No Such Thing As Normal
What is "normal?" It can be defined as average or regular. Many people see normal as how the media portrays it in television shows. Generally, the "normal" family is made up of two parents, two point five children (preferably at least one girl and one boy) and a beloved pet. They also usually have a minivan or an SUV, a white picket fence and live in a nice, neatly organized home. My family has some of those traits, but not all. There is no such thing as a "normal family" because "normal families" are usually viewed as perfect and they rarely have problems.
In the reading "Real Indians Eat Jell-O" by Laurie Carlson, the narrator is a Native American who lives in a trailer park. She reads books that explain what "normal" Indians are like and what they do. She notices that the people she reads about live in deserts, have out-of-the-ordinary pets, have "wise" grandparents and are have supernatural powers. Meanwhile, she lives in a mobile home, watches TV and has a gossipy grandmother who makes Jell-O salad. When she asks her grandmother why they don't act like the people she's read about, her grandmother tells her "Honey, be yourself (Carlson par. 7)." The grandmother doesn't want the narrator to feel she has to act in a certain way just because media demands it. This is similar to my family because we don't feel we have to be "perfect." We see the way media portrays the "normal" family but we don't change ourselves to be the same way. There are many reasons why my family is normal and not so normal in the media's eyes. We have a three-bedroom, two-bath ranch home. We have a beautiful yard (without a fence) and three vehicles, one of which is a Ford Explorer. I have two heterosexual parents, two siblings (one sister and one brother) and a pet dog. That, however, is where the similarities end.
My father had been divorced when he met my mother at their workplace. He is 20 years older than my mother, which is a rare occurrence in families today. He also had two adopted children, though they lived with their mother. After they got married my parents had our three-bedroom, one-bathroom (later two-bath) ranch home built. In 1982 they decided to adopt a baby and in 1984 they got me.
Imagine being beaten, thrown in jail, and denied your basic human rights. This is the exact pain and suffering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. went through during his fight for African American rights. Dr. King was an educated African American preacher and civil rights leader. By writing this letter, he is able to show what life was like for an African American at this point in history. King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” is effective at convincing the audience that segregation is wrong and that colored people should have the same rights as all others.
Having to live in a culturally diverse country such as the U.S. would influence many interpretations and adaptations to lifestyles from all over the world. Due to this, it has become customary to develop a social stereotype just being in a certain part of the world. But, everyone does their own things a little differently than the next, speak a little differently, eat different foods, and live their life a different way - but it works out. Two great example of this is in In A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor, and Why I Live at the P.O. by Eudora Welty. These two short stories seek to expose myths about family relationships. Most people would assume that many Southern families are close knit and that there is a healthy relationship between every member. Welty and O’Connor challenged those stereotypes with their two short stories. It goes to show that although family relationships aren’t always perfect and these two examples show how these families fail to recognize the importance of each other.
The publishers of this book date the origin of capitalism back to the 16th century. This was the time when commercial activities in the industries and farms were gaining momentum and hence there was a drive to make more profits so as to open up more new factories. In this regard, a lot of capital began to be accumulated at the expense of the work force. Consequently, this marked the beginning capitalism. The author(s) of this piece are also of the view that this era did not only initiate capitalism, but also set a standard that influenced subsequent development and growth of capitalism. The growth of capitalism was also intensified by search for gold and silver. This book has its setting England and hence prior to capitalism customary rights was followed to the latter. However, through new legislations rampant privation of property began and trespasses become highly punishable. The effect accentuated the element of capitalism. It is noted in this book that capitalism did not just make its way into the workings of free market. It is a concept that faced strong resistance from the peasants and workers in the factory. Peasants and factory workers did have property because the rich had used legislation acquired large tracks of land. Since they did not have economic strength, they were forced to work in factories by all means, which included being subjected to famine, torture and transportation. This marks the ugliest
Once you are born, you become a part of a larger group. You will grow up starting at a point in your parent's life and then over time they or even you will change the direction of your families subculture in whatever country you all live in. In America, People strive for the best. Not all get it, but somehow or someone will push that family into a situation where they can move up in the world. Over the years America has came to a point where most jobs pay well and mostly anyone can be considered a middle class resident. In America this is considered normal to the general public. Being normal and striving to be normal is the focus most people try to reach within their lifetimes. Normality is a subculture in itself.
Though not immune to criticism, Modern Family and Full House still claim glimpses of societal pressure when showing aspects of the “American family.”
Taylor and Lou Ann demonstrate a symbiotic relationship between the roles and characteristics in a family. Edna Poppy and Virgie Mae replaces the missing physical and emotional traits in a stable household. The examples tie into the fact that not all families in this book match “the norms” and expectations, but are equally valued, blood or
Although we started to live with our new family June 4, 2004, we officially got adopted on February 18, 2005. This family was very ice and made us feel like we were at home. We were sad that we could not stay with the other family we did enjoy this family too. The first summer we lived with them we went to Disney world ,which was a lot of fun. I remember being super scared on a ride that was like the power tower but it was dark, and being 6 I was scared out of my mind.
For as long as I can remember, I have always thought of myself and my family as ordinary, and pretty much average. My family is made up of five people, my mom, dad, and my two younger sisters. We also have a dog. We live in a one story, ranch style house, with a garage and 3 cars. Our house is in a blue collar neighborhood in the city of Warren. We've lived there since my parents were married, nineteen years ago. My dad is a firefighter for the city of Warren, and my mom is a part time registered nurse at Harper Hospital in downtown Detroit. We are all practicing Catholics, and we attend church every Sunday. My sisters and I have attended private, catholic schools...
Social norm is a way of dressing, talking, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. Most people in this world define themselves through their clothing, hairstyles, and experiences. Each person has a different behavior, which is due to the differences in traditions, cultures, education and experiences. The environment and social norms directly affect the person’s behavior. The way we behave is not right or wrong, but only what our society allows us to. In our society, we have a number of society norms that we accept. For example, the way we should behave in public, it is important for us to move away from strangers, and respect our elders. The family is one of the first avenues by which children begin to form their understanding of social norms. Parents are constantly teaching their children what is appropriate and what is not appropriate.
It’s not easy to build an ideal family. In the article “The American Family” by Stephanie Coontz, she argued that during this century families succeed more when they discuss problems openly, and when social institutions are flexible in meeting families’ needs. When women have more choices to make their own decisions. She also argued that to have an ideal family women can expect a lot from men especially when it comes to his involvement in the house. Raymond Carver, the author of “Where He Was: Memories of My Father”, argued how his upbringing and lack of social institutions prevented him from building an ideal family. He showed the readers that his mother hide all the problems instead of solving them. She also didn’t have any choice but to stay with his drunk father, who was barely involved in the house. Carvers’ memoir is relevant to Coontz argument about what is needed to have an ideal family.
Throughout my life I learned to adapt and conform to behaviors that were different form my family’s upbringing. My family initially viewed conformity as a negative thing, but were able to eventually learn to embrace parts of the American culture and have conformed to some aspects of today’s society. The desire to be
I was raised by my mother and grandmother. They kept my head leveled and taught me that working hard leads to success. I loved them, and they were my role models. I grew up in a middle class family with strong women. I learned independence, and the strong will to never give up. It was the summer of 2005 when my mother re-married, and I was in the eighth grade. My mother was happy because she found the conclusion to her life: a husband. I was ecstatic because I finally had a daddy! My hopes, wishes, and dreams had come true. I felt that God answered my prayers. I loved having a father figure, although I had certain doubts. My uncertainty came from the way he looked at me. He looked at me the way men crave women. However, I concealed my unclear feelings because I did not want to ruin the current circumstances. Unfortunately, all of my suspicions were true.
Battling a miscarriage a couple years prior, my mother was feeling mixed emotions. Around this time, I was a senior in high school so the news was neutral for me being that I was the only child for eighteen years. I did not know if I should rejoice or complain because I was leaving for college soon. My brother was born about two weeks before my high school graduation, and I must say that it was a very intense and complicated birth being that my mother was nearly forty giving birth to her second child.
Although these poems are both centered around the theme of love, they each contain a different meaning. Lord Byron's “She Walks in Beauty” is dedicated to conveying love through the use of metaphors. Keats' poem, “La Belle Dame sans Merci,” on the other hand, tells a story about how love can be deceiving. Despite their differences, these poems have similarities as well. They each have three parts that progress a story along through the use of literary techniques. Each poem was also written in the early 1800's. These poems both implicate the reader to make a connection to everyday life by relating possible experiences of love.
My family consists of five children, which today is considered a large family. Of the five I am the youngest by six years. My parents were married for twenty-eight years before they decided that divorce was the only solution. I was fourteen years old and the one child that suffered the most emotional damage. Because of the many years my parents were married and the wide age difference between my siblings and myself I was the only child still living at home with my parents. The day my dad decided to move out was the day my life changed forever.