The Clotfelter Family

It is evident that the family structures have dramatically transitioned over the past 100 years. The “Leave it to the Beaver” family is a thing of the past standards and a number of variations have been formed over the years. In the United States, there are six particular kinds of family configurations that are recognized by the modern society. Some of these family structures are naturally falling into several categories. For instance, a single parent family living in a large, extended family set up. Even though these types of families differ in definition, the lines are not very clear when it comes to practice.

There is an increase in the numbers of different family types, be them lone parent families, stepfamilies, cohabiting couples, same sex couples, or children living at home for a longer period. The broad structure of family have complicated relations in some cases, where for example, ex-step-siblings may still be considered as family, which leaves a complex family dynamic. Although the traditional family structure of a nuclear family still remains as the most common family organisation, ‘variation has become a normal part of normal family life for many people in modern Britain’ (SIRC, online: pg.8).

    The essay “Stone Soup” highlights many topics related to the common “issue” of families who are binuclear. Throughout the years, divorce has become a recurring event in couple’s marriages. In the essay, Kingslover writes, “.. a culture in which serial monogamy and the consequent reshaping is families are the norm— gets diagnosed as ‘failing’.” By saying this, the author basically expresses her disapproval of our society's views of “broken” families.  People too often judge what they see on the outside, and do not pay enough attention to what truly occurs in the lives of these families. Being a complete family—a father, mother, and children— is what defines normalcy to society, but how often does this work? The author of “Stone Soup” wrote, “To judge a family’s value by its tidy symmetry is to purchase a book for its cover.” To rephrase it simply, just as it is unfair to judge a book by its cover, it is evenly unfair to determine a family's successfulness by simply looking at how together or not together they present themselves. The idea of the nuclear family is not necessarily the ultimate way to achieve happiness, and throughout “Stone Soup,” the author intends on explaining that to us. A family containing step siblings, step parents, half-brothers and half-sisters, and multiple grandparents, could possibly be the happiest family, or maybe even the unhappiest, but it is not us who determines that. Nor is it the standard society has set for

Every family is different and the same in their own way. Everyone functions with different roles and plays a part in how it functions on the day to day. While some people don’t put much thought into it, Dr. Murray Bowen has. ‘Dr. Murray Bowen suggests that individuals cannot be understood in isolation from one another, but rather as part of their family.’ (GenoPro) Eight concepts are

Most families are complicated but supportive. For example, a family could argue a lot, but still love one another. In Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” mama still supports her daughters even though, they’re not around much. Their issues are not unique because my family has its issues, too. The family in “Everyday Use” and my family both have similarities and differences regarding siblings, bonds, and mothers.

At the age of 17 life handed a bunch of responsibilities to me, with my parents dead and gone so i had to stand up and play the role of them to my younger siblings.

Many of these children while becoming more responsible will try to take on to much and become overwhelmed. Many feel that they are not allowed to ask for help and try to follow the example of their parents, not realizing that their parents often have to ask for the help of others. This can lead to kids become more closed off and very stressed. (Hall, 2008)

Many of us overlook the importance of something as simple as “family” because it has been something we are familiar with since our first day on this planet, never thinking twice about to topic. Truth be told, the family unit is crucial to who we are and what we value, and even in the bigger picture, the cultural importance it has on society. When we explore one of the most signature family units to date, the nuclear family, we learn its optimistic appeal, its modern elusiveness, and the professional and personal opinions surrounding it.

At home, I am the oldest child which means that all of my younger siblings look up to me. I feel like I need to set a good example for them to follow when they reach my age. It is inevitable that sometimes I will make mistakes, but the way you bounce back from your blunders is what makes all the difference. By setting this model for them, I am ensuring that I am becoming a better version of myself.

Home of Our Own was a movie that helped solidify my thoughts on the fact that families come in all different shapes and sizes. After taking the sociology course Marriage and Family last semester, I learned about all the different types of families outside of the traditional, nuclear family. The Lacy family is considered a single parent family because of the death of Francis’s husband. It is important to understand all the different forms a family can take, especially as a social worker. There may be people within a family that play a vital role that may not be considered “traditional” such as an uncle or grandparent. There may be people within a family that in a nuclear family would be an extremely important role model, such as a mom or dad,

As a young child, whenever I was asked to address my living situation, I would say, “I live with my cousins”. At the time, I found my family’s circumstance enjoyable as I now got the chance to have ‘siblings’ and live with a large family. Blinded by my innocent mindset, I was unable to catch on to the fact that the actual reason for our ‘doubled-up’ household was not because of my parents desire for me to have ‘siblings’ or to connect with my family members. But because of their financial instability. Prior to our move, we had lived in the same house for over seven years. However, unlike before, my parents now had to fight in order to pay the rent. After enduring months of hardship, my parents were confronted with the reality of their situation, when we were pushed out of my childhood home and forced to relocate one state away to stay with a few relatives.

As a child, I was not gifted with a wealthy family or with any comfort. My family, being immigrants had little to keep comfort and everyday was both a gift and an event of hardship. As the oldest child, you experience the burden of responsibilities very quickly, especially under complicated circumstances. Often, I refer to myself as the third parent, the one responsible for the care of four younger siblings when both parents had to work. Young children go through a phases of maturity, this phases is characterised with innocent selfishness were the child doesn’t care for anything but his or her self. Responsibilities eradicate this selfishness, I know this well. Yet, once in a while my mind would drift and I would find myself thinking, if my destiny was to live a life not for myself, then that life I would surely

Forcing children to have various responsibilities from a young age can help them in their transition to adulthood .However, there are a lot of kids who do not have any responsibilities or chores. This essay will explain why it is easier for kids transferring to adulthood if they were given some chores from a young age .

children know for a period of time what it’s like to be the youngest and it’s hard for them to figure out what their new role is in the family once the youngest comes along. They

Many families in today’s society have a wide range of characteristics. With each family member adding their own personal touch to the overall family picture, you find the most unique families. The options of family styles are endless. There are the hipster style families, the musically talented, high society,and plain old farming families. With every member adding their own touch,my family may have a little bit of each style. Our family differs from a farm boy dad, ditzy mom, and an inspiring sister; all of these characteristics make our family one of a kind.