My Family Definition

1078 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Family performs functions in contemporary society

A: Defining my family

As a person who belongs to collectivistic cultural norms, defining the term “family” from my knowledge and perspective is might be different from the western culture that relies on the individualistic culture norms. However, in this assignment, I am going to define my family terms depending on the three common conceptual approached that have been used to define the term family in the United State and we discussed in our class. According to Segrin & Flora (2005), the most common approaches of family definition are determined by the family structure, family function and family transaction.

1- The family structural definition: family structure or form here refers to the form of the family. It means how the family shape …show more content…

6- A cohabiting family: couple of adults with opposite sex live together and have a relationship without legal marriage (p.5).
Most of family structural applications that are active in the western culture are not applied in my country because of the cultural norms such as religion and customs. While I have to describe my family structure, I could state that my family is a nuclear family consist of my wife and I and five children; three daughters and two boys who live together. Our relationship was created by legal formal marriage.

2- The family task-orientation definition: this term refers to the roles and tasks of the members within their family. Those functions include financial, emotional and care supports provided by the family group members to their partners and children. Most important functions of the family under this term is to provide social welfare to the family members, particularly children and the commitment to provide the basic material needs such as providing food, clothing, education, health care and taking care of their behavior and upbringing. These requirements, according to this classification do not require the offers of support to be actual parents of the children. It is required of people who are committed to take this role regardless of the blood kinship to the children to maintain the family

Show More
Related

  • Family Structure In Post-War Britian

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    Family used to be a single unit, consisting of a husband, wife and children. This unit was widely thought as a group based on marriage and biological parenthood as sharing a common residence and united by ties of affection, obligations, care, support, and a sense of common identity. However, due to the change in values, laws, family structure and social trends, the definition of family has been defined as a married or cohabiting couple with or without children living under one roof, children may be dependent or independent. (Office for national statistics) (2006)

    Read More

  • Betty G. Farrell's Family: Idea Institution, And Controversy?

    1393 Words  | 3 Pages

    One definition is “a significant social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children.” While such definition is a good starting point, some modern family structures are excluded by such definition. In her essay, “Family: Idea, Institution, and Controversy,” Betty Farrell apparently assumes that the traditional family has dramatically changed, and the dynamics of change—altered the definition of a “family.” A family is no longer a picture of a particular image of the mythic past, referring to the golden days of the “1950s.” It is no longer a father, mother and their biological children living together under one roof (and certainly not with the a breadwinner father and a stay-at-home mother). In today 's modern society, it is now common to see women raising their children by themselves without their husbands’ help; unmarried couples living together; and gay and lesbian couples—while far from being universally accepted—adopting and raising children to complete their families. Therefore, despite the children living in one-parent households, or they do not live with their “married-heterosexual-biological-parents” under the same roof—does not necessarily mean they are not families. Farrell states that “a family is defined not so much by a particular set of people as by the quality of relationships that bind them together.” In other words, Farrell believes that a “family” is more than just a collection

    Read More

  • Evolution and Impact of the Nuclear Family

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nuclear Family. Noun. A couple and their dependent children, regarded as a basic social unit (Abate and Jewell, The New Oxford American Dictionary). This definition has changed in both meaning and prevalence over time; it used to signify just a father, a mother, and their children, but now it’s become more inclusive to families who didn 't quite meet that description. Also, this set-up is far less common that it was, since rates of single parents have skyrocketed over the past 50 years (Tenenbaum, “Honor Thy Mother”). Despite this, the nuclear family is still the basic foundation of all familial relationships today. The novel Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns is based on the lives (and deaths) of each member of a nuclear

    Read More

  • Family: What It Means To Me

    1513 Words  | 4 Pages

    Family, defined by the Online Merriam Webster Dictionary is, “a group of related people including people who lived in the past.” I believed that the wording of this definition is important because of the word related. The Online Merriam Webster Dictionary defines related as “belonging to the same group because of shared characteristics, qualities, etc.” This goes to show that a family does not have to be lineage, heritage, or chromosomes. There are many different types of families, and though many people think of a nuclear family when they think of a family, there are so many more qualities to consider when deciding how to personally define family.

    Read More

  • Structural Family Therapy

    1748 Words  | 4 Pages

    Furthermore, the structural family therapy are theories and techniques method for individuals to help them in their social and relational relationships (Vetere, 2001). Additionally, the definition of structure is organizational characteristics of families at any given time, the family subsystems, and open and concealed rules that effect interpersonal decisions and behaviors in the family (Vetere, 2001).

    Read More

  • Essay On The Word Family

    1439 Words  | 3 Pages

    A stepfamily occurs when parent’s divorce and later remarry bringing children from the previous marriage together to form a new family. In the twenty-first century, a stepchild is considered part of the immediate familial household when the biological parent is detached from the child but the stepparent is available. This is one type of non-traditional family. While they may not be traditional they can be equally supportive and caring. Multigenerational families are a group of relatives that live together and share in the household chores. Many families are now opting to move senior parents into their own homes instead of a retirement community because the bonds that have been generated throughout life help the seniors state of mind. A complex family has three or more adults living in the same household plus their children. This can happen through divorce and remarriage and through polygamy in countries where polygamy is legal. Adults that for various reasons cannot have children bring a child into their home to love and care for or one parent can legally adopt the biological child of the other parent. This is considered an adopted family and while there may be no blood relation it still has legal viability. Fosterage is also a branch of adoption where a family will temporarily bring another child into their home until more permanent

    Read More

  • Sociology of Family

    1149 Words  | 3 Pages

    "A family is a small social group of people related by ancestry or affection, who share common values and goals, who may live together in the same dwelling, and who may participate in the bearing and raising of children. They have a physical or emotional connection with each other that is ongoing" (Vissing, 2011) and is the foundation of all societies. They can be formed by a grouping of father-mother-children or even more complicated combination of relatives. In the primary stage of family life in the United States, everyone from every generation lived together in one house. Subsequently, the idea of traditional family evolved and a married couple with children is at present, often called the traditional family. There are many types of families; however, this paper will focus on the traditional family. It will describe how the functionalist perspective, conflict perspective, and the interactionism theory apply to the sociological institution known as a family. It will explain some of the similarities and differences between the sociological theories in regards to families and how they affect the family members.

    Read More

  • Sociological Theories and the Family

    1721 Words  | 4 Pages

    These are the Functionalist, Conflict, and Interactionist Perspectives. Each perspective views society in different manners, with each being correct and relevant since social institutions are too complex to be defined by any one theory. Each perspective will be used to explain the perspectives’ relevance to the family. The sociological definition of the family is “a set of people related by blood, marriage or some other agreed-upon relationship, or adoption, who share the primary responsibility for reproduction and caring for members of society” (Schaeffer, 2009, p. 288). While the nuclear family (a man, a woman, and their children) was once the primary definition of family, now it refers to many familial configurations.

    Read More

  • What Is A Family?

    940 Words  | 2 Pages

    The word “family” is unique, special, and controversial among different cultures and ethnicities. As defined by Random House Western Dictionary, a family is “any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins” (Dictionary.com). Although the definition from Random House follows the infamous proverb of, “blood is thicker than water,” my definition of family does not. Family is not defined or restricted by blood relations. In my mind, a family is simply a group of people, who loves, supports, and helps each other unconditionally, and endlessly. Regardless of one’s sexual orientation or preference, all families embody these common principles. Thus, a family unites its members through the strong bonds and kinships formed when people come together. (Great intro.)

    Read More

  • Traditional Family Essay

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Function of the Nuclear Family

    1571 Words  | 4 Pages

    “The family is a social group characterised 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 cohabitating adults.” MURDOCK (1949)

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Family

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    A family is a social foundation found in all societies. It unites people in supportive system as they care for one another. In many countries, including the U.S., families form around marriage and are seen as a legal relationship. Patterns of marriage and relationship vary around the world. There are four general marriage patterns around the world endogamy, exogamy, polygamy, and monogamy. Family support is a system involving two married individuals providing care and stability for their children. How the family support is in the household leave the impact on the children as they grow up. Present day how a family is formed has changed from traditional view now with single parents, divorced parent and gay marriage.

    Read More

  • The Family as an Agent of Socialization

    1399 Words  | 3 Pages

    To thoroughly elaborate on the institution of family we most look at the family as it was before and how much it has changed over time. Throughout the years we are recognizing that the family is slowly being replaced by other agents of socialization. Families in the past consisted of a mother and a father and most times children. We are, as many societies a patriarchal society; men are usually the head of the households. This has always been considered the norm.

    Read More

  • Essay On Family Communication

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Family by its nature is a social unit wherein children grow up and it acts like the socialization agent. Children receive their earliest and most consistent socialization here in the family. In a family it is very important as to how parents cater the needs of their children and how children take care of them in return. Parents as well as the child are very important part of the developmental process, as it is the parents who will shape the children as what they will become. The parent child relationship influences each other and together they shape the relationship they engage in it. Family is a social unit where in all the members living together is related to one another. Family is regarded

    Read More

  • Social Life As A Social Institution

    871 Words  | 2 Pages

    Family is arguably the most important social institution in an individual's life. A family is defined as a group of individuals that are related through blood ties, adoption or marriage, that form an economic unit, where the adult members are responsible

    Read More

More about My Family Definition

Open Document