Analysis Of The German Family

The German Family

Introduction

The definition of a family is not a very stable definition, but how can it be after all of these years? Families today can have two moms, or one dad, or no children, or a group of friends you are close with. One of my biggest fears in life is that one day my family will be 10 cats. Either way, all of these examples are acceptable definitions of families because families are whoever you believe is your family (Miller September 2015). In this article, you will be given information about German family life from childhood through marriage. This information will then be compared to the United States, and it will be evident that family life is changing. It is changing quickly, drastically, and constantly.

A Summary

Yes, I said it; sex. Did the mentioning of that word make you squirm a little? Maybe clam up a bit? If not, you fit in perfectly with the up and coming generation of German adolescence. Studies have shown that sexual openness in German teens is becoming much more prevalent in society, as most teenagers have had a sexual encounter by the age of 17 (Sigusch and Schmidt 1973). Although the younger generations are experimenting with sex at an earlier age than in the past, they are not acting on animal instincts or raging hormones like the older generations may assume (Starke and Visser 1994). Researchers have found that most coitus is practiced within a committed relationship or steady partner, and not just a random hook up (Risman and Schwartz 2002). This shows that the young teens are understanding some of the larger, arguably more important, aspects of sexual relationships, which includes faithfulness, commitment, and trust (Sigusch and Schmidt 1973). Despite the early age of sex, most women are waiting longer to have their first child, which places a heavy reliance on contraception (Starke and Visser 1994). The most common contraceptive in Germany is the pill, followed closely by the condom (Sigusch and Schmidt 1973). Due to the early start of sexual activities and high prevalence of contraception use, it is important for German adolescence to have sex education classes that follow that trend so they can be safe during their first sexual encounter

Studies done by psychologists in Germany show that marriage affects the longevity of one’s life (Brockmann and Klein 2004). Those who never marry tend to have a higher risk of mortality, and those who marry tend to live longer. The reason for this occurrence is because of selectivity; most people who marry, or desire to marry, are often healthier than those who chose not to marry (Miller October 2015). It is not all smiles and rainbows right after marriage though. The first two years of marriage is a lot of stress on both of the spouses, and this causes the mortality risk to triple (Brockmann and Klein 2004). This may be caused by the new changes such as having to move, spending less time with friends, or just the change of having to care and look after another person (Brockmann and Klein 2004). After those first two years, the mortality risk lessens by each year for both men and women. Divorce also impacts the mortality rate, by doubling the rate of death if it happens within the first two years of marriage(Brockmann and Klein 2004). Men suffer more from divorce than women because women tend to surround themselves socially after tragedies, which allows them to get more support from their peers and social groups (Brockman and Klein