Importance of Family in the Life of People - Essay Example

Running head: Family Families Insert Insert Grade Insert 12 November Families Families are an important aspect in people’s lives, as they provide a sense of belonging for an individual. A family can be defined as a group of people living in the same household who are related either by birth, adoption or marriage, and “they can also be connected by natural genealogical links” (Corbett, 2004, p.3). Families vary in types; they may include extended families, which consist of the nuclear family and extend further to cousins, uncles, aunties, and grandparents. Nuclear family mostly consists of two generations of the mother, father and child. Lone parent consists of a single parent and his/her children, whilst reconstituted families consist of parents who raise adopted children or a parent who is raising his spouses’ children as his own. Nevertheless, in most types of families, men are considered the head and have the responsibility of providing for their families. Old Types of Families Nuclear family Nuclear families have been in existence since time in memorial. They were often referred to as conjugal families, which consist of a father, mother, and children. According to Kendall (2011, p.349), nuclear families are normally based on the number of generations that live. However, a nuclear family can either be a family of procreation where children are adopted, creating legal ties between the parents and children. Secondly, this family can be in form of orientation, whereby, children are born into the family, and are tied to their parents by blood. Extended families Kendall (2011, p.351) explains that, an extended family consists of relatives and an addition of the nuclear family who probably live in the same house. The relatives may include grandparents, aunties, uncles, and cousins; this kind of setup applies mostly to the Indian families. Polygamy families Polygamy families were common in African and Asian setups; they include polygynous and polyandry families. In a polygynous setup, a man is obliged to marry many wives, who in return have children. This type of family is large in nature and it is the duty of the man to provide for this family. However today, these types of families are reducing due to the harsh economic conditions that make it impossible to provide for many wives and children at the same time (Kendall, 2011, p.352). Polyandry family Polyandry involves a marriage between one woman and several men; however, this type of marriage is rare and occurs in societies where men are few compared to women (Kendall, 2011, p.352). New Types of Families According to Levy, Widmer, & Kellerhals (2002, n.d), since 1960s, changes in family setups are evident; the divorce rate is high, fertility rates have also dropped, and single parenthood is common as a result of teenage mothers who bear children our of wedlock. Heterosexual couples are also common; therefore, the normal family setup has been affected. Single parents This kind of family is common in today’s world, and occurs as a result of women having children out of wedlock, and therefore having to raise their children all by themselves. Another case occurs from divorce, whereby, couples end their legal marriage and share the responsibility of raising the children, who are required to live with one parent. Gay families According to Kendall (2011, p.359), most gay and lesbian couples are granted the rights to start a family, especially the state of California where gay marriage is legalized. Though such marriages have been met with strong oppositions, some countries have legalized these marriages, therefore giving individuals the freedom to choose their partners. These families are allowed to adopt children, hence raising a complete family. An appropriate example lies in a gay couple Alam & Land, who adopted a boy after being were legally married in 2008 (Hill & Hawley, 2011). Lesbian couples can decide to have their own children via a sperm donor who terminates the parental rights to the child. Both partners acquire the right over the child and raise the child together. These kinds of families are common in the United States and the west countries. However, some African countries have not embraced and legalized homosexuality. Theories and Ideologies Related to New and Old Types of Families. Systems theory This theory indicates that a member of a family may have an effect on the rest of the family members. This is because a family operates as a team; hence, the behavior of a family member is influenced by their family. Family systems theory can be applied in the family life, which can assist the family in accepting changes, and therefore avoiding stress (McCallion & Ferretti, N.d, p.9). In this era where divorce cases are high, children find it hard to cope with the situations that dictate their parents living separately. The Feminism Approach On a feminist approach, the girl child and women can be at a disadvantage in a nuclear setup. In the early years, females were expected to be obedient and dependent, while boys were expected to be competitive and dominant. The result of this is allowing women to be at a disadvantage in the world of employment, political, and social life. The feminist approach argues that women are left with the unpleasant task of childcare, which is rather challenging, while men assist in lighter tasks like shopping and other house chores. Women may also be expected to take up the role of taking care of a sick child or a relative. Decision-making in the nuclear family setup is dominated by men, whilst most women result to being housewives, hence having limited power in the family. In addition, domestic violence targets women and children other than men who are rarely victims of domestic violence (Feminism and the Family, 2010) The Marxist approach This approach argues that women oppression exists in a nuclear setup and is as a result of the capitalist system, which requires them to bear children and nurture them. Women also contribute to domestic services at no cost, therefore reducing the wage level; hence, the capital system concentrates on paying the employed men. Women also offer emotional support to their husbands who are faced with the challenges of oppression at their place of work. This approach emphasizes on the allocation of duties between men and women within the capitalist economy (Feminism and the Family, 2010). Functionalism approach This approach argues that the event of industrialization led to the replacement of extended families by the nuclear families. The geographical mobility in nuclear families is much easier compared to that of extended families, which are associated with social tensions. In a nuclear setup, roles are divided between a husband and wife; nevertheless, families have ceased being units of production and ended up being units of consumption. Women are required to cater for household chores, while men concentrate on investing and working. However, this theory is criticized by feminists for its gender differences, which are a disadvantage to the females (Functionalism, 2010). Conclusion Families are important in an individual’s life; nevertheless, families are formed in many ways, some of them being through orientation and others through procreation. Whichever way parents raise their families, what matters most is a sense of belonging for the family members. However, the traditional families such as the extended family have been replaced by single parenthood and homosexual families among others. This could be as a result of change in tastes and preferences of individuals; people are tempted to try out new ways of making a family last. The increase in the rate of divorces in nuclear families are discouraging people to form one, hence resulting in unofficial marriages, with an aim of testing the relationship. Moreover, some are resulting to same sex marriages whereby, just as a nuclear family, they can raise children by adoption. References Corbett, A. (2004). What is a family? And why it matters: achieving a workable definition. NY: Tasmanian Family Institute Publisher. Functionalism. (2010). Functionalism and ‘the’ Family: A Summary. Retrieved from http://www.earlhamsociologypages.co.uk/functfamsum.html. Feminism and the Family. (2010). Feminism and the Family: An Introduction. Retrieved from http://www.earlhamsociologypages.co.uk/Feminism%20and%20the%20Family.htm. Hill, M. & Hawley, C. (2011). Gay marriage raises prospect of NY adoption boom. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43716084/ns/us_news-life/t/gay-marriage-raises-prospect-ny-adoption-boom/#.Tr47l3KHOXY. Kendall, D. (2011). Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials. Edition 8. OH: Cengage Learning Publisher. Levy, R., Widmer, E., & Kellerhals, J. (2002). Modern family or modernized family traditionalism? Master status and the gender order in Switzerland. Retrieved from http://www.sociology.org/content/vol006.004/lwk.html. McCallion, P. & Ferretti, L. (N.d). Family Systems Theory: Applications for PSA Casework. Retrieved from http://www.albany.edu/aging/FamilySystemsTheory.pdf Read More