CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Family Traditions: An Introductory Note A discussion of the significance of family traditions in any context, poetry or otherwise, includes a definition of two related terms “family” and “tradition” because both form an integral part of family traditions. The word “family” is difficult to define in simple terms. It is a subjective concept with different meanings that evolves and changes, depending on various factors: cultural, sociological, environmental, and/or economic. However, it is commonly agreed that family is a basic “social unit created by blood, marriages, and can be described as nuclear (parents and children) or extended (encompassing relatives).”1 While the word “tradition” is a loaded keyword derived
The field of anthropology have always put it efforts in trying to make use understand the nature of family and household structure. However, the way definition of family has been hotly contested because of its significant consequences in people’s way of living. Family is merely known as a universal social institution, while on the other hand anthropologists defined it as a social group that has common residents, economic cooperation and reproduction. Body Anthropologists believed that a family must have these characteristics, blood relations and affinal relationships and that where these criteria don’t exist the group of people may not be considered a family. With this notion at hand, the question that may arise is that of, should single-parent
Family and Belonging as an Identity Although there exist many different types of the conceivable notion of family, they all serve a similar purpose of the loving, caring and supporting of members within the family. Throughout the years, ideologies surrounding the definition of the idealistic family picture and of the nuclear family within our society has been changed through further discussion and academic conclusions regarding race, class sexual orientation, and the patriarchal structures surrounding the historical families. Drawing from Bell Hooks (1990) and Michelle Owen's (2001) writings, this essay will demonstrate how similarly and differently the authors approach the idea of social constructionism of the heteronormative family in western
Families have existed for thousands of years as the fundamental social unit yet families evolve to meet changing conditions in a given place and time, the contemporary family is a dynamic system; its pattern is changing at a rapid rate within the context of social crisis that mark the latter portion of the twentieth century. Parenting is an important predictor of children’s
(Journal of Interdisciplinary History VI: 2, n.p.). Today, nuclear families are still as dominant as before with some exceptions. In the Caribbean, there are more families than there were before during slavery and during the industrial revolution. Single parent and common law unions have become prominent family types in this modern society. Some may maintain that these changes are because of the gender roles, society’s expectation of the women and the division of Labor.
The Family Systems Theory Family systems theory is a framework for understanding families and their strengths and dysfunctions. The strengths identified among family relations can be used to help solve existing problems. The same applies with problems identified. The family system theory is based on Bowen’s theory which argues that people cannot leave independent of each other’s network of relationships. People within a family are connected emotionally, which affects their overall well being and social relations and behaviour.
Marriage and Family Functionalist perspective Family is a type of social institution concerned with the support, care, protection, and socialization of the children. The functionalist perspective on family focuses on the functions of the family, the functions being the socialization of children, providing love and companionship, regulation of sexual behaviour, and the occupation of various economic roles. Functionalists also look at how a family relates to the rest of society and how it helps maintain it. According to the functionalist view, the economic functions of a family include production and consumption, and the inheritance of wealth and other material assets from one generation to the other. The functionalist view on family even dates
A family maybe defined as a cultural construct of political, traditional, social and religious values acted out by individuals. Every human defines family in their own terms and hence different meanings maybe attached to it. A family in my understanding can be viewed as a set of people, united by blood or adoptive ties, sharing a common set of ideas, values, or beliefs and bonded
Still others grew up with just knowing one parent and not ever questioning where their other parent was. On the other hand, some might even view “family” as the friends they surround themselves with. However, when it comes to family culture, that holds more of a broader definition due to the range in family dynamics. Family culture is defined as, “attitudes, ideas and ideals, which a person inherits from his or her parents and ancestors.” For example, author and writer Hannah Brencher stated in her book If You Find This Letter that growing up her mom would leave letters for her to find at home. When Hannah found herself riding the subway to New York one day, she decided to leave letters to strangers for them to find.
Also the change in legislation at government level has given women more choice and freedom. “Changes in the law over the last century have made divorce easier and cheaper to get and have given men and women equal rights in divorce” (Browne, 2011, p 124). Functionalist believe that society is based on a set of shared values and norms which socialise its members enabling them to cooperate with each other to meets the needs of society creating social order. George Peter Murdock (1949) argued that the family keeps society together and also believed that everyone in the family has a role to play. Murdock also carried out a study on 250 families and concluded that the family provides four main functions for society - sexual, social, reproductive and educational.