American Lives

Family is defined as the group of people united by kinship and is the primary component of society. The family is assigned to reproduce a society; parents from their point of view are expected to rear their children socializing them, educating them, religious, economic and political roles. Biologically, parents play an important role in enculturation and the same thing also goes for America. The American concept of an ideal family, like many most country includes the family as the basis and pioneer for the development of the cultural aspect and perspective of an individual.

It can also be said that their views regarding families have shifted from giving emphasis on rural agrarian life to emphasis on urban and industrialized way. Looking at a historical point of view, it can be said that this change or shifting in the family image and representation and the family structure itself had occurred during the time of American Revolution where the family is considered to be a productive unit and work space are included within a family house. Work and home had only been separated during the middle of the nineteenth century.

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By this time, the family had been viewed as a form of defense of an individual against the material world. The family is then said to protect its members especially the young ones against the disturbance brought by the material world. Also during this time, family values together with those causes and effects of the problems and crises that the family faced are being studied. The role and value of money and as well employment had also been a great influence in the features of family lives.

Cultural and ethnic diversities in the family life together with the family’s classification whether upper, middle or lower classes are also being looked at. The relationships and effects of the family and its relation and relevance to today’s students are also examined. This is because the family is considered in the United States as an institution that is deeply rooted for its effects on an individual plays a very significant role in the formation of his or her personal identity, beliefs and personality.

Every individual members of the family seeks to find and meet his or her personal needs inside the family that he or she belongs. Although the family is treasured and considered as a group and should remain as a group, the individuality of each member is not completely submerged in the family. An individual’s personality and characteristics are developed through their interplay among the members of the family.

When an individual reaches the 7th grade, he or she experiences several changes that can be considered as a part of his or her growth that includes almost every aspect of his or her life such as his or her psychological, physical and as well as mental growth. By this time, the family answers several important questions of an individual especially when it comes to their personality and belongingness, although the family may not answer these questions directly. Students are able to understand better their personality, who they are as viewed by the community by looking at their own families.

The role and position of the adolescents in the family also plays an important part in for all the members of the family. How the parents with their children are also an important factor for the students to be able to understand that conflicts within the family is a usual and normal situation. Conflicts can be considered as a natural part and instance that happens within family members. Through the used of several activities, students will be able to have a clear view about themselves and as well as their families.

Through various activities, students are able to understand and see and realized the distinction and are able to decide for themselves what are facts and myths regarding American families. By this time, the students are also able to formulate a kind of life that they want to live and as well as the kind of family that they would like to have in their future. Family truly plays an important role in the development of an individual and their personality. Works Cited Richardson, L. “Images of the American Family”. 2007. 04 December 2007 <http://www. yale. edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1989/5/89. 05. 09. x. html>

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