The Difficulties in Defining the Family Essay

Family is the fundamental unit of society. The concept and structure of the British family has seen a change over the last 50 years. These changes have culminated in the decay of marriage and therefore the rise of cohabitation, new forms of family composition and the delay of parenthood, thus, making traditional nuclear family less stable than in previous generations (Jenkins et al. 2009).

The Dictionary definition of family is “A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.” My definition of family is people with an unconditional love for each other. My family and I have always been very close. For example, we share all of our secrets with each other. Since I can remember, my family and I have always went on a family beach trip to Panama City Beach. We stay at the Shores of Panama, a very nice resort, and the people who own it expect us every year. We always take our beach trip in early September. The reason they decided on September is because it is the beginning of fall which means it will be warm instead of hot. I look forward to going to the beach with my family every year because it is relaxing, fun, and all about family time which I love.

The dictionary definition of family is, “a group of parents and children living together in a household.” The definition of my family, on the other hand, would be something along the lines of, “a group of crazy parents and wild children living amongst several different households.” My parents divorced when I was young, my dad got remarried, my mom got remarried, my dad got divorced again, and then my dad got married again. Throughout all of the marriages I also acquired seven younger siblings along the way. Though the environment and family in which I have been raised is far from conventional, it has made me the open-minded, well-rounded person I am today.

How does society define a family? Is it a mother, father, son and daughter? Or is a single mother or father doing it on their own. These are the questions that society doesn’t consider, when there are children involved. According to the dictionary a family is “a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household”. The definition did not state a mother and father. It did not state male or female. It stated A FAMILY IS A GOUP CONSISTING OF PARENTS AND CHILDREN. So how can society say that because you are male and male or female and female that you should not or cannot adopt or have a child to raise as your own? My personal definition of a family are people who you love and can count on, also who is always there for you no matter what. A family does not

Family is a word with diverse meaning. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as ” A group of people consisting of two parents and their children living together as a unit.” This definition is known to be the most common stereotype in North America. “ This definition doesn 't comply with other cultures”, for example, the African concept of family states that “ Family is considered a basic cell of society. All social and cultural practices find their connection with a notion of family, either supporting or distorting it”. This definition relate more so to how Fedorak explains family on pg 106. Family is a big part of what defines how close knit a community is, jutted based on how different the definitions are we can how much closer African families are then North American families . In Canada, our society is changing. We are transitioning to a new style of living which is isolating family tradition and practice. I (A child who grew up in Canada) have grown up with two parents and two siblings. I have noticed stereotypes in my community that encourage young adults like myself to become an adult, marry and have children following in the footsteps of my father and his fathers before him. This is the driving factor as to why families in the past were so simple. I’m going to give you a perspective on how families in North America are moving away from what is known as “Nuclear Families” and into what is known as modern.

When you hear the word family, what are the thoughts come to your head? Maybe words such as blood, loving, nurturing; or even in some rare cases, overbearing, ashamed, and disgraceful. We all have a different perspective of what family means to us, but a common trend that most families exhibit is that a family is a unit of protection, a support system and that every family has its flaws.

Gender relations within the joint family were highly regulated through regular gender segregation. Women’s status in the family was low, based on age of her husband and increased when she bore a son.

To compare similarities and differences between different theorist’s ideas on the ‘family’, an understanding or definition of what the family is considered to be, is necessary. George Murdock defined the family as ‘a social group characterized by common residence, economic co-operation 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’ (Murdock, G 1949). By using Murdock’s definition of the family, a comparison of what Engles, Somerville and Murray believe about the family can be reached.

Since the united stated has become so diverse that the definition of family has change, therefore, in my perspective, culture background, and personal experience, a family is not only blood related that lives in the same household but also someone that has been by my side showing empowerment through rough times. Therefore, I perceive the definition of family as, someone who, has seen the good and the bad side of me and still accept me who I am with judging me. Someone that has helped me through a difficult situation without asking anything in return. A family that is very supportive, therefore, making me believe in myself and feel very motivated to keep me going every day even though sometimes my life was difficult in this country. furthermore,

You’re having one of those days. You know what kind of day I mean. The one that seems like nothing can go right for you. You’ve fallen into a rut, and as you try to climb out, you just seem to keep falling further and further back in. And when you’re at the deepest and worst part of the rut, you just need to reach out and hear from somebody. You talk to the people that are nearest to you to get the support you need. Who is the person that you need to talk to? Is it a dear friend, a sibling, a parent? Why do you choose one over the other? Perhaps they are chosen simply because family is forever, or maybe that a caring friend can give more comfort than those you live with. What truly makes someone part of your family; the fact that you share their blood or because you’ve shared your best moments in life with them? The idea that your family is simply the people whose lives you were born into, is wrong. A family is something that every human creates with others, through their actions and emotions, and throughout their lifetime.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, family means “a group of people who are related to each other.” Although this definition is accurate, I feel family means so much more. Everyone has a different interpretation of what family means to them. For instance, my mother believes that family means, “A support system that is always there for you” (Burke). Another definition comes from my math teacher, she believes family means, “Having a bond with other people that you know can’t be broken” (Barrett). My friend thinks that family means, “people who will always love you even if you make mistakes, and they are people that will try their best to keep you happy and safe” (Williams). I think family means people who will be there for you

Family is a very complex term that can be defined in many ways. A family can be simply defined as a group of people who are related to each other and live together in the same household. According to the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (2004, p. 5), a family is defined as two or more persons who share resources, share responsibility for decisions, share values and goals, and have a commitment to one another over time. The two definitions that were presented clarified the vast complexities of its meaning. The term family can be defined in many ways; however, they all share the same concept and theories of structure and function within the family system. Families in reality, similar to its complex meaning, differ in various ways as well. The elements that cause families to differ from another could be due to culture, parent’s marital status, religion, and social class. Families may differ; however, they share many common elements within the Family Systems Theory and the Family Circumplex Model. All families share common elements such as, family roles, alliances, conflicts, systems and interaction patterns, strengths, cohesion, flexibility and challenges.

Now with turning the attention towards Jenita, she quickly began to explain her personal past and upbringing. She was born and raised in the southern suburbs. Unlike Charlie, she grew up in a middle-upper class home. For Jenita and her siblings went to Catholic schools from kindergarten through high school. Not only did her parents pay for private education, they also paid for their college as well. Jenita’s father was a cardiac (heart) surgeon and her mother was a surgical nurse. Among Jenita and her siblings, she was the oldest. Therefore, due to their parents’ demanding work schedule at the hospital, Jenita took on many of the domestic responsibilities at home (babysitting, cooking, cleaning and laundry).

The sociological approach defines Family as, “A socially recognized group usually joined by blood, marriage, or adoption that forms an emotional connection and serves as an economic unit of society” (“OpenStax CNX,” n.d.).

For most of us, the family is considered as a well-known and comfortable institution. The perfect model of the ‘ideal’ family is still mostly considered to be consisted from two different sexes’ parents, and one or more children. Until quite recently, the sociology of the family was mostly functionalist and just in the last few decades has been challenged from various directions.