How To Write A Sociological Analysis Of Nine Different Family Structures

The most distinctive trait of American family life, then the trait that differentiates it from family life in other western countries, is sheer movement: frequent transitions, shorter relationships. Americans step on and off the carousel of intimate partnerships (marriages and cohabiting relationships) more often. Whether an American parent is married or cohabiting or raising children without a partner, she or he is more likely to change living arrangements in the near future than are parents in the rest of the western world. It is consequential and we should be concerned about it, both as parents and as a nation, because it may increase children’s behavioral and emotional problems. Simply pu, some children seem to have difficulty adjusting to a series of parents and parents’ partners moving in and out of their home. It is not just parental divorces and breakups that are hard for children. Even transitions that bring a new partner or stepparent into the home can be difficult to cope with. Children whose parents have remarried do not have higher levels of well-being than children in lone-parent (a parent who is neither married nor living with a partner) families, despite the addition of a second parent. One reason is that new

The family shows both continuity and changes which can be seen by looking at nuclear families and single parent families respectively. Before 1940s, marriage was considered an important part of society and thought to be a social institution essential for order. Divorce and single parent families were considered dreadful, sex outside marriage was not acceptable, it was a moral offense. The tempo of divorces was very low, but this social behavior soon ended in the post war era. By 1960s, this was no longer the case, as women started to work. They became much more independent, laws were changed and increase in divorces and cohabitation rates had shown that marriage was not compulsory in one’s life.

In today’s world, families are dynamic and interdependent systems. The developmental processes of the children in the family are deeply affected by how the family system operates. However, a family’s structure does not determine whether it is a healthy family system or not. Today, families consist of single parents, stepparents, divorced parents, remarried parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. They are all able to contribute to a healthy functioning family system by meeting each family member’s needs and encouraging positive communication (Jamiolkowski, 2008). Unhealthy family systems have negative and possibly

The support of the family is the most positive aspect of family life. The rise of single parent homes has produced a negative change in family life stating that single mothers are too often bearing the burden of raising

Bronfenbrenner U. (1986). Ecology of the Family as a Context for Human Development: Research Perspectives {Electronic version]. Developmental Psychology, 22, 723-742.

First, according to Macionis (2004) the term family is defined as a social institution found in all societies that unite people in cooperative groups to oversee the bearing and raising of children. Same author also discusses several theoretical approaches have been identified that identifies the family as a form of social institution and how the family unit interconnect with other social institutions within any given society. According to the Structural-Functional Analysis for example, the family serves as a unit that perform many vital tasks

Upon the development of theories, researchers have compiled two main sets that contain eight sub-theories; macro-level theories focus on how the family is a social institution-the organized pattern of statuses and structures, roles, and rules by which a society attempts to meet certain of its most basic needs (39)-and micro-level theories emphasize what happens within families, looking at everyday behavior, interaction between family members, patterns of communication, and so on (47). The family development theory addresses how patterned alterations that occur within families through set stages over a period of time are ever-changing. The stage is known as, the family life cycle, corresponds with how rearing children affects families throughout life. Developed by Roy Rodgers and Joan Aldous, the family career cycle, addresses how the marital and parental careers are furthermore affected by an individual's educational or occupational career. The development of the family life course characterizes a combination of all the events and stages that a family undergoes.

In 2002, number of children living with their single parent was 16.5 million (Davidson). The most important thing is that each single-parent family is different from the other. Children who live with a widowed mother will definitely be living a different home life from children with divorced parents or the one whose parents were never married. Children of the parents who were divorced will always have some kind of relationship with parents and parents’ partners. But it is obvious that children from single-parent families face tougher times economically as well as

George Murdock has carried out a study involving 250 families. From his analysis, he has argued that the family performs four basic functions for its individual members and society at large. He has referred to these as

9 Different Theoretical Perspectives : 1. Family Ecology Perspective, 2. The Family Life course 3. Development Framework, 4. The-Structure-Functional Perspective, 5. The Interaction- 6. Constructionist Perspective, 7. Exchange Theory, 8. Family Systems Theory, 9.The Biosocial Perspective, Attachment Theory.

Day after day, children grow up in such family would convince to believe, or affected by their parents that the thoughts of “I am not normal” when compare with others. So, Single-parents should establish a sense of responsibility, pay attention to the unity between education and love. Regardless who owns the custody of child; they should establish a sense of responsibility: Do not hide the “truth” to their children. Do not slander each other maliciously; allowed to visit are of vital important aims to transmit a positive image to child – despite the separation, but not enemies. Furthermore, do not strive to compensate the child with any kinds of materials if it is over normal demands due to their guilty.

During the years, single parent families have become a more common thing. This is starting to become a problem, because family dynamics can really influence a child’s life. According to studies it affects not only the child but the parents too.

In her book The Unfinished Revolution, Kathleen Gerson argues that today, family pathways are more important than family structure. In this context, family structure refers to the organization of a family, and the way that it has been changing as a result of the gender revolution. For example, some nontraditional family structures that are explored in the book include double parent families with both parents earning, single parent families (mostly single mothers), and families with same-sex parents. Gerson argues that while family structures are not negligible, it is family pathways that are more important for the children of the gender revolution. That is to say, the children value the dynamics of their family more than the structure. They are more concerned about how well their parents are able to provide them with the necessary emotional and financial support than they are about how well their families follow a norm. For them, it is more about feeling like they’re part of a family rather than just physically being in one. Gerson emphasizes this when she explains that the people she interviewed “focused on the long-term consequences of parental choices, not on the specific form or type of home these choices produced at any one moment in time.” One important implication of this argument is the way in which the children of the gender revolution imagine their own romantic relationships unfolding. Even there, they prioritize a feeling rather than a format. For example, one

In the last 50 years or so, family life has changed becoming more diverse and complex, which has been the source of research by social scientists especially the effects of divorce on children. Marriage is no longer an institution that couples need to suffer if times are difficult, divorce is easier and cohabitation is more morally acceptable. The ideology of the nuclear family whilst not outdated is not the only type of family in which to raise children. The modern more complex family arrangements include step families, lone parents, step sibling

Institutionalized ideas of a successful lifestyle have been perpetuated in society throughout time. Each generation faces newly refined perimeters of righteous behaviors that have been affected by progressive ideas, technological advancements, and traditional beliefs. These components and more, play a role in creating a public image of a family structure. Essentially, families are key representatives of society. The posterchild family structure of society depicts values held by a generation, and promoted throughout the means of mass marketing during that time. Every citizen is considered to be held accountable to the societal standards of correct human behavior and ideology. These standards have an impact on freedom, marriage, work, education and children. My family structure is grass rooted in Punjab, India. The dominant religion, political structure, public institution, and societal ideology have differences and similarities with those of America’s.