance that serve to operate on a family and reduce the compulsions on the people who are a part of the it. This applies equally to men and women as earlier forms of the family were oppressive for both the man and the woman in a marriage, as the roles that either was supposed to follow, was prescriptive. Such roles impress themselves upon the minds of the children as well. It is, thus, important that a dynamic and fluid definition of gender and family roles that depend on the individual strengths and weaknesses of people as opposed to conventional notions of gender be imparted to children. This education shall be necessary for the children to understand their position in the family, with respect to their parents and would, thus, promote unity within the family. The role of the government also needs to be argued while discussing the establishment of unison in the family unit. Incentives that the government offers for the welfare of the family can be crucial to the unity and happiness of the family as a social unit. This is because in most cases the economic welfare of the family depends heavily on the policies of the government. A sound economy can be considered to be the backbone of the family and its unity. Without financial security, a family is likely to have tensions and friction is possible to crop up amongst the different members as a result of the sacrifices that dissimilar partners have to make for each other. The role of the government is, thus, immensely important in shaping the future of the unity of the family. In third world countries the governments also have the role of providing medical care and awareness regarding communicable diseases to its people; and this is done mainly with the funds that are a part of the country’s exchequer as the people in such countries would be too poor to afford medical services that are provided by the private establishments which operate in these countries. In some cases, the lack of any form of medical services, private or public, makes it necessary for the government to provide these facilities to its people. Ensuring the health of a family, as well as protecting it from diseases that are communicable and can be prevented if the correct kinds of awareness campaigns are employed, is a necessary condition for the unity of families in nation states of the twenty first century. Finally, one needs to understand that the family as a unit is in many ways a microcosmic representation of the society at large; and changes in the society would reflect in the way in which the family unit is organized. It would also affect the unity of the family. It is necessary to take a two-pronged approach whereby one works from the bottom, as well as from the top simultaneously; that is to say, unity should be instilled in the family and the society together. Unless this process is done simultaneously, the gains made in one area would undermine the gains that are made in another. The unity of the society and the family can be ensured in this manner by eradicating communal and separatist feelings in children and in the society at large. Works Cited Beauvoir, S., De. The Second Sex. New York: Viking, 2005. Print. Read More