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Family Models
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Family Models
A family is considered a basic social unit whose environment provides viable conditions for effective functioning. Emergent research ascertains that the family environment provides an ideal environment that comprises of rich stimuli essential for both physical as well as psychological growth and development. Although the external environment made up of the media, friends and schools also influences the beliefs, values and behavior of the children, this remains the fundamental function of the family unit. Thus family conditions play an instrumental role in determining the developmental outcomes of an individual. To a great extent, the model of the family influences the values, beliefs and attitudes that the family members assume. Arguably, family models also determine the functions or roles that individuals within the family as well as the family as a social institution assume. From a psychological point of view, mental problems such as addiction disrupt the functioning of the family and compromise its ability to execute its roles in an effective manner. This paper explores the family unit in light of its models, roles, functions, conflicts in its functions and the implications of addiction to its functioning.
The models of the modern family are wide and varied and largely influenced by the beliefs and attitudes that members of the family hold. According to Strong (1998), family models are classified in three main categories; patriarchal model, Gender-neutral or equity model and entitlement model. The patriarchal model comprises of a father, who assumes the role of the family head, a mother who assumes subordinate roles and children that are protected by both parents. In this family, the parents assume the sole responsibility of ensuring that the minors are protected in all ways. They are the sole decision makers at all times and therefore directly influence the values that their children assume in the long run. Such families experience minimal conflicts as values related to respect and honesty are held in high regard. Certainly, the success of the children in this family is highly depended on the parenting competencies of the father and mother.
Unlike the patriarchal model, the equality family model embraces the principle of equity and both the state and the family have an equal responsibility of making decisions that affect the wellbeing of the family. This is compounded by fraud because the sovereignty or autonomy of the family is undermined. Values related to respect for parents are minimal because of the fact that children, just like parents have an equal right to influence family decisions. The last family model that is supposedly influenced by the principles of feminism is the entitlement family. In this, the mother and children assume the protected class while the state overrules all issues pertaining to the family. The father on the other hand assumes an insignificant position and is in most cases considered an abuser rather than a part of a family. Psychological evidence ascertains that the success rate of such families is usually very low because of the disparities in power sharing (Strong, 1998). Arguably, the inherent controversies contribute to conflicts within the family that undermine its entire functioning.
Generally, the family institution has various social, economic, political and biological roles to play in the society. Biologically, Williams, Sawyer and Wahlstrom (2005) assert that the family is responsible for reproduction or bringing forth offspring. Socially, the family is also responsible for instilling vital social values in the children. These are important because they allow them to socialize with their peers well and grow up in an acceptable manner. It can not be disputed that a viable social environment that is characterized by acceptance is fundamental for healthy growth and development. Relative conflicts with respect to the role of a family in procreation and socialization stem from the changing structure of the family. Seemingly, the structure of the traditional family is changing and likewise, new family values are being embraced. Changes in lifestyles with respect to careers and economic production are also undermining the ability of the parents to assume this role fully. Most importantly, scientific inventions pertaining to family planning have also raised various controversies regarding the role of the family in procreation.
The family is also expected to play important economic functions related to production. From a traditional point of view, family roles regarding economic production were stratified along gender lines. However, this has changed in modern times especially with the invention of technology. Seemingly, the role of the family as an economic unit has also diminished significantly. This can be attributed to the changing values that are placing undue emphasis on an individual rather than a family. Conflicts in this respect also stem from the role of the state in safeguarding the wellbeing of the family. Emergent trends ascertain that the state rather than the family is ensuring economic production.
At an individual level, a family comprises of a father, mother and children. The father and mother assume reproduction and production roles. They safeguard the entire wellbeing of their children and ensure that their needs and wants are catered for. Children on the other hand play supportive roles of helping their parents in different ways. In certain societies, the extended family that entails aunts, uncles, cousins and grand parents also influence the decisions of the family in different ways. With regard to family values, Williams et al (2005) cites that these play an instrumental role in enhancing harmony within the family. Values differ from one family to another and are usually influenced by the beliefs as well as experiences of the family. In some instances, members within a family may assume different values. This is attributable to the intergenerational differences. In this regard, values that parents assume may differ significantly from those that adolescents assume. Reconciling inherent differences is fundamental for harmonic co existence of the family.
From a psychological point of view, addiction has diverse implications on the functioning of the family. This is because of the influence that it has on the family members. To begin with, addiction makes it difficult for the members to play their roles in an effective manner. This is because the affected members spend a significant period of time on their additive activities. This culminates in conflicts especially when the responsibilities are shifted to other members of the family. For instance, an addicted spouse burdens the other spouse with parenting responsibilities. This undermines the quality of parenting and can compromise assumption of vital values by children. The spill over effects affects the entire functioning of the children in future. Also, addiction leads to poor relations within the family. In this respect, the family does not collaborate towards attainment of goals and objectives related to reproduction, economic production and social wellbeing.
References
Strong, B. (1998). The marriage and family experience. New York: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Williams, B., Sawyer, S. & Wahlstrom, C. (2005). Marriages, families & intimate relationships. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Family Summer Holiday Speech
Family Summer Holiday Speech
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Family Summer Holiday Speech
Greetings to you all, It is with joy that I get an opportunity to share with you about my last summer holidays. Each one of us looks forward to the summer holidays hoping that they will be able to get in touch with their friends and spend quality time with their families. However, that is not always true every time, and each of us has different experiences every summer we go home. I will explore my experiences of last summer herein, and I hope that most of you will be able to relate to my experiences, borrow from them or even suggest better activities to do during the summer holidays. When I went home, I watched Netflix and stayed indoors for around two weeks. I felt satisfied just staying indoors and watching Netflix. However, my dad introduced outdoor activities, and it was the fun part I never thought about.
After schools closed, my mind was just fixated on the uncertainty of my summer holidays. This was because my parents kept on traveling, and I was worried that they would be swamped to share their time with me. I expected to spend my summer holidays with a few friends and most of the time with the workers at home. To my surprise and amazement, that was not necessary since both of my parents were on leave. It was a god-sent opportunity for a kind of family reunion. I was about to have a baby brother, and my mum was on maternity leave while my dad requested three months leave in which we could be able to gather together as a family and who our love to the new baby who was about to be born. My mum was delighted, and even though she had many different cravings, she loved her family even more at the time of the pregnancy.
The first thing that my dad suggested we do is try to cook all our favorite meals since we were together. I took on cooking with ease even though there were several different types of dishes I was not aware of how to prepare. My dad is an excellent cook, and I guess that is why my mum loves him so much. I love him too, and right now, I know how to prepare around seven extra dishes courtesy to him. However, all we did was not cooking. Being one of the most creative people I have ever seen, my dad came up with so many different suggestions. The first was riding bikes as a form of exercise and also competing with one another. The fun in the outdoor activities was so much that I hope next summer holiday I can still have such kind of time with family. The most important part of my next summer holiday is to spend time with my baby brother and take care of him.
In the 3rd week after closing schools, my dad promised me that we could play computer games with him. However, we had to bet, and the one who won got away with all the money. He won even though I thought I could win; he is just too bright. Swimming was the best part of my mum. Being one of the advised physical exercises by the doctor, she loved swimming so much and always watched us as we rode bikes and competed against each other. It was also a good part of me since I learned how to stay underwater even for a more extended period. I got away from the fear to drown as I never went to the deep end before, but this time around, I managed to go to the deep end and even somersault in the deep end. Every day spent with family felt like the best day of my life. However, it was not just family. I invited three of my friends to our home, and with the permission of their parents, they stayed for two weeks. It was fun having them, and they were my main competitors in the biking competitions we had.
My family time seemed to stagnate, only to realize I had one week left before coming back to school. I began thinking of how ill have to miss home and how my baby brother will be born when I am not around. However, I was motivated that study and become as bright as my dad; therefore, I had to come back to school. Since then, my dad brought me back, and since then, I have done my best to make him proud. I still miss home, but I communicate with them as frequently as I can. I fell many times with my bike, but it was worth it.
Family Life Education
Family Life Education
Introduction
Social challenges facing the modern society can best be solved using the finest structure of social organization; the family. This is a premise that has been used to deliver dramatic results to the society with regard to teething social challenges facing the family today. The realization that the family offers a channel to arrest potent challenges with capacity to cripple the entire society has been a safe approach since it is possible to tackle social challenges at source. To illustrate how useful this premise is to offering practical solutions to some real social challenges, this discourse highlights the importance of applying social support to the family in various circumstances that compromise social health. This discourse outlines three basic perspectives in unravelling the opportunity availed by the family including; family resource centre concept, nobody’s perfect parenting education platform as well as support for new immigrant families. The basic principle of family support in the illustrations is that social support offers a platform through which people tackle society weaknesses by solving individual weaknesses.
Thesis Statement: the concept of family support offers a channel of penetration into the core of the society to solve major social challenges.
Family Resource Programs
One of the most important tools that a country can use to reach out to the society with regard to social offering of social support is through formulation of policies for community based organizations (CBOs) targeting the family. A countrywide network of CBOs funded by the government, the community and other well wishers should be in a position to create a comprehensive program that caters for the entire nation’s needs. Family resource programs are nationwide projects that are rolled out to reach the family in such a setting as would enable family members (parents, children, grandparents and home care givers) to meet and learn in a supportive environment (FRP Canada, 2010, p5). According to FRP, these programs operate in centres established throughout the country with an aim of giving support to the family to nurture openness, inclusiveness of family members as well as self reflection. Apparently, the setting of the centres gives the environment necessary for members to experience a rare opportunity to get relieved of life tension that ordinary environment would not offer.
It is clear that the family resource centres present learning and growth opportunity to the members of a family than any other program would. Social network enhanced at the centres enables parents and caregivers to establish a sharing platform with the centres’ staff as well as with their peers. It is important fro the family to understand the opportunities they have when they are not in isolation when they share their problems with their new friends at the centre (FRP Canada, 2010, p10). It is not only parents and caregivers who benefit by gaining confidence but children development in socializing, interaction, schooling and fitness gets boosted. The concept of family support through family resource programs therefore offers a channel of penetration into the core of the society to solve major social challenges.
Nobody’s Perfect Parenting Program
The concept of family support offers a channel of penetration into the core of the society to solve major social challenges through special attention to parenting. Under the social program dubbed Nobody’s Perfect Parenting Program, the Canadian government through the Public Health Agency in collaboration of the provincial departments of health reaches to parents with an aim of offering support to the family. According to the principles of the program, parents’ role of taking care of the children social and physical health is acknowledged and support provided thereon so that the impact trickles down to the society. The prime goal of the parenting program is enhancement of the capacity that parents have towards meeting their role of offering care for their children (Charchun and Skrypnek, 2009, p.iv). The program teaches among other things the importance of instilling discipline to the children while they are still young. The authors state that active participation of parents in instilling discipline to their children was successful under the program hence point at the success of the program.
The society stands to develop if the parents changed the intervention of discipline issues that their children get trained on. Empowering parents and the families therefore trickles the impacts down to the society which benefits by having disciplined individuals. Interactions skills that parents and their children ought to apply for a healthy society are also taught under the program. Social problems are solved in many ways in the program include those dealing with parenting stressors (Charchun and Skrypnek, 2009, p.vi).
Support for New Immigrant Families
The Canadian population gets a significant growth factor from immigrants. According to Hetherington, MacAulay and Mann (2010, p3) newcomer families are faced with a myriad of challenges that range from settling down to other social challenges. By establishing a network between family resource centres and families settlement agencies, the Canadian Family Resource Program is capable of dealing with immigrant families problems at a community level. Among the things that the programs handle with special attention, social needs of the families trying to establish a new home in Canada is top on the services offered.
The concept of family support offers a channel of penetration into the core of the society to solve major social challenges, such as those faced by immigrant families. The families settling in Canada need to get the picture of being welcome in the country if settlement is to be successfully achieved. Bearing in mind that the various needs of the family are at stake, family resource programs attempt to provide an environment where useful insights can be availed to the families to assist them cope with settlement difficulties. This is particularly important since the new families need to contribute to the Canadian society in a positive way, with the diversity that they add to the society. There may be marked negative beliefs from the native society about the incoming families and support is important in regaining courage to face life in the new environment.
References
Charchun, J. & Skrypnek, B. J. (2009) “An Evaluation of the Nobody’s Perfect Parenting Program.” Ottawa, ON: Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs
FRP Canada (2010) “Online Evaluation of for Family Resource Programs.” Ottawa, ON: Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs
Hetherington, K., MacAulay, J. & Mann, B. (2010) “Support for New Immigrant Families- Challenges and Opportunities.” Perspectives, 3:3-32