Term Paper in Social Dimension

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa NBP Reservation,Poblacion Muntinlupa City College of Teacher Education
Term Paper in Social Dimension about
Social Institution : The Family
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Filipino
Respectfully Submitted by: Acero, Mariel Bader, Elizabeth Balayan, Kevin Darwin C. Bato, Ma.Joy Elizadeth
Respectfully Submitted to: Prof. Zorina I. Pendon Date October 14, 2013 Monday
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTERS I. Introduction to the Functions of the Institution (The Family) 1 The Social Reproduction of the Family 2 Family Patterns 2.1 Conjugal (Nuclear) Family 2.2 Matrifocal Family 2.3 Extended Family 2.4 Blended Family 3 Kinship Terminology 4 Family Roles 5 History of Theories of the Family 5.1 Social Darwinists 5.2 The Nuclear Family in Industrial Society 5.3 The Postmodern Family 5.4 Oedipal Family Model and Fascism 6. Factors that affect parenting decisions
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3 4 5 6 6 7 9 12 17 17 18 19 20 23
7. Parenting styles 8. Parenting practices 8.1 Parenting skills 8.2 Values parents promote 9. Views on parental roles and responsibilities in the United States 9.1 Motherhood 9.2 Fatherhood 9.3 Shared earning/shared parenting marriage 10 . Parenting across the lifespan 10.1 Planning and pre-pregnancy 10.2 Pregnancy and prenatal parenting 10.3 Newborns and infants 10.4 Toddlers 10.5 Child 10.6 Adolescents 10.7 Adults II. The Issues in the Family III. The Possible Solutions to the Issues IV. References
24 26 27 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 31 32 34 35 36 39 40 41 43
V. Reflection in Social Dimension Subject Mariel Aceros Reflection Elizabeth Baders Reflection Kevin Darwin C. Balayans Reflection Ma.Joy Elizadeth Batos Reflection
I. Introduction In human context, a Family (from Latin: familia) is a group of people affiliated byconsanguinity (by recognized birth), affinity (by marriage), or co-residence/shared consumption . Christopher Harris notes that the western conception of family is ambiguous, and confused with the household, as revealed in the different contexts in which the word is used: "We have seen that people can refer to their relatives as 'the family.' 'All the family turned up for the funeral.... But of course, my brother didn't bring his family along - they're much too young.' Here the reference is to the offspring (as distinct from 'all' the family). The neighbors were very good, too. 'The Jones came, and their two children. It was nice, the whole family turning up like that.' Here the usage is more restricted than 'relatives' or 'his relatives,' but includes just both parents and offspring. 'Of course, the children will be leaving home soon. It's always sad to see the family break up like that.' Here the reference is not only to parents and children but to their co-residence, that is, to the household."
Olivia Harris states this confusion is not accidental, but indicative of the familial ideology of capitalist, western countries that pass social legislation that insists members of a nuclear family should live together, and that those not so related should not live together; despite the ideological and legal pressures, a large percentage of families do 1
not conform to the ideal nuclear family type.
In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children. As a unit ofsocialization the family is the object of analysis
for anthropologists and sociologists of the family. Sexual relations among the members are regulated by rules concerning incest such as the incest taboo.
As the basic unit for raising children, Anthropologists most generally classify family organization as matrifocal (a mother and her children); conjugal (a husband, his wife, and children; also callednuclear family); avuncular (a brother, his sister, and her children); or extended family in which parents and children co-reside with other members of one parent's family.
Genealogy is a field which aims to trace family lineages through history.
"Family" is used metaphorically to create more inclusive categories such as community,nationhood, global village and humanism.
Family is also an important economic unit studied in family economics. 2
1 The Social Reproduction of the Family
One of the primary functions of the family is to produce and reproduce persons, biologically and/or socially. This can occur through the sharing of material substances (such as food); the giving and receiving of care and nurture (nurture kinship); jural rights and obligations; and moral and sentimental ties. Thus, one's experience of one's family shifts over time. From the perspective of children, the family is a "family of orientation": the family serves to locate children socially and plays a major role in their enculturation and socialization. From the point of view of the parent(s), the family is a "family of procreation," the goal of which is to produce and enculturate and socialize children. However, producing children is not the only function of the family; in societies with a sexual division of labor,marriage, and the resulting relationship between two people, it is necessary for the formation of an economically productivehousehold.
2 Family Types The diverse data coming from ethnography, history, law and social statistics, establish that the human family is an institution and not a biological fact founded on the natural relationship of consanguinity. The different types of families occur in a wide variety of settings, and their specific functions and meanings depend largely on their relationship to other social institutions. Although the concept of consanguinity originally referred to relations by "blood," cultural anthropologists have argued that one must understand the idea of "blood" metaphorically and that many societies understand family through other concepts rather than through genetic distance. Sociologists have a special interest in the function and status of these forms in stratified
(especially capitalist) societies.
According to the work of scholars Max Weber, Alan Macfarlane, Steven Ozment, Jack Goody and Peter Laslett, the huge transformation that led to modern marriage in Western democracies was "fueled by the religio-cultural value system provided by elements of Judaism, early Christianity, Roman Catholic canon law and the Protestant Reformation".
Much sociological, historical and anthropological research dedicates itself to the understanding of this variation, and of changes in the family that form over time. Times
have changed; it is more acceptable and encouraged for mothers to work and fathers to spend more time at home with the children. The way roles are balanced between the parents will help children grow and learn valuable life lessons. There is great importance of communication and equality in families, in order to avoid role strain.
2.1 Conjugal (Nuclear) Family
The term "nuclear family" is commonly used, especially in the United States, to refer to conjugal families. A "conjugal" family includes only the husband, the wife, and unmarried children who are not of age. Sociologists distinguish between conjugal families (relatively independent of the kindred of the parents and of other families in general) and nuclear families (which maintain relatively close ties with their kindred).
2.2 Matrifocal Family A "matrifocal" family consists of a mother and her children. Generally, these children are her biological offspring, although adoption of children is a practice in nearly every society. This kind of family is common where women have the resources to rear their children by themselves, or where men are more mobile than women.
2.3 Extended Family The term "extended family" is also common, especially in United States. This term has two distinct meanings. First, it serves as a synonym of "consanguinal family" (consanguine means "of the same blood"). Second, in societies dominated by the conjugal family, it refers to "kindred" (an egocentric network of relatives that extends beyond the domestic group) who do not belong to the conjugal family. These types refer to ideal or normative structures found in particular societies. Any society will exhibit some variation in the actual composition and conception of families.
2.4 Blended Family
(Male same-sex couple with a child)
The term blended family or stepfamily describes families with mixed parents: one or both parents remarried, bringing children of the former family into the new family. Also in sociology, particularly in the works of social psychologist Michael Lamb,
traditional familyrefers to "a middleclass family with a bread-winning father and a stayat-home mother, married to each other and raising their biological children," and nontraditional to exceptions from this rule. Most of the US households are now non-traditional under this definition.
In terms of communication patterns in families, there are a certain set of beliefs within the family that reflect how its members should communicate and interact. These family communication patterns arise from two underlying sets of beliefs. One being conversation orientation (the degree to which the importance of communication is valued) and two, conformity orientation (the degree to which families should emphasize similarities or differences regarding attitudes, beliefs, and values).
3 Kinship Terminology
Anthropologist Lewis Henry Morgan (18181881) performed the first survey of kinship terminologies in use around the world. Although much of his work is now considered dated, he argued that kinship terminologies reflect different sets of distinctions. For example, most kinship terminologies distinguish between sexes (the difference between a brother and a sister) and between generations (the difference between a child and a parent). Moreover, he argued, kinship terminologies distinguish between relatives by blood and marriage (although recently some anthropologists have argued that many societies define kinship in terms other than "blood").
Morgan
made
distinction
between
kinship
systems
that
use classificatory terminology and those that use descriptive terminology. Classificatory systems are generally and erroneously understood to be those that "class together" with a single term relatives who actually do not have the same type of relationship to ego. (What defines "same type of relationship" under such definitions seems to be genealogical relationship. This is problematic given that any genealogical description, no matter how standardized, employs words originating in a folk understanding of kinship.) What Morgan's terminology actually differentiates are those (classificatory) kinship 9
systems that do not distinguish lineal and collateral relationships and those (descriptive) kinship systems that do. Morgan, a lawyer, came to make this distinction in an effort to understand Senecainheritance practices. A Seneca man's effects were inherited by his sisters' children rather than by his own children.[19]Morgan identified six basic patterns of kinship terminologies:

Hawaiian: only distinguishes relatives based upon sex and generation. Sudanese: no two relatives share the same term. Eskimo: in addition to distinguishing relatives based upon sex and generation, also distinguishes between lineal relatives and collateral relatives.
Iroquois: in addition to sex and generation, also distinguishes between siblings of opposite sexes in the parental generation.
Crow: a matrilineal system with some features of an Iroquois system, but with a "skewing" feature in which generation is "frozen" for some relatives.
Omaha: like a Crow system but patrilineal.
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Family tree showing the relationship of each person to the orange person. Cousins are colored green. The genetic kinship degree of relationship is marked in red boxes by percentage (%).
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4 Family Roles Most Western societies employ Eskimo kinship terminology. This kinship
terminology commonly occurs in societies based on conjugal(or nuclear) families, where nuclear families have a degree of relative mobility. Members of the nuclear use descriptive kinship terms:

Father: a male parent Mother: a female parent Son: a male child of the parent(s) Daughter: a female child of the parent(s) Brother: a male child of the same parent(s) Sister: a female child of the same parent(s) Grandfather: father of a father or mother Grandmother: mother of a mother or father Cousins: two people (commonly children) that share the same grandparent(s) An infant, his mother, his maternalgrandmother, and his great-grandmother Such systems generally assume that the mother's husband has also served as the biological father. In some families, a woman may have children with more than one man or a man may have children with more than one woman. The system refers to a
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child who shares only one parent with another child as a "half-brother" or "half-sister." For children who do not share biological or adoptive parents in common, Englishspeakers use the term "stepbrother" or "stepsister" to refer to their new relationship with each other when one of their biological parents marries one of the other child's biological parents. Any person (other than the biological parent of a child) who marries the parent of that child becomes the "stepparent" of the child, either the "stepmother" or "stepfather." The same terms generally apply to children adopted into a family as to children born into the family.
Typically, societies with conjugal families also favor neolocal residence; thus upon marriage a person separates from the nuclear family of their childhood (family of orientation) and forms a new nuclear family (family of procreation). However, in the western society the single parent family has been growing more accepted and has begun to truly make an impact on culture. The majority of single parent families are more commonly single mother families than single father. These families face many difficult issues besides the fact that they have to rear their children on their own, but also have to deal with issues related to low income. Many single parents struggle with low incomes and must cope with other issues, including rent, child care, and other
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necessities required in maintaining a healthy and safe home. Members of the nuclear families of members of one's own (former) nuclear family may class as lineal or as collateral. Kin who regard them as lineal refer to them in terms that build on the terms used within the nuclear family:

Grandparent Grandfather: a parent's father Grandmother: a parent's mother Grandchild Grandson: a child's son Granddaughter: a child's daughter For collateral relatives, more classificatory terms come into play, terms that do not build on the terms used within the nuclear family:
Uncle: father's brother, mother's brother, father's sister's husband, mother's sister's husband
Aunt: father's sister, mother's sister, father's brother's wife, mother's brother's wife Nephew: brother's son, sister's son, husband's brother's son, husband's sister's son, wife's brother's son, wife's sister's son
Niece: brother's daughter, sister's daughter, husband's brother's daughter, husband's sister's daughter, wife's brother's daughter, wife's sister's daughter 14
When additional generations intervene (in other words, when one's collateral relatives belong to the same generation as one's grandparents or grandchildren), the prefixes "great-" or "grand-" modifies these terms. Also, as with grandparents and grandchildren, as more generations intervene the prefix becomes "great-grand-," adding an additional "great-" for each additional generation. Most collateral relatives have never had membership of the nuclear family of the members of one's own nuclear family.
Cousin: the most classificatory term; the children of uncles or aunts. One can further distinguish cousins by degrees of collaterality and by generation. Two persons of the same generation who share a grandparent count as "first cousins" (one degree of collaterality); if they share a great-grandparent they count as "second cousins" (two degrees of collaterality) and so on. If two persons share an ancestor, one as a grandchild and the other as a great-grandchild of that individual, then the two descendants class as "first cousins once removed" (removed by one generation); if they shared ancestor figures as the grandparent of one individual and the great-greatgrandparent of the other, the individuals class as "first cousins twice removed" (removed by two generations), and so on. Similarly, if they shared ancestor figures as
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the great-grandparent of one person and the great-great-grandparent of the other, the individuals class as "second cousins once removed". Hence one can refer to a "third cousin once removed upwards."
Cousins of an older generation (in other words, one's parents' first cousins), although technically first cousins once removed, are often classified with "aunts" and "uncles." Similarly, a person may refer to close friends of one's parents as "aunt" or "uncle," or may refer to close friends as "brother" or "sister," using the practice of fictive kinship. English-speakers mark relationships by marriage (except for wife/husband) with the tag "-in-law." The mother and father of one's spouse become one's mother-in-law and father-in-law; the female spouse of one's child becomes one's daughter-in-law and the male spouse of one's child becomes one's son-in-law. The term "sister-in-law" refers to three essentially different relationships, either the wife of one's sibling, or the sister of one's spouse, or, in some uses, the wife of one's spouse's sibling. "Brother-in-law" expresses a similar ambiguity. The terms "half-brother" and "half-sister" indicate siblings who share only one biological or adoptive parent.
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5 History of Theories of the Family 5.1 Social Darwinists
Early scholars of family history applied Darwin's biological theory of evolution in their theory of evolution of family systems. American anthropologist Lewis H. Morgan published Ancient Societyin 1877 based on his theory of the three stages of human progress from Savagery through Barbarism to Civilization. Morgan's book was the "inspiration for Friedrich Engels' book" The Origin of the Family, Private Property
and the State published in 1884.
Engels expanded Morgan's hypothesis that economical factors caused the transformation of primitive community into a class-divided society.[23] Engels' theory of resource control, and later that of Karl Marx, was used to explain the cause and effect of change in family structure and function. The popularity of this theory was largely unmatched until the 1980s, when other sociological theories, most
notably structural functionalism, gained acceptance.
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5.2 The Nuclear Family in Industrial Society Contemporary society generally views the family as a haven from the world, supplying absolute fulfilment. Zinn and Eitzen discuss the image of the "family as haven a place of intimacy, loveand trust where individuals may escape the competition of dehumanizing forces in modern society".During industrialization, "[t]he family as a repository of warmth and tenderness (embodied by the mother) stands in opposition to the competitive and aggressive world of commerce (embodied by the father). The family's task was to protect against the outside world." However, Zinn and Eizen note, "The protective image of the family has waned in recent years as the ideals of family fulfillment have taken shape. Today, the family is more compensatory than protective. It supplies what is vitally needed but missing in other social arrangements.
"The popular wisdom", according to Zinn and Eitzen, sees the family structures of the past as superior to those today, and families as more stable and happier at a time when they did not have to contend with problems such as illegitimate children and divorce. They respond to this, saying, "there is no golden age of the family gleaming at us in the far back historical past." "Desertion by spouses, illegitimate children, and other conditions that are considered characteristics of modern times existed in the past as well." 18
5.3 The Postmodern Family Others argue that whether or not one views the family as "declining" depends on one's definition of "family". The high rates of divorce and out-of-wedlock births indicate a decline in the institution of the family. Married couples have dropped below half of all
American households. This drop is shocking from traditional forms of the family system. Only a fifth of households were following traditional ways of having married couples raising a family together. No longer are marriages arranged for political or economic
gain, and children are not expected to contribute to family income. Instead, people choose mates based on love. This increased role of love indicates a societal shift toward favoring emotional fulfilment and relationships within a family, and this shift necessarily weakens the institution of the family.
Margaret Mead considers the family as a main safeguard to continuing human progress. Observing, "Human beings have learned, laboriously, to be human", she adds: "we hold our present form of humanity on trust, [and] it is possible to lose it" ... "It is not without significance that the most successful large-scale abrogations of the family have occurred not among simple savages, living close to the subsistence edge, but among great nations and strong empires, the resources of which were ample, the populations huge, and the power almost unlimited" 19
5.4 Oedipal Family Model and Fascism The model, common in the western societies, of the family triangle, husbandwife-children isolated from the outside, is also called theoedipal model of the family, and it is a form of patriarchal family. Many philosophers and psychiatrists have analyzed such a model. In the family, they argue, the young develop in a perverse relationship, wherein they learn to love the same person who beats and oppresses them. Young
children grow up and develop loving the person that is oppressing them physically or mentally. These children are taught differently than the appropriate way of raising affectionate children. The family therefore constitutes the first cell of the fascist society,
as they will carry this attitude of love for oppressive figures in their adult life. Fathers torment their sons. Deleuze and Guattari, in their analysis of the dynamics at work within a family, "track down all varieties of fascism, from the enormous ones that surround and crush us to the petty ones that constitute the tyrannical bitterness of our everyday lives". As it has been explained by Deleuze, Guattari and Foucault, as well as other philosophers and psychiatrists such as Laing and Reich, the patriarchal-family conceived in the West tradition serves the purpose of perpetuating
a propertarian and authoritarian society. The child grows according to the oedipal
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model, which is typical of the structure of capitalist societies, and he becomes in turn owner of submissive children and protector of the woman.
As the young undergoes physical and psychological repression from someone for whom they develop love, they develop a loving attitude towards authority figures. They will bring such attitude in their adult life, when they will desire social repression and will form docile subjects for society. Michel Foucault, in his systematic study of sexuality, argued that rather than being merely repressed, the desires of the individual are efficiently mobilized and used, to the control the individual, alter interpersonal religion,
relationships and
control
masses.
Foucault
believed organized
through moral prohibitions, and economic powers, through advertising, make use of unconscious sex drives. Dominating desire, they dominate individuals. According to the analysis of Michel Foucault, in the west: the [conjugal] family organization, precisely to the extent that it was insular and heteromorphous with respect to the other power mechanisms, was used to support the great "maneuvers" employed for the Malthusian control of the birthrate, for the populationist incitements, for the medicalization of sex and the psychiatrization of its nongenital forms. Michel Foucault, 21
Size Natalism is the belief that human reproduction is the basis for individual existence, and therefore promotes having large families. Many religions,
e.g., Islam, Christianity and Judaism,[44]encourage their followers to procreate and have many children, however many of them also propound stewardship and responsibility to care for the environment and society. In recent times, however, there has been an increasing amount of family planning and a following decrease in the total fertility rate in many parts of the world, in part due to improvements in health care, concerns of overpopulation, decreasing need for manual labor and increasing cost of raising a child as workers need to be more skilled. Many countries with population decline offer incentives for people to have large families as a means of national efforts to reverse declining populations.
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6. Factors that affect parenting decisions Social class, wealth, and income have the strongest impact on what methods of child rearing are used by parents. Lack of money is found to be the defining factor in the style of child rearing that is chosen. As times change so does the way parents parent their children.
In psychology, the parental investment theory suggests that basic differences between males and females in parental investment have great adaptive significance and lead to gender differences in mating propensities and preferences.
A family's social class plays a large role in the opportunities and resources that will be made available for a child. Working-class children often grow up at a disadvantage with the schooling, communities, and parental attention made available to them compared to middle-class or upper-class. Also, lower working-class families do not get the kind of networking that the middle and upper classes do through helpful family members, friends, and community individuals and groups as well as various professionals or experts.
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7. Parenting styles A parenting style is the overall emotional climate in the home. Developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind identified three main parenting styles in early child development: authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. These parenting styles were later expanded to four, including an uninvolved style. These four styles of parenting involve combinations of acceptance and responsiveness on the one hand and demand and control on the other. Authoritative parenting Described by Baumrind as the "just right" style, in combines a medium level demands on the child and a medium level responsiveness from the parents. Authoritative parents rely on positive reinforcement and infrequent use of punishment. Parents are more aware of a child's feelings and capabilities and support the development of a child's autonomy within reasonable limits. There is a give-and-take atmosphere involved in parent-child communication and both control and support are. Research shows that this style is more beneficial than the too-hard authoritarian style or the too-soft permissive style. Authoritarian parenting styles Authoritarian parents are very rigid and strict. They place high demands on the child, but are not responsive to the child. Parents who practice authoritarian style parenting 24
have a rigid set of rules and expectations that are strictly enforced and require rigid obedience. When the rules are not followed, punishment is most often used to promote future obedience. There is usually no explanation of punishment except that the child is in trouble for breaking a rule. "Because I said so" is a typical response to a child's question of authority. This type of authority is used more often in working-class families than the middle class. In 1983 Diana Baumrind found that children raised in an authoritarian-style home were less cheerful, more moody and more vulnerable to stress. In many cases these children also demonstrated passive hostility. Permissive parenting Permissive or indulgent parenting is more popular in middle-class families than in working-class families. In these family settings, a child's freedom and autonomy are overvalued, and parents tend to rely mostly on reasoning and explanation. Parents are undemanding, so there tends to be little, if any punishment or explicit rules in this style of parenting. These parents say that their children are free from external constraints and tend to be highly responsive to whatever the child wants at the moment. Children of permissive parents are generally happy but sometimes show low levels of self-control and self-reliance because they lack structure at home. Uninvolved parenting An uninvolved or neglectful parenting style is when parents are often emotionally 25
absent and sometimes even physically absent.[13] They have little or no expectation of the child and regularly have no communication. They are not responsive to a child's needs and do not demand anything of them in their behavioral expectations. If present, they may provide what the child needs for survival with little to no engagement. There is often a large gap between parents and children with this parenting style. Children with little or no communication with their own parents tended to be the victims of another childs deviant behavior and may be involved in some deviance
themselves. Children of uninvolved parents suffer in social competence, academic performance,psychosocial development and problem behavior. There is no single or definitive model of parenting. With authoritarian and permissive (indulgent) parenting on opposite sides of the spectrum, most conventional and modern models of parenting fall somewhere in between. Parenting strategies as well as behaviours and ideals of what parents expect, whether communicated verbally and/or non-verbally, also play a significant role in a child's development.
8. Parenting practices A parenting practice is a specific behavior that a parent uses in raising a child. For example, a common parent practice intended to promote academic success is reading books to the child. 26
Parenting
practices
reflect
the
cultural
understanding
of
children. Parents
in
individualistic countries like Germany spend more time engaged in face-to-face interaction with babies and more time talking to the baby about the baby. Parents in more communal cultures, such as West African cultures, spend more time talking to the baby about other people, and more time with the baby facing outwards, so that the baby sees what the mother sees. Children develop skills at different rates as a result of differences in these culturally driven parenting practices. Children in individualistic cultures learn to act independently and to recognize themselves in a mirror test at a younger age than children whose cultures promote communal values. However, these independent children learn self-regulation and cooperation later than children in communal cultures. In practice, this means that a child in an independent culture will happily play by herself, but a child in a communal culture is more likely to follow his mother's instruction to pick up his toys. 8.1 Parenting skills Parenting styles are only a small piece of what it takes to be a "good parent". Parenting takes a lot of skill and patience and is constant work and growth. Research [citation needed] shows that children benefit most when their parents:
communicate honestly about events or discussions that have happened, also that
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parents explain clearly to children what happened and how they were involved if they were
stay consistent, children need structure, parents that have normal routines benefits children incredibly;
utilize resources available to them, reaching out into the community; taking more interest in their child's educational needs and early development; and keeping open communication and staying educated on what their child is learning and doing and how it is affecting them.
8.2 Values parents promote Parents around the world want what they believe is best for their children. However, parents in different cultures have different ideas of what is best. For example, parents in a huntergatherersociety or surviving through subsistence agriculture are likely to promote practical survival skills from a young age. Many such cultures begin teaching babies to use sharp tools, including knives, before their first birthdays. American parents strongly value intellectual ability, especially in a narrow "book learning" sense. Italian parents value social and emotional abilities and having an even temperament. Spanish parents want their children to be sociable. Swedish parents value security and happiness. Dutch parents value
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independence, long attention spans, and predictable schedules. The Kipsigis people of Kenya value children who are not only smart, but who employ that intelligence in a responsible and helpful way, which they call ng/om.
Differences in values cause parents to interpret different actions in different ways. Asking questions is seen by American parents as a sign that the child is smart. Italian parents, who value social and emotional competence, believe that asking questions is a sign that the child has good interpersonal skills. Dutch parents, who value independence, view asking questions negatively, as a sign that the child is not independent.
Differences in values also cause parents to employ different tools to promote their values. Americans expect specially purchased educational toys to improve their children's intelligence. Spanish parents promote social skills by taking their children out for daily walks around the neighborhood. 9. Views on parental roles and responsibilities in the United States 9.1 Motherhood The ideology of "motherhood" portrays mothers as being the ultimate caregivers. They invest most, if not all, of their time on their children, which sometimes affects their job 29
and role in the labor market. Although stay-at-home moms are less common, women are seen as spending more time with children than men. They are commonly the nurturers of the children and support emotional growth and stability.it is very important to support your child and provide happiness. 9.2 Fatherhood Fathers now more than ever are spending more time with their children. Whereas in the past, fathers were the breadwinners and the mothers stayed at home to cook, clean and take care of children, the roles are starting to converge. Fathers are participating more in parenting roles and taking on responsibilities such as bathing, dressing, feeding, changing diapers and comforting children. In Strong Fathers, Strong
Daughters, Meg Meeker emphasizes the importance of fathers' roles in shaping who
their daughters become. She claims "fathers, more than anyone else, set the course for a daughter's life." 9.3 Shared earning/shared parenting marriage Today many men and women engage in Shared Earning/Shared Parenting Marriage where they do not follow archetypal or steretoyped "motherhood" and "fatherhood" roles and instead both earn money and both do the unpaid work of parenting and childcare. It is clear that advancements have been made over the past few decades transitioning to a desire for equality and flexible gender-roles with the 30
traditional lifestyle being less favored. 10 . Parenting across the lifespan 10.1 Planning and pre-pregnancy Family planning is the decision whether and when to become parents, including planning, preparing, and gathering resources. Parents should assess (amongst other matters) whether they have the required financial resources (the raising of a child costs around $16,198 yearly in the United States) and should also assess whether their family situation is stable enough and whether they themselves are responsible and qualified enough to raise a child. Reproductive health and preconceptional care affect pregnancy, reproductive success and maternal and child physical and mental health. 10.2 Pregnancy and prenatal parenting During pregnancy the unborn child is affected by many decisions his or her parents make, particularly choices linked to their lifestyle. The health and diet decisions of the mother can have either a positive or negative impact on the child during prenatal parenting. In addition to physical management of the pregnancy, medical knowledge of your physician, hospital, and birthing options are important. Here are some key items of advice:
Ask your prospective obstetrician how often he or she is in the hospital and who covers for them when theyre not available. 31
Learn all you can about your backup physician as well as your primary doctor. Choose a hospital with a 24-hour, in-house anesthesia team.
Many people believe that parenting begins with birth, but the mother begins raising and nurturing a child well before birth. Scientific evidence indicates that from the fifth month on, the unborn baby is able to hear sounds, become aware of motion, and possibly exhibit short-term memory. Several studies (e.g. Kissilevsky et al., 2003) show evidence that the unborn baby can become familiar with his or her parents' voices. Other research indicates that by the seventh month, external schedule cues influence the unborn baby's sleep habits. Based on this evidence, parenting actually begins well before birth.
Depending on how many children the mother carries also determines the amount of care needed during prenatal and post-natal periods. 10.3 Newborns and infants Newborn parenting, is where the responsibilities of parenthood begins. A newborn's basic needs are food, sleep, comfort and cleaning which the parent provides. An infant's only form of communication is crying, and attentive parents will begin to recognize different types of crying which represent different needs such as hunger, 32
discomfort, boredom, or loneliness. Newborns and young infants require feedings every few hours which is disruptive to adult sleep cycles. They respond enthusiastically to soft stroking, cuddling and caressing. Gentle rocking back and forth often calms a crying infant, as do massages and warm baths. Newborns may comfort themselves by sucking their thumb or a pacifier. The need to suckle is instinctive and allows newborns to feed.Breastfeeding is the recommended method of feeding by all major infant health organizations. If breastfeeding is not possible or desired, bottle feeding is a common alternative. Other alternatives include feeding breastmilk or formula with a cup, spoon, feeding syringe, or nursing supplementer.
The forming of attachments is considered to be the foundation of the infant/child's capacity to form and conduct relationships throughout life. Attachment is not the same as love and/or affection although they often go together. Attachments develop immediately and a lack of attachment or a seriously disrupted capacity for attachment could potentially do serious damage to a child's health and well-being. Physically one may not see symptoms or indications of a disorder but emotionally the child may be affected. Studies show that children with secure attachment have the ability to form successful relationships, express themselves on an interpersonal basis
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and have higher self-esteem. Conversely children who have caregivers who are neglectful or emotionally unavailable can exhibit behavioral problems such as posttraumatic stress disorder or oppositional-defiant disorder
Oppositional-defiant disorder is a pattern of disobedient, hostile, and defiant behavior toward authority figures 10.4 Toddlers Toddlers are much more active than infants and are challenged with learning how to do simple tasks by themselves. At this stage, parents are heavily involved in showing the child how to do things rather than just doing things for them, and the child will often mimic the parents. Toddlers need help to build their vocabulary, increase their communication skills, and manage their emotions. Toddlers will also begin to understand social etiquette such as being polite and taking turns.
Toddlers are very curious about the world around them and eager to explore it. They seek greater independence and responsibility and may become frustrated when things do not go the way they want or expect. Tantrums begin at this stage, which is sometimes referred to as the 'Terrible Twos'. Tantrums are often caused by the child's frustration over the particular situation, sometimes simply not being able to 34
communicate properly. Parents of toddlers are expected to help guide and teach the child, establish basic routines (such as washing hands before meals or brushing teeth before bed), and increase the child's responsibilities. It is also normal for toddlers to be frequently frustrated. It is an essential step to their development. They will learn through experience; trial and error. This means that they need to experience being frustrated when something does not work for them, in order to move on to the next stage. When the toddler is frustrated, they will often behave badly with actions like screaming, hitting or biting. Parents need to be careful when reacting to such behaviours, giving threats or punishments is not helpful and will only make the situation worse. 10.5 Child Younger children are becoming more independent and are beginning to build friendships. They are able to reason and can make their own decisions given hypothetical situations. Young children demand constant attention, but will learn how to deal with boredom and be able to play independently. They also enjoy helping and feeling useful and able. Parents may assist their child by encouraging social interactions and modelling proper social behaviors. A large part of learning in the early years comes from being involved in activities and household duties. Parents who observe their children in play or join with them in child-driven play have the opportunity to glimpse 35
into their childrens world, learn to communicate more effectively with their children and are given another setting to offer gentle, nurturing guidance. Parents are also teaching their children health, hygiene, and eating habits through instruction and by example. Parents are expected to make decisions about their child's education. Parenting styles in this area diverge greatly at this stage with some parents becoming heavily involved in arranging organized activities and early learning programs. Other parents choose to let the child develop with few organized activities.
Children begin to learn responsibility, and consequences of their actions, with parental assistance. Some parents provide a small allowance that increases with age to help teach children the value of money and how to be responsible with it.
Parents who are consistent and fair with their discipline, who openly communicate and offer explanations to their children, and who do not neglect the needs of their children in some way often find they have fewer problems with their children as they mature. 10.6 Adolescents During adolescence children are beginning to form their identity and are testing and developing the interpersonal and occupational roles that they will assume as adults. 36
Therefore it is important that parents must treat them as young adults. Although adolescents look to peers and adults outside of the family for guidance and models for how to behave, parents remain influential in their development. A teenager who thinks poorly of him or herself, is not confident, hangs around with gangs, lack positive values, follows the crowd, is not doing well in studies, is losing interest in school, has few friends, lacks supervision at home or is not close to key adults like parents are vulnerable to peer pressure. Parents often feel isolated and alone in parenting adolescents, but they should still make efforts to be aware of their adolescents' activities, provide guidance, direction, and consultation. Adolescence can be a time of high risk for children, where new found freedoms can result in decisions that drastically open up or close off life opportunities. Adolescents tend to increase the amount of time they spend with the opposite gender peers, however, they still maintain the amount of time they spend with the same gender, and they do this by decreasing the amount of time they spend with their parents. Also, peer pressure is not the reason why peers have influence on adolescents, yet it is because they respect, admire and like their peers. Parental issues at this stage of parenting include dealing with
"rebellious" teenagers, who didn't know freedom while they were smaller. In order to prevent all these, it is important to build a trusting relationship with them. This can be achieved by planning and spending fun activities together, keeping your promises, do 37
not nag at him or her about their past mistakes and try to listen and talk to them, no matter how busy you are. When a trusting relationship is built, they are more likely to approach you for help when faced with negative peer pressure. Also, try to built a strong foundation to help your child to resist negative peer pressure, it is important to build up their self-esteem:Praise your child's strength instead of focusing on their weakness (It will make them feel good and grow confident about themselves, so he/she does not feel the need to gain acceptance from his peers), acknowledge your child's efforts, do not simply focus on the final result (when they notice that you recognize his/her efforts, he/she will keep trying), and lastly, disapprove the behavior, not the child, or they will turn to their peers for acceptance and comfort. 10.7 Adults Parenting doesn't usually end when a child turns 18. Support can be needed in a child's life well beyond the adolescent years and continues into middle and later adulthood. Parenting can be a lifelong process.
Assisstance Parents may receive assistance with caring for their children through child care programs.
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II. The Issues in the Family

Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety or phobias Illness Co-dependence Communication problems Domestic violence Anger Addiction Divorce In-law challenges Infidelity Intolerance of differences Inability to manage or resolve conflicts Over-dependency or extreme autonomy Financial difficulties or excesses Resentments Stepfamilies Sexual abuse and Teen issues Chronic crises or unexpected upheavals Inadequate problem solving skills Favoring or disfavoring family members Unwanted separation due to job or personal demands
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III. The Possible Solutions to the Issues What You Can Do To Solve the Following Issues? 1. Face reality. Be fearless and compile a list of what must be accepted and what must be changed both internally (within yourself) and externally (situation specific). This is your starting point for prioritizing challenges and identifying the resources you'll need to resolve them. It will also help you identify what is and is not within your control. 2. Take care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually. 3. Find and ask for help. Sometimes it's hard to ask for help but remember that therapists are trained to provide valuable perspective while assessing, diagnosing and treating family members of all ages. 4. Be open to change. 5. Clarify the problem. The parent moderator should introduce the general nature of the problem, then use the 'Go Around' technique to get each person's view of the problem. 6. Go Around Questions: What is the problem as you see it? How does it affect you? What is your contribution to the problem?
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7. These are challenging questions. The family should listen to each speaker with respect and an attempt at understanding. Avoid interrupting or becoming defensive.
8. The moderator should write down the points of agreement and disagreement as they arise. 9. Brainstorm solutions. Go around as many times as necessary to come up with a list of possible solutions to the problem. Don't analyze the solutions now. Just write them all down. 10 Go through the list of possible solutions to narrow them down to the best solution for all family members. 11. Use the 'Go Around' technique to get each person's view on what is the best solution for everyone. Ask 'Which of these do you think is the best solution? Why? Is it fair to everyone?' 12. Select the best solution. Get commitment from each person to make the solution work. 13. Decide what each person will do to implement the solution. This is the time to come up with responsibilities, rewards, limits, consequences and other agreed upon commitments.
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14. Go around one more time with each family member stating what specific action they will take to solve the problem. 15. For the solution to work, everyone has to be convinced that their input has been considered and that it is the best thing for each of them. 16. If someone's comments hit your emotional hot button, don't respond defensively. Remain silent, then communicate your position while maintaining respect for the other's viewpoint.
IV. References
Chevallier, Denis, Famille et parent: une bibliographie , Terrain, Numro 4 Famille et parent (mars 1985), mis en ligne le 17 juillet 2005. Consult le 15 juin 2007, terrain.revues.org (French)
Forbes, Scott, A Natural History of Families, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005), ISBN 0-691-09482-9
Foucault, Michel (1978). The History of Sexuality: Volume I: An Introduction. (New York: Vintage Books). ISBN 978-0-679-72469-8
Gilroy, Paul [Identity Belonging and the Critique of Pure Sameness] in Gilroy, Paul (2000) Against Race: Imagining Political Culture Beyond the Color Line, (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press), Ch. I.3, pp. 97133 43
Goody, Jack The Development of the Family and Marriage in Europe (Cambridge University Press, 1980); translated into Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese.
Mock, Douglas W., More Than Kin and Less Than Kind, (Belknap Press, 2004), ISBN 0674-01285-2
Schneider, David M., American Kinship: a cultural approach (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980). http://www.counselingcalifornia.com/c_problems_with_family.cfm http://childparenting.about.com/c/ht/00/07/How_Resolve_Family_Problems0962934089 .htmv
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parenting
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V. Reflection in Social Dimension Subject

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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa NBP Reservation,Poblacion Muntinlupa City College of Teacher Education

Term Paper in Social Dimension about

Social Institution : The Family

not conform to the ideal nuclear family type.

Genealogy is a field which aims to trace family lineages through history.

Family is also an important economic unit studied in family economics. 2

1 The Social Reproduction of the Family

(especially capitalist) societies.

2.1 Conjugal (Nuclear) Family

2.4 Blended Family

(Male same-sex couple with a child)

Omaha: like a Crow system but patrilineal.

5 History of Theories of the Family 5.1 Social Darwinists

and the State published in 1884.

notably structural functionalism, gained acceptance.

II. The Issues in the Family

V. Reflection in Social Dimension Subject

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