Intro to Contemporary Society

To get a full understanding of family theory one must first have the understanding of what is theory. Theory is a systematic collection of concepts and relations. Family however can mean a broad range of things to a person. One person may consider family to be father, mother, sister and brother; however, to someone else family could be just one parent with one child; and to another it could their friends. Family systems theory however defines the family as a system. Family consist of interrelated parts, each impacting the other and adding to each other’s growth (or detriment) of the other. And because family is always changing, growing, self-organizing, and becoming accustomed to each other and the exterior environment (White & Klein, 2008). Now let’s take a look at the

No matter what background you come from or how you were raised, family is extremely important. According to Malinowski, “Family is a necessary institution for fulfilling the task of child rearing in society”(Conley, 2013). Society has come a long way when it comes to family and it is much different than it was in the 1950’s. Not all families are nuclear families. A nuclear family is having a mother, father, and children that are all biological (Conley, 2013). This kind of family is what some would call more “traditional.” Today in the twenty first century it is getting harder and harder to find families that have actually stayed together. There are so many different kinds of families in today’s society, and more and more families are becoming blended families. A blended family is when two families come together (Conley, 2013). Many families today have single mons, single, dads, and even same sex parents. Family is not always the people that live in the same house as you, family also consists of extended family. An extended family is a network that goes beyond the main “nuclear” family (Conley,

What is a family? How are families shaped and what effect do they have on society? In the United States a family consists of both parents, one’s self, siblings (biological or adoptive) and extended family members; however, this is not the case around the world. The concept of family and who is family changes in each culture, but is mostly centered around who is kin and who a person marries. Family, kin, and marriage are established through how society decides their lineage, which establishes cultural rituals within the society.

The word family has changed so much in the past century. A family back in the 1950’s was probably considered a husband, wife, and one or more children. Times have changed and families have become much different. The Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others book defines family as a, “Unit made up of any number of persons who live in relationship with one another over time in a common living space who are usually, but not always, united by marriage and kinship” (Beebe, Beebe & Redmond, 243). Families can be broken up into five different types. The first is the traditional family, which includes a mother, father, and their biological children. Next, is the blended family which includes

The family is the first institution of the five basic social institutions. It is responsible for developing the behavior of each person to be interactive individuals in society. It is responsible for supplying the basic needs of each person during their development. Unfortunately, the image of family has been deteriorated considerably. Instead of being a system support for people, it has become a double edged sword. Society is at fault for how bad the concept of family is today. It is just takes watching the news on television or to reading the newspaper to realize this. We can see headlines like "Father abused his daughter", “Woman is victim of domestic violence", "Child suicide due to

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family is "a group of two or more people who reside together and who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption.” (Eutk). In the beginning, family was considered to be all of the individuals who contributed to the household as far as bringing in money; including servants and non-parental adults, who are also considered part of the family if they play a large role in the upbringing or care-taking of children other than their own. But in fact, over the last few centuries until present day, the institution of the family has completely changed. In the late-18th Century, marriage was considered just a union based on love, but as time passed, there were other financial, social, and political shifts in the

Every family is different and the same in their own way. Everyone functions with different roles and plays a part in how it functions on the day to day. While some people don’t put much thought into it, Dr. Murray Bowen has. ‘Dr. Murray Bowen suggests that individuals cannot be understood in isolation from one another, but rather as part of their family.’ (GenoPro) Eight concepts are

What is a family? What role does family play in an individual? There are many characteristics in which make up a family as well as different types. A family is “a group of individuals living under one roof” (“Family”). Every family is unique and is defined by one’s own standard of what it is. This relationship does not necessarily mean blood related or even legally bonded. The word ‘family’ derives from “Latin familia, which translates to “members of a household, the estate, property; the household, including relatives and servants”” (“Family | Origin and history of Family by Online Etymology Dictionary”). Therefore, family can include those who are not of the same descent. A family consists of those who give another person unconditional love support despite their own morals. The members of this group sometimes put others above themselves and make sacrifices to keep their family safe and happy.In frequent cases, it is the parental figure of the group who sacrifice the most. To many people, family means immediate family and those they see on holidays. However, the true meaning of family extends past blood relations and are those who allow a being to feel safe to be himself and put effort and time into their relationship. Sometimes, the people who are related to each other are not always their supporters and even struggle to understand one another. Family has a different look and meaning to everyone and is the first group to have a major impact on an individual.

For my sociological portrait I have decided to discuss the institution of family and the way it has affected my identity. Family is an important part of how our adult identities are shaped. If we are lucky to have them in our lives, we learn so much from our parents when we are young, and as much as some of don’t want to admit it, they are a very large part of influencing who we will be in our adult lives. The concept of family as a driving force and social institution is interesting because it has the ability to effect of positively or negatively for the rest of our lives and it has the power to shape all of our future relationships and actions.

There are many forms of families around the world. The structure of these families are influenced by the culture around them. Family is defined as "two or more people related by blood, marriage or adoption. The family may take many forms, ranging from a single parent with one or more children, to a married couple or polygamist spouses with or without offspring, to several generations of parents and their children” (226). There are many functions of the family unit around the world.

It is the idea of who people are and where they came from. Family can influence how a person is brought up in the society of today. When people think of family, usually it is very typical to see one man and one woman with a couple of children. However, this is not the ‘typical family’ as there are families with two dads, two moms, only one parent, families with relatives staying with them, and extended ones with step parents and siblings.

‘Boys will be boys’, a phrase coined to exonerate the entire male sex of loathsome acts past, present, and potential. But what about the female sex, if females act out of turn they are deemed ‘unladylike’ or something of the sort and scolded. This double standard for men and women dates back as far as the first civilizations and exists only because it is allowed to, because it is taught. Gender roles and cues are instilled in children far prior to any knowledge of the anatomy of the sexes. This knowledge is learned socially, culturally, it is not innate. And these characteristics can vary when the environment one is raised in differs from the norm. Child rearing and cultural factors play a large role in how individuals act and see

Over time the meaning of the word family changed dramatically including family values. To me family is the people I live with such as my father, mother, sister, and brothers. Family provides support to its members by depending on one another and they teach us how to socialize and function in the society. For example, learning what behaviors or actions society consider as normal. Moreover, types of family that society considers as normal also changed. For example, now families like same sex, conjugal family, and single parent family are considered as normal where in the past nuclear family the only family considered as normal by society.

Families are a natural social structure. The widely accepted definition of family is “a group of two or more people related by blood, marriage, or adoption” (Medalie & Cole-Kelly, 2002, p. 1277). This definition is inclusive of the many different structures of families to allow for big, small, single parent, dual parent, gay and lesbian, heterosexual, adoptive, and biological. The family plays an integral part in the health of its members, which often leads to the stretching of the family unit beyond this definition to include extended family. The family unit is more than a collection of units. Culture and values play a large role in how families react and deal with issues

A family can be defined in many ways, but the common denominator in all is the love and fulfillment one gets by being surrounded by family members. Families can sometimes be at odds with each other, but the strain of this type of relationship usually creates an upsetting feeling to the people involved. People want others to rely on, talk to, do things with, share, love, embrace, and be part of. No matter what the family dynamic is the qualities the word family has will remain the same, as time goes by, and life evolves once again for every person living their