Assignment 1 – Annotated Bibliography of Family Life
Baker, M. (2001) Families, Labour and Love: Family diversity in a changing world. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin.
• Extended family households were more prevalent before industrialism.
• Whānau is the most fundamental principle of Maori family life.
• Diversity is an important aspect of postmodern families.
• Divorce rates increased due to people’s focus on personal happiness, higher martial satisfaction and women’s ability to survive economically outside marriage.
This book provides a detailed overview of family life within New Zealand, examining the economic, global, and cultural factors, which have changed and shaped family structure. The author provides a useful list of suggested
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Stephens (2013) stated that the typical nuclear family is no longer the norm, as we generally tend to define ‘family’ through our own life experiences….. Both Collins (2010) and Cribb (2009) agree that the social norms of today have encouraged young people to study abroad, gain a degree, travel and achieve personal happiness before settling down and starting a family. Hence, there are increasing number of family forms, such as childless couples, one-parent and stepfamilies, which are a result of these choices, which people have made. Cribb (2009) further contributed to my knowledge by comparing how social norms and attitudes today, were gravely different from those of 60 years ago. For example, “young people can contemplate many more career choices that those a generation or two earlier…” or “….it is no long shameful for a child to be born out of wedlock or for that child’s mother to raise him or her alone.” (p.14) This was very helpful as it the information was relatable to my own generation and more often than not, people are experiencing first hand the situations described above which occur regularly within New Zealand
There appears to be widespread agreement that family and home life have been changing dramatically over the last 40 years or so. According to Talcott Parsons, the change in family structure is due to industrialization. The concept that had emerged is a new version of the domestic ideal that encapsulates changed expectations of family relations and housing conditions. The family life in the postwar period was highly affected. The concept of companionate marriage emerged in the post war era just to build a better life and build a future in which marriage would be the foundation of better life. Equality of sexes came into being after...
Since the dawn of civilised society, children have suffered from losing one or both of their parents. “Half of all American children will witness the breakup of a parent’s marriage” (Bilotta, 1). Children being brought out in single house household are more likely to become depressed and have problems with their peers. In addition “Family Timeline” by ProQuest, in 1920 points out that “The divorce rate is approximately eight per 1,000 marriages” and today that rate has skyrocketed to 50% (Proquest,1). Proquest clearly rationalizes why the divorce rate has risen. “As more women become educated and join the workforce divorce becomes economically possible for them” (Proquest, 2). Marriages have often been a necessity for
The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. (2014). Module 4: Studying culture. In 74111 Aotearoa New Zealand Society. Lower Hutt: Author.
Maori are the indigenous population of New Zealand and encompass only fifteen percent of New Zealand’s total population (Becares, Cormack & Harris,2013). In recent
McDonald, P 1984, Can The Family Survive? - Change in Australia, Discussion Paper no. 11, Australian Institute of Family Studies, accessed 10 April 2012 http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/dp11.html
Families are becoming more diverse and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some people consider families to be strictly biological, while others consider people they love to be their family. Although two-parent families, also known as a nuclear family are the majority, one-parent families are becoming more common in today’s society. A sole-parent is considered to be a parent without a partner or spouse who is the primary care giver of one or more children in a household (Ministry of Social Development, 2010). From the age of 14 onward I was raised by m...
Today, in a world of the “postmodern family” the traditional lines of family structure are blurred. Children may come from diverse types of homes, or a couple, married or not may choose to have no children and consider themselves a family. The roots of these modern families may stem from ethnic origins, sexual orientations, or even seen as a rebellion of sorts from traditional ways. Children may live in homes of single parents, which is an exceedingly more common phenomenon as the divorce rate well publicized at around fifty percent. They may also live with homosexual parents either as a biological child of one partner or adopted by both. Also, the traditional married couple may choose to adopt locally or internationally, potentially blending ethnic backgrounds into one household. Whatever the background of the new nuclear family the challenges and experiences follow similar patterns.
Marriage and family life has been changing over the past few decades. Not only has the idea of family and marriage changed, but the way marriage and family are perceived has changed. With the transition from modern times to postmodern times, the typical life has developed in to more of an isolated society, than ever before. The concept of unity and close ties has become almost nonexistent, with the development and progression of technology. Communication has become less personal and less intimate, eliminating the idea of creativity. With the elimination of creativity, because of the development of less personal communication, the chances of meeting someone has become less personal and mo...
Theories of the Family and Policy. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from New Zealand Treasury: http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/wp/2004/04-02/11.htm#_toc4.1. Gabler, J. (2010). The 'Standard' of the 'Stand Sociology for the Dummies. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing, Inc.
The family is the main agent of socialisation and an institution. (Giddens, 2013:339). As children, we rely on our family to fulfil basic needs. We all need guidance, and more importantly we also require nurturing to become healthy adults. The definition of family varies across cultures. However, the family is sensitive to change and, therefore, not static. The structure of the family has changed, and culture and society are now more accepting of the fact that people now choose to cohabit, rather than marry. (Haralambos & Holborn 2009:3). In 2013, there were nearly 1.9 million lone parent households with dependent children in the United Kingdom; a figure which has steadily increased over the years (Office of National Statistics 2013). The rise in lone parents has brought about greater acceptance of pregnancies that do not have to involve marriage although acceptance is not the concern. A study suggests that….
The unit of a family is the most prominent essential for all of us. As social human beings, we seek social support in order to thrive, and that is where family comes into play. A family is where you receive love, support, encouragement, and many other social benefits. The total number of households in the United States increased from 63 million in 1970 to 113 million in 2008 (Weeks, 2012). The family has influenced multitudes of people in many ways. The traditional family in the United States consists two-married individuals providing care and stability for their biological offspring also know as the nuclear family. However, the term of a true family has ultimately changed over the last 50 years especially for African Americans.
The family has been referred to as the most vital of the social institutions (Alexander, 2010). The definition of what it means to be a family has evolved over the past several generations. In technical terms, the U.S. Census Bureau defines a family as a group of two or more people residing together related by birth, marriage, or adoption. (U.S. Census, 2010). Categories of families that fit this definition include married couples with and without children, blended families, single parent, and extended family households. Same-sex and unmarried couples with and without children and individuals living alone are not included in this group, though they are a rising segment of the population. The make-up of family and household types at any given time has major consequences for society (Katz & Stern, 2007). Major systems such as economic political, legal, and other social institutions are all impacted by changes in family dynamics. This paper will explore the evolution of the family unit and examine the reciprocal link between this shift and surrounding systems. The relationship between these changes and contemporary systems theory will also be discussed.
As we know, the family life cycle refers to different stages of person’s life from childhood to retirement. In each stage, people face challenges in the family life that allow them to build or gain new skills. No one can pass through those stages smoothly and without concerns with financially problems, disease and issues from family members. Rather, the lifespan cycle means people development process from prenatal to late adulthood. The similarities are both of them had physical and mental development, also meet the different challenges in the different stages. What is more, I believe that family members are indispensable element could affect people life, whatever in the family life cycle or the lifespan cycle.
Everyone seems to define family differently, however, the significance of family is the same. For you, family means everything. You can always count on your parents and siblings for help and love. Family is very valuable and important to you and should never be taken for granted. No one can deny that family is the foundation of our generation. A family is where we all start our life journey and helps us grow to be successful throughout our lives.
What is a family? A family is two or more people consider themselves to be blood related, or related by marriage, or adoption. Our families are who we love. We as families look different in so many ways. A family’s caregiving unit might have a couple, a mother, a father, and children. A family could also be a single parent and child, a group of siblings, a small or large group of friends. A family defines itself in many different ways. Families are the foundation of how our society and how it works. It is how we come into the world and nurtured and given the tools that we need to go out into our world. We are both capable and healthy or not our families influence our lives either in a good way or a bad way. While families