A Normal Family in Australia - Assignment Example

Introduction Through this paper an attempt to define a normal family in Australia and the radical differences between a normal family and other family types in the country and countries of South-East Asia has been made. It is noteworthy that the term ‘normal family’ encompasses all those trends that have come to define a contemporary Australian family system which a major part of the population follows. How is the term family defined? The word family has been defined differently by different authors and thinkers. The sociologist defines it in a radically different way than an anthropologist. Perhaps, the oldest acceptable definition is, "...a social group characterised by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults "(Edith Cowen University). Another definition that fits the current context is “The word family refers to a group of two or more people who are closely related by biological, sexual, adoptive, or strong psychological and emotional bonds and who regularly share resources and interact with one another, ideally in an atmosphere of affection, acceptance, intimacy, support, and trust” (Britannica, 2009). From the above definitions, certain things can be concluded quite definitely: a family is a form of group, there has to be an association between the members of the family and this association could be on the basis of blood relations, social relations or formed by the bond of marriage. Constant interaction, support, acceptance and trust are considered as the benchmark of a family unit. The smallest unit of family is a nuclear family which has only limited number of members who have either blood ties or are bound to each other through other means. Once upon a time nuclear family meant a man, his wife and their kids living together. But now, it has a broader scope and includes single parent and children, parents without children or siblings without parents or even homosexuals staying together. One thing which is clear from this is that culture directly defines the notion of a family unit in any county. Extended family system is one which in addition to the parents and kids comprises grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives. All these people live together as a single unit, as a one big family. The kin relationship also forms an important part of the extended family system. What is a ‘normal’ family in Australia? A typical or normal family in Australia is pre-dominantly a nuclear family with both husband and wife working to contribute money towards household expenditure and savings. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, “Both parents were employed in 63% of the 2.2 million couple families with co-resident dependent children” (Hayes et al, 2010). “The proportion of couple families with dependent children where both parents were employed generally increased with the age of the youngest dependent child, from 49% of families where the youngest child was aged 0 to 4 years, to 75% of families where the youngest dependent child was a full-time student aged 15 to 24 years” (Hayes et al, 2010). Post-industrialization, the marriageable age of the males as well as females has been increasing in the country. Women have an equal say in the household matters and matters of finance. Still the most crucial decisions are taken by the husband or the eldest male member of the family. More and more women are bearing babies in their late twenties or early 30s. Two children family has become the norm and it is not necessary that both the children be naturally born to the parents. Householders are increasingly adopting children to provide them with better shelter and other opportunities. The number of pre-nuptial births has increased considerably and around 78% couples who got married a year back agreed to having co-habited for a year or longer with each other. Simultaneously, relationships are becoming unstable but divorce rates haven’t increased considerably in the society. With both the parents working, the child care has been relegated to either preschools or day care centres or grandparents. The latter is only possible in case of extended family system but three generations living under same roof with only limited members cannot be termed as an extended family. Grandparents look after their grandchildren and very rarely other relatives are called upon to the honours (Hayes et al, 2010). There are still considerable amount of grandparent families in Australia but the number is declining over the years. 59% families have children and of them, 78% are dependent upon the parents. Rest have the means to earn a simple or attractive living on their own (Hayes et al, 2010). The Australian Bureau of Statistics periodically compiles data related to the demographic structure within the country. The data has far more implications for the firm rather than some external one. The marriage patterns are fairly simple. The groom and his Bride live in the patriarchal house of the groom along with his parents. He can also choose not to stay with his parents and start life afresh in another house with his wife. Economic changes, education opportunities and globalization are affecting the family like they have always done. How do these families differ from other family types present in Southeast Asian countries and in Australia? This normal Australian family is different from other family types present on the continent. The normal family taken in context is essentially white population of the continent where in essence exists a lot of other groups and communities. And as read earlier, families are nothing but specific groups of people who stay together and are bound by several parameters of association. The Aborigines are the native Indigenous inhabitants of the country but the atrocities performed against them have led to their marginalisation. So much so that they now exist only in rural parts of the country. The aborigines staying in villages have somehow succeeded in maintaining their indigenous culture while those staying in urban areas at the periphery follow a culture which has highly been distorted and under white influence (Edith Cowen University). In the villages the Aborigines still stay as a tribe, different classes and types of them all mixed together. This idea of collective residence was one that was followed in the traditional Aboriginal tribes. Something as common as community drinking was also performed according to a set of stipulated codes of conduct. But the Aborigines staying in the urban parts of the country are the ones who had been separated from their parents and tribes at an early age and put under considerable White influence. These Aborigines do not follow the conventional rules of their tired as regards marriage and mating; especially women who are increasingly marrying the man they want to marry. This has led to a sharp increase in the number of mixed marriages in the country and a lot of women look upon marrying white men as a form extended social and financial security. Still the three factors that differentiate an urban Aboriginal family from a white family are: Extended family features: Around 12% of the Aboriginal families are of extended family type with an average household size of 4.6 persons per house. (Edith Cowen University) Mobility of Aboriginal households: This factor that determines the strength of kinship in the Aboriginal community is still highly prevalent amongst the urban aborigines. Around 33% of the households had relatives staying over with them (Edith Cowen University). High percentage of females to males: Unlike in the contemporary White society, the percentage of females in Urban areas in Aboriginal communities is higher than that of the males. (Edith Cowen University) The cultural diversity still remains to be very prominent between various ethnic groups living on the continent and it directly affects the system of family and norms of marriage, parenthood etc. Following Industrial Revolution, the contemporary white families have undergone radical changes, some on the lines of history and others totally unexpected. The women participation in the workforce has increased considerably, more and more numbers of females marry in their late 20s and levels of fertility have indeed gone down. This is what exactly happened in the Western countries during or after Industrial Revolution. But a trend towards joint family system can be seen in Australian families because now they have the means to support an extended family. The trend started picking up around 1980s because before then the industrial activities in the country were not soundly and adequately developed and a major part of the workforce was still employed in the Primary Sector activities. Comparison with South East Asian Countries Asian Diaspora can be as diverse as possible and within the Asian continent itself there are remarkable differences in the patterns of family life followed here. South Asian family trends and norms are way different than the family trends and norms followed in East Asia, which are in turn different from those followed in South East Asia and the Western Asia. South East Asia comprises around 11 countries that are located towards the south eastern part of Asia. The main highlight of the South-East Asian family structure is the flexibility afforded by them in terms of the post marriage residence. The rules of kinship are bilateral in nature and ‘matrilinear’ patterns (Alvarez & Arce, 1983) are dominant in this part of the world. In other parts of the world ‘patriarchal’ patterns are followed. In fact, Vietnam is one of the South East Asian countries which is pre-dominantly a Patriarchal society and has been able to do very little about the rising rates of foeticide in its domains. The ‘matrilinear’ structure of marriage entails upon a groom to stay with his wife’s parents in their house for initial 1-3 years after their marriage. Then he may either choose to stay independently with his wife or continue staying with her in their house. But this was no compulsion. On the basis of mutual agreement, many a times the couple lived with the family of the groom also (Devasahayam, 2009). The enhanced emphasis of female education changed the family dynamics to a great extent in the region. The females are now marrying in their late 20s and enjoy greater economic and financial decision making. Though this has traditionally led to the emergence of nuclear family systems, a lot of extended families can also be found in this region. Like in Australia, grandparents are preferred choice of guardians for children in cases where both the parents are working. The concept of day-care centres and early preschool has not received much impetus here as yet. One can safely agree at the conclusion that the similar models and dynamics of industrialization and women emancipation have affected the traditional patriarchal family systems of South East Asia but in a considerably different ways than they have affected the family systems in the other parts of the world, specifically Australia. Conclusion The post industrialization era has had almost same effects on any society that allowed its women to break free of the vicious circle of marriage and child bearing and pursue education and other higher career opportunities. But the effects on the family structure of a region or of a community have been radically different because of several other factors that also influence the family dynamics. The normal Australian family represents a typical Western family as it was some 20 years back. But there are considerable differences between them. Family as a unit cannot be defined by only single aspect or interpreted in terms of only blood relations. With growth in human experiences, the term has undergone cataclysmic changes and today stands to include all types of possibilities such as homosexual family concepts, lone parent concept etc. Works Cited Alan Hayes, R. W. (2010). Families then and now: 1980-2010. Melbourne: American Institue of Family Studies. Definition of Family - Related Constructs, Inclusive Definitions, Theoretical Definitions, Situational Definitions, Normative Definitions, Conclusion. (n.d.). Retrieved August 7, 2010, from Jrank: http://family.jrank.org/pages/492/Family-Definition.html Devasahayam, T. W. (2009). Gender trends in Southeast Asia: women now, women in the future. Malysia: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. (2009). Family. In Compton's . Britannica. Watson, C. (2010, July 25). Meet the Typical Modern Australian Family. Adelaide, Australia. Wilfredo F. Arce, G. C. (1983). Population change in Southeast Asia. Malaysia: Institue of South East Asian Studies. Read More

What is a ‘normal’ family in Australia? A typical or normal family in Australia is pre-dominantly a nuclear family with both husband and wife working to contribute money towards household expenditure and savings. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, “Both parents were employed in 63% of the 2.2 million couple families with co-resident dependent children” (Hayes et al, 2010). “The proportion of couple families with dependent children where both parents were employed generally increased with the age of the youngest dependent child, from 49% of families where the youngest child was aged 0 to 4 years, to 75% of families where the youngest dependent child was a full-time student aged 15 to 24 years” (Hayes et al, 2010).

Post-industrialization, the marriageable age of the males as well as females has been increasing in the country. Women have an equal say in the household matters and matters of finance. Still the most crucial decisions are taken by the husband or the eldest male member of the family. More and more women are bearing babies in their late twenties or early 30s. Two children family has become the norm and it is not necessary that both the children be naturally born to the parents. Householders are increasingly adopting children to provide them with better shelter and other opportunities.

The number of pre-nuptial births has increased considerably and around 78% couples who got married a year back agreed to having co-habited for a year or longer with each other. Simultaneously, relationships are becoming unstable but divorce rates haven’t increased considerably in the society. With both the parents working, the child care has been relegated to either preschools or day care centres or grandparents. The latter is only possible in case of extended family system but three generations living under same roof with only limited members cannot be termed as an extended family.

Grandparents look after their grandchildren and very rarely other relatives are called upon to the honours (Hayes et al, 2010). There are still considerable amount of grandparent families in Australia but the number is declining over the years. 59% families have children and of them, 78% are dependent upon the parents. Rest have the means to earn a simple or attractive living on their own (Hayes et al, 2010). The Australian Bureau of Statistics periodically compiles data related to the demographic structure within the country.

The data has far more implications for the firm rather than some external one. The marriage patterns are fairly simple. The groom and his Bride live in the patriarchal house of the groom along with his parents. He can also choose not to stay with his parents and start life afresh in another house with his wife. Economic changes, education opportunities and globalization are affecting the family like they have always done. How do these families differ from other family types present in Southeast Asian countries and in Australia?

This normal Australian family is different from other family types present on the continent. The normal family taken in context is essentially white population of the continent where in essence exists a lot of other groups and communities. And as read earlier, families are nothing but specific groups of people who stay together and are bound by several parameters of association. The Aborigines are the native Indigenous inhabitants of the country but the atrocities performed against them have led to their marginalisation.

So much so that they now exist only in rural parts of the country. The aborigines staying in villages have somehow succeeded in maintaining their indigenous culture while those staying in urban areas at the periphery follow a culture which has highly been distorted and under white influence (Edith Cowen University). In the villages the Aborigines still stay as a tribe, different classes and types of them all mixed together. This idea of collective residence was one that was followed in the traditional Aboriginal tribes.

Read More