Family

The American Family of the 21st century

Who is the new

American
family?
Todays American family has
changed from the family from I was
raised in. More families today are
what we would call egalitarian
families, families that share family
decisions and income 50/50. And
the modern American family can
include members that are racially
mixed, parents of the same gender,
and two divorced parents that bring
together their children from
previous relationships. And the age
at which some people are starting
families is getting older as people
are waiting longer to find love, get
married, and have children, either
alone or with a partner.

What are the common roles in the

family?
The common role of a parent is to raise children in a loving
environment and to teach them the difference between right and
wrong. This starts with the parent setting an example him or
herself. For example, if we callout sick to work and are not really
sick and our child sees this, they know we are lying, therefore we
are teaching our child that lying is okay. The same is true with
abuse. If a child is raised in an abusive environment they are
likely to think that being abusive is the way relationships must be
handled.

What are the

effects of leaving
or staying with
the
family?
In the U.S., kids that live with their
parents after high school or after
college are called boomerangs.
Most kids are preparing for their exit
role at this point, but not all exit in
the same way. Many kids become
boomerangs to save money, pay off
school loans, or to live off of mom
and dad for a while. Many parents
seem to be okay with this idea and
treat their new graduate like an
adult and have them pay their way
like paying for their own car
payment or insurance. And other
parents let their child come and go
as they please with no responsibility.

https://youtu.be
/W5eADSOAwE4

What are the pros and cons of living

near your family?
In my opinion, the pros and cons are of living near your family are about equal. As someone
who lives 3000 miles from their parents and siblings, I am okay with this scenario most days.
After much research I felt I agreed with most of the pros and cons. Research shows pros of
living close by are having your family around whenever they are needed for anything, for
instance babysitting, walking the dog, or even just the social aspect of having someone there
to communicate with. The joy of having an extended family. The pros of living away are
freedom; Freedom to spend the holidays with whomever, for example. Some of the cons of
living away include not having the extended family closeness, flying all the time, which can
be expensive, and not having a babysitter when you want one.

Who is most likely

to stay close to
home
and who
Blacks and Hispanics are more likely
to
moveleave?
away from their hometown
will
than their white peers. People who
grew up in rural areas are less likely
to live their hometown. Those who
were raised in the deep south or
mountains are most likely relocate.
Those preparing for retirement may
move away from their traditional
home as well, often making
decisions about moving based on
their financial situation and what
would best suite their future
situation. There is also a difference
between men and women in
general. Men tend to stay close to
home or live at home compared to
women.

What are some factors

that drive people to
either leave or stay
with their families?
The New York Times discusses the idea of a
community of family, a bunch of families that
have lived in the same buildings in NYC and have
raised all their children together. These children
have formed such close bonds that they are more
like siblings or cousins. Most of their living
quarters are very small but they have all decided
to stay amongst their communities rather then
move into a bigger space because they want to
continue the close connection of family.
Some families today live as multi-generational
units. Many families do this for financial reasons.
While this is not something that is very common
here in America, although it is common for
Japanese and Hispanics that live here in America.

What makes leaving home easier in the modern world?

Leaving home can be easier these days with all of

the technology we have, e.g., FaceTime, Skype,
email, text, and even flying. While this does make
it easier. The social aspect of having one on one
contact is not present.

Does leaving the nest differ for men and women?

Today more young men are living at
home with their parents than women
and this has increased in the last 10
years due to the economy and lack of
jobs for graduates. More men and
women are also marrying much later in
life. Women are more likely to end up
as the caregiver of an elderly parent.
Although the gender gap is closing in
this area. Many of todays baby
boomer men that were raised by
feminist mothers are stepping up to
the plate and taking on the role of care
giver.

How would a
conflict theorist
view this family?

A conflict theorist would question who benefits from

this social arrangement? They see the family as a
large class system that can benefit some family
members more than others in their social
environment. One thing that the conflict theorist
would look is the family as a whole: who makes more
money, the gender and age differences, is the family
lead by a wife-husband, wife-wife, husband-husband,
son-mom, son-dad, daughter-mom, daughter-dad.
Another thing a conflict theorist would look at would
be the way a woman is treated in the division of
labor in the family. Today, women still end up being
the primary child takers of the family and suffer the
burden of extra work that has to be done to run a
household. The mistreatment of women and their
gender roles are socially established. These roles
lead to the drawbacks being experienced by women.

Conflict graph of family

How would a
functionalist view
this family?

A functionalist believes that a family should

function with gender role socialization. For
boys, the primary socialization is done so
they learn their role as the bread winner.
For girls they are taught the expressive role
and learn house work and caring work.
The stabilization of the adult personalities
refers to the emotional security desired
within a marriage between two adults. These
views are based on the work of George Peter
Murdock. Today, a functionalist would look at
how the family is functioning and
contributing to a society as an institution of
modern America since today the genders are
treated more equally.

Functionalist graph of the family

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