Effects of Blended Family on American Culture and Values - Essay Example

The norms of biologically related individuals are different from those of the members of blended families. In a normal family, the parents show more affection to their children because they have been raised from birth and identify them as their biological offspring. However, this might not be the case in all blended families. In blended families, a biological and a stepparent bring up the children. The stepparent would likely treat his or her biological children in a better manner compared to the treatment given to the stepchildren. Aggressive stepparents could also hurt or treat their stepchildren violently. Such acts are not part of the desirable family relations and values in American society (Hadfield & Nixon, 2013).

In the US, marriage is a religious and legally binding relationship. The law has provisions for divorce procedures. However, divorce is still a controversial and undesirable trend that is against religious norms and the values of society. The sanctity of marriage should remain respected at all times. The existence of blended families builds up confidence in partners who have been considering the divorce option. Such partners may push through with a divorce with the belief that constituting a blended family would be a better option. Therefore, divorce is turning from a dreaded practice to a normal aspect of marriage in the US (Cartwright & Gibson, 2013).

Blended family settings have a positive effect on American society. Being a single parent is a difficult task. Contemporarily, single parents face the enormous challenge of taking care of children while working. Therefore, such individuals need a partner who is ready to accommodate them together with the children. The parents have established a blended family where the partners can complement each other’s efforts in trying to raise the children in a happy and seemingly normal family setting as the only viable option (Furrow & Palmer, 2007).

Blended Families and the Socialization Process
The socialization process begins during the early developmental stages of a child. Socialization initiates the development of children into adulthood and equips them with skills, cultural habits, and values that are evident in their families and society as a whole. Parents, siblings, and other family members are imperative aspects of the socialization process as most children look up to them and tend to adopt the behavior that is displayed by the parents.

Therefore, children being raised in blended families are exposed to diverse social behaviors and norms from the two parents and the stepsiblings. The children adopt the culture and values that result from the blending of the two families. Such children may be raised believing that biological parents are just as good as stepparents. However, children that are growing up in blended families in which violence is evident may grow into aggressive individuals and possibly hate the blending of broken families (Pasalich, 2014).

Conclusion
Blended families have both negative and positive alterations in the culture and values in the US. Negative impacts include the mistreatment of stepchildren, an increase in the rate at which couples divorce, and inappropriate child development in the socialization process. For such families to be successful, the parents must sit down and deliberate effectively on how to ensure that their marriage works. The children should also be given guidance accordingly on how to relate to their stepsiblings. Read More