Abstract This paper discusses a particular family and the problems within the family structure that are observable in the relationship between the sisters Terry and Maxine. The paper notes that, while the family has been guided for most of its existence by the mother of these siblings, the mother has died and the conflicts that have evolved throughout the family history between these two sisters have begun to affect the entire family. This is evident in the arguments over selling the house, the decision of the family to no longer have Sunday dinners and the severing of ties between family members after the mother's death.
Abstract This paper discusses the concept of family in light of various feminist views. The concept of the nuclear family as a white-supremacist view as well as concepts regarding Marx's and Engel's beliefs on feminism and family prior to Stalinism are also reviewed. Additional comments surround the three types of rights theorists view for Canada and the family - right-based for the individual family unit, state-based or community-based, depending on which view of family and family responsibility you have.
Abstract This paper looks at changing family structures in America. The traditional family is discussed as well as different recent family structures that are now widely accepted. The author illustrates how the debut of these new family structures will help the next generation become more open-minded citizens of the world than past generations. The importance is stressed of how the shift in attitudes and our increased awareness and acceptance of things other than the norm has allowed such families to grow without shame or stigma.
From the Paper "The traditional definition of family included a man and woman with children and perhaps a grandmother and a grandfather. Over time, it was common to find families consisting of adopted children, children of family members and stepchildren (i.e. "The Brady Bunch"). The 1990 U.S. Census revealed that only 16 percent of today's families fit the traditional definition.
Today's families may consist of married couples without children, cohabiting families, and single-parent families, blended families, stepfamilies, grandparent-led families, multiracial families, families where the adult(s) are homosexual, commuter families, foster home families and community families. In a study by Jan Hare and Lizbeth Gray, Professors at Oregon State University outlined some of the many scenarios that have arisen due to the evolving familial structure."
Abstract This paper discusses the importance of the family unit and the influence that family has on a child's life. The paper discusses the writer's family unit. It examines the boundaries, rules, rituals and traditions that apply to the writer's own family through his/her nuclear family and extended family relationships.
From the Paper "Family Assessment Project A child's family is perhaps the single most important influence on his or her life. Children model their future relationships on those they see in childhood. They frequently carry the boundaries, rules, rituals, and traditions that they grew up with into the families that they head in maturity. The things that children carry into maturity can be both positive and negative, continuing on the heritage of a functional or dysfunctional family. This paper will examine the boundaries, rules, rituals, and traditions that apply to my own family through nuclear family and extended family relationships. My family of origin consisted of my mother, my father, one brother and three sisters. We had a close-knit family structure. It was essentially a closed family type, with rigid rules and predictable behavior. We did share affection with each other, but none of us were demonstrative in our affection."
Abstract The paper looks at "Debunking Myths about Marriages and Families" where the authors, Mary Ann Schwartz and Barbara Marliene Scott, argue against five specific beliefs that dominate American cultural views on the institution of marriage and the nuclear family. The paper goes through these five myths and posits that, with the exception of one argument, the authors present very persuasive arguments that are logically sound and devoid of any obvious logical fallacies, reliance on emotionally loaded terms, or any other apparent faulty reasoning.
Outline:
Introduction
Myth # 1 - The Universal Nuclear Family Myth # 2 - The Self-Reliant Family Myth # 3 - The Naturalness of Different Spheres for Wives and Husbands
Myth # 4 - The Unstable African American Family Myth # 5 - The Idealized Nuclear Family of the 1950s
From the Paper "Schwartz and Scott (2000) take on the proverbial notion that the concept of family is necessarily defined only the way it has been presented in the U.S. mainstream culture. The authors suggest that family is more accurately defined much more broadly than by the image of one man and one woman married for life and raising children together. Instead, they argue that any survey of cultures worldwide would reveal very different expectations of what a family is and that the description commonly accepted in this particular part of the world represents only one of many models evident in human culture."
Abstract This paper discusses the Bowen family model as it relates to family units, particularly those of couples. The paper explains the theories in the model and points out how they take into account account the familial situation, both current and past, and its vast power over the life of an individual. The paper concludes that the Bowen model is of great utility in the field of therapy, in that it recognized the vast importance of family upon the function of the individual members thereof, and devised methods to establish the most effective therapy possible.
Outline:
Differentiation of Self
Triangles
Nuclear Family Emotional Processes
Family Projection Process
Multigenerational Transmission Process
Sibling Position
Emotional cutoff
Societal Emotional Process
Conclusion
From the Paper "Differentiation of self emanates from the needs required by an individual, and in the realm of health development, to separate one's own intellectual and emotional functioning from that of the family unit or iteration thereof. The family is a unit because it operates as a system. (Bowen, Kerr 10) This unit may be defined as a husband and wife traditionally, although alternate "families" are fully possible, with the prime feature irregardless of the particular situation being the melding of the individual "I's" involved in the relationship into the singular "we". This situation of maintaining distinct separateness in the face of a cohesive unit is one of conflict, with an individual's reaction sometimes being so acute as to turn into violence due to the individual's incapacity to deal with a perceived lack of a sense of oneself within a relationship."
This paper examines the ability of African-American families to exhibit resiliency can be understood through a consideration of their historical circumstances
Abstract This paper examines African-American history and the values that this community has, despite their history of slavery, discrimination and poverty. It examines the community's strong commitment to education, a strong work orientation, and sense of responsibility. This paper also includes a study of African-American resiliency that was developed by the author in order to find out what adversities African-Americans faced in the pursuit of their education. The results of this study were then analyzed, and compared to the findings of prior research done on the subject. The survey included questions about age; experiences of racism, or discrimination; family structure during childhood and who helped raise them; and motivating factor for staying in school.
From the paper:
"As slaves, black children were informally adopted and raised by other people in their immediate community rather than nuclear family arrangements. These extended family arrangements are still a prominent feature of contemporary African-American families and may be considered a major survival tool. The most important service provided by black kinship networks is support to single mothers, especially teen mothers. Hill's research has revealed that kin provide a wide range of support to young single mothers, often enabling them to complete their education or to obtain a job. Finally, the religious beliefs and behavior are strengths that exist among African-American families. In his research, Hill found that 82 percent of black adults said that religion was very important in their lives."
Abstract This paper shows how the single-parent family has struggled through American history and why the statistics are showing that their style of living is on the rise. It gives specific examples of single-parent black families with woman or men as the head of the household, and it also offers lots of statistics pulled from reliable research as to why these kinds of families are multiplying in our society. It also discusses in some detail the huge effect of poverty on these families even though the statistics poorly depict their lifestyles, and discusses the solution.
From the Paper "Eighty-four percent of all black children will live in a single-parent family before they are eighteen years old (Clegg). Currently, in the black community, the birthrate of out-of-wedlock babies is sixty-nine percent, while in the white community, the statistics are edging toward twenty-five percent (Rector). Do these facts sound alarming to you? Is there something about the white community that is different from the black community? To the modern world, being a single, black parent and raising a child is not very uncommon ? not to mention simply being a single-parent to begin with. We as a society like to believe that there really is no difference between black and white ? that we are all equal. This may be the case, but there are still some aspects of our daily lives where black and white can be very different. The issue of race and single-parent families has been the subject of enormous controversy. The extended black family, often considered a source of strength and stability, has declined steadily since 1940, as has the white extended family. A disproportionate number of black children have been raised by single parents, a trend that can lead to family instability, poverty and welfare use. As we look at some alarming statistics, we see that the black community has indeed seen a rise in the numbers of single-parent families. The rise of single-parent families in the black community has a great impact on the lives of those children involved and also on the community around them. In the following paper, I will share with you some of the statistics that I have come across during my research on this topic, and I will also include insight on its impact on society."
Abstract Therapeutic work with families is a recent scientific phenomenon but an ancient art. Throughout human history, designated persons in all cultures have helped couples and families cope, adjust, and grow (Samuel T. Gladding). In the preface of his book, Family Therapy: Concepts and Methods, Family Therapist, Michael P. Nichols stresses the importance of an elaborate session with the unhappy family, and the goals it accomplishes that are very much absent from the regular, traditional approaches or the academic sessions.
Abstract This essay contains varied responses to issues that concern a sociological study of Canadian Families. Included in this paper is a summary of research conducted by the writer (telephone surveys), and summary explanations of general issues that relate to families in Canadian society, such as family income, poverty and single-parent families, effects of stress and family crisis, and at-risk youth.
Abstract This paper examines how marriage and family are one of the most important areas of sociology, how society is brought up in a family context and how marriage is a very pervasive social institution. It looks at how, in modern European society, more women are working outside the home and demanding an equal share of the decision-making power in the family. It talks about the changing state of marriage and the family in modern European society and also adds the dark side of it. The aim is to show the reader the rapidly change of family and marriage which has become a very serious social problem and has led European society to crisis.
From the Paper "Marriage has become increasingly dissociated from parenthood. This has
happened in three main ways: the number of childless couples has been
rising, children are increasingly born outside marriage and the rising rate
of divorce separate children's parents (Sociology, 1999:380). The rate of families with dependent children has increased since the beginning of the 1970s (Social Trends, 1996:43) (fig 2). In 1961, 2 per cent of the population lived in households consisting of a lone parent with dependent children, but by 1998 this had increased to 7 per cent."
Tags: crisis, european, family, independent, marriage, society, thought, women
This paper analyzes the workings of the Temporary Aid for Needy Families program, also known as TANF, which is a federal program of financial assistance for low-income families.
Abstract This paper focuses on the main goals of TANF. TANF is a federal grant program intended to make significant reforms to the U.S. Welfare system by converting traditional welfare into a program of temporary assistance. The writer contends and explains why the TANF is an important transformation in welfare policy. This paper details the various ways in which the TANF aids low-income families. The TANF encourages the creation and maintenance of two-parent families as well as offering aid to families in order to end their dependency on the government. The TANF offers assistance in obtaining long-term employment, while also educating single women on the pitfalls of having children outside of marriage. The writer details the TANF's eligibility requirements, which depends on income, assets, marital status and the number of minor children in the household. This paper examines the views and opinions of those for and against welfare reform and the TANF program. This paper contains a table which lists state-wide TANF recipients over a span of seven years. The writer also presents a graph that illustrates the percentage of the U.S. population on welfare.
Table of Contents:
Introduction to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Debate Over TANF: Supporters and Opponents
Future Expectations of TANF
Historical Data
Graph
References
From the Paper "TANF was enacted following a bitter debate regarding the characteristics of welfare dependency and the possible impact of culminating the welfare privilege and laying importance on work as an alternative. The conservatives were confirmed as correct that the welfare system itself led to dependence and that several welfare mothers as an alternative measure could hold down jobs or depend on others for help. A work supportive welfare system of narrow, short-term help efficiently took off several mothers off welfare. On a more basic note, the massive decline on dependency on welfare and the growth in work does not appear to have considerably modified the lives of these families. Prior to TANF, state leaders, the conservatives included, also stayed aloof from workforce program due to the expenses and administrative challenges concerned and the political disagreement they produced."
Abstract This paper describes how a family of origin functioned during family life cycle events and tasks. Considers aspects such as degrees of assimilation and adaptation, differentiation, boundary adjustment, shifting of roles and establishment of family rules. The paper gives attention to particular events that challenge a family of origin during a phase of development. The essay shows that we can apply developmental thinking to a family system. The important points discussed are as follows:, clear introduction and focus, clear concise reporting and observations, demonstrated understanding of developmental tasks and events.
From the Paper "This paper describes how a family of origin functioned during family life cycle events and tasks. The events tasks selected are those of having young children, dealing with adolescence, launching children from the home, and being confronted with the empty nest phenomenon. The family of origin, Family Y, consists of a traditional nuclear family. They have been married for years and have three children, two girls and a boy, which are now adults."
Abstract In this article, the writer reviews 'Family Psychopathology' by L'Abate. The writer places the focus of the discussion on the varieties of family therapy. The writer looks at the theories of family psychotherapy and examines family structure. The different kinds of psychopathology therapies for high risk families are also discussed in the book and in this paper.
From the Paper "Luciano L'Abate, the editor of 'Family Psychopathology' states in the introduction that his intent was to bring together a number of disparate articles addressing family psychopathology from a research theoretical preventive and therapeutic perspective. The text consists of six sections addressing the foundations or theories of family psychotherapy, the dimensions of family structure, the varieties of individual and family psychopathology therapies directed toward families at risk, in need or in crisis and a single contribution focused on the methodological ... "
Abstract This paper presents a comparison and contrast between two articles involving family theory. It examines how family theory is used in a variety of different situations. Family theory centers on the health of a family. The paper shows that it is not to be confused with the mental and emotional systems at play within the family structure as the theory is not a psychological one but a medical view.
From the Paper "Family theory centers on the health of a family. It is not to be confused with the mental and emotional systems at play within the family structure as the theory is not a psychological one, but a medical view. Family theory approaches healthcare and health issues within the family structure - with the family playing a unique and dynamic role in the health of its members. The overall health system of a family can be greatly affected by a single member's experiences with health-related problems and, as such, family theory seeks to resolve the problem of defining the nature of family in its highly complex interrelations. It is the purpose of this paper to look at two different research studies that employ family theory in differing ways."
