Family

Radha PatelRosa MorrowCaroline AlexanderGeorge T.

Family is a group of people who are related by marriage, blood, or adoption and who live together and share economic resources.

What is a typical family?, you may ask:A typical family is known as, what the sociologists describe

as, a nuclear family. A nuclear family is the most recognizable to American families. A nuclear family consists of both parents, and their children.

Family

I. Family of OrientationI. This type of family is a type of nuclear family in which

there is a newborn or an adopted child. After an individual is married they form a new nuclear family which has now been transformed into a family of procreation.

II. Family of ProcreationI. This family consists of the individual, his or her spouse

and their child.

Family Systems

I. Extended FamilyI. This family consists of two or more generations. In this family grandparents,

parents, children, aunts, uncles, and cousins live in one house together , grouping of houses, or even in different countries.

II. KinshipI. Network of people who are related by marriage, birth or adoption. There are

about 200 possible categories of kinship. These categories origin from three broad groupings: primary, secondary, and tertiary

I. Primary Relatives are the members of an individual’s family. Including the mother, father, siblings, spouse, daughter, and son.

II. Secondary Relatives are the primary relatives of an individual’s primary relatives. They include grandparents, in-laws, aunts, uncles, nephews, and nieces.

III. Tertiary Relatives are the primary relatives of the individual's secondary relatives. They include the great grandparents, the great grandchildren, great aunts, great uncles, and great cousins.

Family Systems

I. The Functionalist TheoryI. The function of the family is to socialize children, which

in turn benefits both children and society.

II. The Feminist TheoryI. The purpose of the family is to reinforce the dominant

position of men within a patriarchal society.

III. The Conflict TheoryI. The role of the family is to teach children the difference

between right and wrong, and to provide a sense of morality more widely known as ‘family values.’

Sociologists Theories

Going to church, having dinner together, Thanksgiving dinners, Baking cookies for Christmas, Easter egg hunts, Fourth of July picnics, going to the family graves on memorial day and Veterans Day. Birthday parties, saying grace. Taking flowers to the nursing home, family garden, canning, going to the State Fair, going to school plays and sporting events for the kids are just some of the many family norms and customs.

Family Norms and Customs

Before turning to social norms in the family, it is helpful to develop a basic understanding of social norms more generally. Social norms are typically understood to be the rules of behavior that individuals follow independent of any legal obligation or formal penalty for noncompliance.

These norms are enforced early in a child's life in a family so the child can fully understand the social norms by the time the child has reached a certain age to when that child knows the outcome oh his/her actions.

Understanding Social Norms in a Family

Some families around take birth disorders into a more concern than other families. There are many families in the world who are ready to take care of their child even if they have a birth defect. Then there are other families that cannot handle the situation and either put that defected infant into adoption or if the family finds out ahead of time, when the female is pregnant, the family would have an abortion.

There is always more than one way that birth defects can affect a family. Some good, Some bad.

Birth Disorders

Role Models are people who are looked up to, not necessarily by children but also by grown ups, for inspirations and a guide for a better future.

Some people may not view themselves as role models, even though they may hold prominent positions. Although the effects of some role models may not always be positive, good role models are in a position to have a positive influence on others.

Teenagers who have positive role models have greater self-esteem and perform better in school than teenagers without role models in their lives. Positive displays of sportsmanship, determination, drive and ethics by role models can help children to emulate and adopt these positive attributes.

Effects of Role Models

Positive role models can help children avoid the use of drugs and alcohol. For example, role models in sports who promote excellence without the use of performance-enhancing drugs can have the effect of discouraging the use of steroids in athletes who look up to these role models.

Children learn how to handle life's problems, in part, by seeing how their parents and caregivers handle them. For example, a child that doesn't know how to control anger is more likely to get involved in a fight. Also, children who have good communication with their parents are more likely to ask them for advice instead of turning to peers. When parents give respect to the children, they are more apt to get respect.

Effects of Role Models