Two American Families

Two American Families
Children are extremely pliable human beings, or they are easily influenced and affected. Factors
such as their home life, economic status, and relationships to others affect children heavily. This, in
turn, affects their performance in school. More often than not, if your family is troubled with
financial issues, performance in school suffers as well. This may be considered one of the reasons
people are often stuck in the social class they were born into. This concept may be seen in the film,
Two American Families. In the film, Bill Moyers..., followed the lives of two families. He followed
the Neumann's and the Stanley's. Unfortunately, Tony and Terry Neumann had to work extremely
hard to make ends meet for their family. This included
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The Status Of The Ideal American Family
Change is inevitable, and history has shown us that change in family status has been both positive
and negative. Historically, the flux in family diversity can be traced back for centuries, and we see
many different practices that have had successes and failures amongst families in the United States.
Over the last six decades, the image of the ideal American family has changed, as well as the
political and economic status of women. The development of relative economic power for women
has led to a change in family structure. The evolution of families can be seen in the media and
television shows, and the contrast between shows in the mid 20th century and now, is shell
shocking. As new developments in human society continue to grow, family ... Show more content on
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In the show, the father was seen giving advice and lecturing the children while the wife was folding
laundry, or setting the table for a meal. The viewers were exposed to the show, which enforced the
societal norm of male dominated gender stratification. However, the rushed marriages and desire for
children following the war was no longer the American dream. In the early 1960 's the employment
of women increased exponentially and their economic status increased. A national poll of American
housewives claimed, "90 percent of them said they did not want their daughters to follow in their
footsteps," and to "postpone marriage longer and get more education and work experience."
(Coontz, 51) By 1970, fifty percent of the women in the United States were employed. Women
became independent from a "breadwinning" husband and divorce rates increased with "about half of
all marriages end[ing] in divorce." (Rutter, 329) Women liberation movements promoted the
liberating feelings of new family possibilities with a visions of independent success. Throughout the
70 's the expansion of social freedoms and economic opportunity for women led to a difficult time
for families to function. Women began to feel a new sense of power and were the mostly the
decision makers when it came to divorce. These patterns continued up into the 90 's with more than
two thirds of the women in the

The Native American Family
Despite having little rights, hardworking women and children were often the key to success for
independent farms. For these small, family–run farms, the children were often the ones who helped
work and manage the land. Women were often the backbone of a household, doing the housework,
weaving, cooking, and raising large amounts of children. Women were practically required to bear
many children over a lifetime in order to staff the farm to maintain the family's livelihood. As family
life stabilized, marriages became lifelong commitments and patriarchal values increased in
importance.Women and children with their lack of rights were dependent on the father and husband,
or patriarch, of the family. Therefore, the members of the family did everything ... Show more
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In the eyes of the British, they may have enjoyed more liberty than they had before first contact.
There were several thousand Christian Indians who were living under a moral liberty seen by the
Puritans as being the only freedom there was. While it was less than they had originally occupied,
the Native Americans still lived on their own land, something that many English saw as being the
absolute basis of liberty. Now on the other hand, the Indians suffered greatly when it came to liberty
as they saw it. They were no longer able to freely move around on their land, and were said to
"own" land, something that they did not believe in. They were forced to engage in large amounts of
warfare with the Europeans, mostly over land that had originally been theirs and was quickly being
taken over without consent. In may ways, by the eighteenth century, the Native Americans had seen
nearly every liberty they once had be stripped away, only to be replaced with false liberty used by
the Europeans t0 justify what they had

The Traditional American Family
The traditional American family can be traced back to the aggressive marketing in the 1950's. The
image of a white, middle class family owning a moderate sized home with a well–kept lawn. The
father is the head of the household who would teach his kids all the life lessons and be the only
source of income by working a white collar, corporate job. The mother would stay at home in a full
skirt and heels looking after the kids, preparing meals, and taking care of the house. The kids,
usually two, would be well behaved and well dressed. This view of the family is narrow and rigid,
but through aggressive media portrayals has come to be viewed as normal and ideal. Shows such as
"Leave it to Beaver" and "Father knows best" reinforced that idea of a good family eating together at
dinner, praying together, and being proud of the nation. Today, that ideal family image still holds its
place in today's culture, but there has been a dramatic shift from that ideal to a more diverse
representation of the American family. The tradition family has become a sort of fairy tale that can
never be achieved. It is now more common to see both parents working to support the family, more
women are breaking into the workforce and even fathers are staying home to be the caretaker. A
closer look at the data from suggests the traditional family ideal failed to be widely accepted and
instead media outlets are scrambling to capture the image of the modern family.
Background Information
This evolution of

Modern American Family Essay
Long has the image of the traditional American family been stamped into our minds.
The image of a perfect family has been a staple for popular television shows and commercials
hawking everything from luncheon meat to microwaveable TV dinners. It is a far reaching concept
known by almost anyone living in the country, all over the world and people considering
immigrating to the US. It is a fabricated dream, which does not truly exist. It is merely a false goal,
striving to achieve this standard, and the aesthetic of the lifestyle is one which has been heavily
marketed and changes frequently with the times. Sports utility vehicles, pristine lawns, massive
backyards and home security systems are marketed as necessities for the modern American ... Show
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As a result, the daughter suffered in her formative years. She didn't have the money to hire a nanny
or a husband to support her while she stayed to take care of the baby. Aside from being sickly, her
relationship with her mother suffered. At times she was emotionally detached from her mother and
her capacity for learning was somewhat hindered.
This situation illustrates a non typical family compared to the standard American family.
A girl growing up in the traditional American family would be in a comfortable situation. During her
early months her parents could pay for child care that is not sub standard like that which Emily
attended. Typically, her budding relationship between mother and child would not be severed or
disrupted by the circumstances created by other factors such as the mother leaving her child while
she was working. The child would be close to her mother emulating from her and learning from her.
Her mother and father are financially well off, so if the daughter shows any signs of psychological
trouble they can choose to send her to a therapist. For Emily, the daughter in I Stand Here Ironing,
she was mired in despair, forced to live away from home with her father's relatives, stuck living in a
repressive

The Differences Between Native Americans And American...
When thinking about what the difference between how the Native American families lived versus
what families look like in 2016. There is a big gap in years to start off with from 1776 to 2016 that is
more than 240 years of a difference. Over that gap of years many things have changed in what
people look as a standard family. Families dynamics are very different from how the Native
Americans lived with their tribes and how people live now. Native Americans were very close with
family and lived in a very tight community or also known as tribes. There are a couple things that
Native Americans did because it was a culture thing that they had done for years.
If you were a child, your father was a guest in your mother's home. Although strong bonds existed
between wives and husbands, a woman's ties to her maternal kin–her mother, her mother's brothers,
her maternal cousins–were generally stronger (Cherlin, pg.46).
For boys when they hit puberty they had to move out of their parents' house and into men's
ceremonial houses and were married soon after. Men never really went back to living with their
parents because women were supposed to be closer with their parents. Also most of the men got
married to women in a different tribe. But for girls they lived with their parents tell they got married
and when they got married they either lived in the same house with the parents or on the parent's
land. Also most of the marriages were arranged by elders in the tribe to help gain better

Native American Family
This has been an eye opening experience to other people's childhoods and family beliefs. I grew up
in a prominently Scandinavian town. I didn't have a brunette friend until I was in second grade
because all the girls were blonde. It was my neighborhood's demographic. Childhood was a
wonderful time for me in my lower middle class nuclear family. I have been fortunate to not
experience animosity during my lifespan. Exploring the childhood of an Indian friend and a Native
American colleague has been fascinating journey.
Raj was born in India, and his parents instilled the in him that kindness and respect needs to be
shown to elders and all human beings. He moved to America after he returned from his mission trip
to the United States. While ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Mistrust. An infant trusts that their caregiver is going to be there to meet their needs. If a caregiver
does not appear the infant will experience conflict of trusting others. Erikson believed that this
shaped a person's interactions for the rest of their life. Benjamin Spock stated in his book Dr.
Spock's Baby and Child Care that infants learn during early infancy a sense of trust by having their
needs met promptly and lovingly. He does go on to say that after six months a baby can wait a bit
for a parent's attention, especially, if the parent is feeling overwhelmed or anxiety due to the fact that
the she is feeling enslavement by the baby always needing to be held (2012. pg. 112–113). Mary
Ainsworth has four categories of behavior based on maternal care: sensitivity–insensitivity,
cooperation–interference, and acceptance–rejection. Ainsworth believed that a mother to form
positive attachment should be able to interpret her baby's signals and respond promptly, understand
that the baby is individual, to intervene in the babies activities without inferring, and the mother's
feelings toward her baby (Benson, Haith. 2009. pg. 32). It seems though that Raj took it to one
extreme of not answering cries after in the night after six months, while I was at the opposite end of
not putting my six month old down. Cheryl is the balance between us because she has the balance
that Ainsworth's theory requires.

Family Compared To The Stereotypical American Family
The stereotypical American family is all over television, magazines, and newspapers. Every day
different people across America wake up to different family circumstances. The stereotypical
American family– recognized as a married mother and farther and at least one kid, with a father who
worked outside the home and a mother who remained home and looked after the kids and the family.
Nowadays there are a big majority of single mothers and fathers. There are many differences with
my family compared to the stereotypical American family. Differences such as my mother works
just like my father works everyday instead of staying home, everybody takes part in chores instead
of just the mother, my mother and father never married each other will raising me.
My mother works a full–time job just like my farther everyday instead of being a housewife. My
mother had a job ever since she was sixteen years old as a teenager. She had been a single parent for
over eight years raising me. From my mother marrying my stepfather last year when I was eighteen
years in college at Lincoln University as I see that my roommate parents are not together as a couple
because they have divorced as they argue while I moved into my dorm. Now that I transferred to
Indiana State University this year it feels different to have roommates around me that have the same
biological parents from their birth that are married. It sounds weird but it is very personal to
experience that feeling of joy from me saying their

American Families Vs Colonial Families Essay
There are many forms of families around the world. The structure of these families are influenced by
the culture around them. Family is defined as "two or more people related by blood, marriage or
adoption. The family may take many forms, ranging from a single parent with one or more children,
to a married couple or polygamist spouses with or without offspring, to several generations of
parents and their children" (226). There are many functions of the family unit around the world.
Living together is a fundamental element for survival. How living together is shaped through the
culture around these family units. Families are designed to provide each individual with basic
human needs. The goals are to provide food, shelter and safety Family ... Show more content on
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The colonial family is structured as a husband–and–wife with their children. Each family member
had their own role. The father was a worker, the wife cared for the children and helped on the farm.
The children, depending on the family's economic position. The husband and wife stayed together
and the husband was the decisionmaker of the family. In modern America there are still husband–
and–wife families but there're so many different forms and the roles of the males and females are
not as defined as they were in corneal times. They have single parent families where there is only a
male or female with one or more children. In this type of family the parent works for an income,
tends to the house and raises the children. There can also be families where there is a married couple
of the same–sex that I can also be raising children. There are grandparents that are raising their
grandchildren because the parents have passed away or they just don't want to raise the children.
There are families where the woman works and the husband raises children and cares for the house.
There are also families where the parents are not married raising the children together. There are
nontraditional families were an individual lives alone all their life or an individual lives with people
who are not related to them. Also, there are families where the husband and wife each other have
children from previous

American Domestic Families In The 1800s
ADD HOOK. The transformation of the ideal American family unit from a colonial structure, that
was based on the work of each member to survive, towards a domestic family which was a prized
ambition that the upper–class, the middle class, and the working class strived to achieve.
Immigrants, the working class, and slave families were unable to reach the domestic family ideal
because of disadvantages such as the jobs that they were capable of getting and their cultural
backgrounds that clashed with the new American domestic lifestyle. The new concept of the
domestic family was motivated by movements such as Protestantism, and the Market Revolution,
which highlighted set gender roles and believed in the importance of emotion. Households that did
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Immigrants often did not know English well and were largely unfamiliar with the traditions and
customs which left them vulnerable and regularly looking to their children for guidance since they
had more contact with American culture in school. If the parents felt resistant to adopting the
American culture, their children were often quick to adopt the American clothes and social
interactions, which fractured the family structure. Parents often did not want to practice this culture,
however, "[Children] affected by these Americanizing influences, sometimes tried to force American
customs on their parents. Families who did wish to "Americanize" their households to fit the
domestic ideal found it difficult to give up tradition, often mothers had a very difficult time
loosening the control she had over the household. Mothers became the target of Americanization
campaigns because of her lack of contact with American values, which often causes mothers to feel
resentment, and to grow more selective about what institutions they choose to accept into their
families' traditions and values. Part of the immigrant population was very successful the assimilation
process because they were not only economically capable, but also due to the fact that they were
accepting of the change

An American Family
Mr. Cleaver comes home from a long day at work to his loving wife. He enjoys a nice home cooked
meal as he talks with his two children at the dinner table–often about the troubles Beav has found
his way into–in the sitcom Leave it to Beaver. A show that aired in the late 50's teaching life lessons
to its viewers and most importantly representing the ideal nuclear family. Needless to say, we have
come a long way from the white picket fence and 2.5 children as the model representation of an
American family. Today, families are modeled in all different shapes and sizes. Two parent, single
parent, multiple parents, or even extended family members can be seen raising the children. These
families have developed over the past 60 years due to many reasons. The societal changes occurring
over time and economical effects on both micro and macro levels, and the evolution of gender roles
along with many other causes have all played a role in developing the family. By the 1990's, the
census reported that only about 21% of married couples lived with their children. (Morgan 1996) In
40 years, the ideal nuclear family had dropped to 21%, and due to the rise in divorce rates during the
80's, the percentage of stepchildren was projected to rise to 33%. (Morgan 1996) Now decades later,
stepfamilies do indeed make up 1/3 of American households. With the growing changes in families
and the people that make up families, many new concerns are being developed about the legal rights
and

American Family Dynamics
American Family Dynamics
The make–up and concept of what was once considered a traditional nuclear family is quickly
disappearing (Timmerman, 2013). According to Jojic, Raj, Wilkins, Treadwell, Caussade–
Rodriguez, & Blum (2012), "Traditional family roles have changed, and the conception of what
Americans consider a ' family ' has likewise shifted with differing societal views regarding gender,
gender roles, race, and ethnicity" (p. 128). To accompany the changes being made to the customary
view of family dynamics, the family environment has become an influential psychological aspect of
this change (Kwiatkowski, 2010). As evidence continues to expand regarding all of the changes that
have occurred, exact reasons regarding the changes are as abundant as the explanations described in
the data.
As the proof increases concerning the reasons for the downfall and declination of the traditional
family structure within the United States of America; new indications arise as to the reason for the
fall of the nuclear family. Various studies indicate various reasons for the changes. Social,
economical, and moral changes have taken place within the United States of America over the past
few decades. These changes have altered the traditional family concept and have historicalized the
nuclear family.
The structural changes of families within the United States of America have altered due to
economic, political and social changes which have occurred since the mid–twentieth century

Broken Family : The Aspects Of An All-American Family
When we think of an all–American family, what do we think of? To me, an all–American family
consists of a mother, a father, and two children, one boy and one girl. Unfortunately, today this is not
the norm. We have become a society that is full of broken families. Whether good or bad, this has
become a commonality for families in the United States.
Growing up, I thought I had what some would call an all–American family. Well except the
children. I didn't have brothers, but I did have a mother, a father, and two sisters living happily under
one roof. All was great until my parents announced they were unhappy and were going to get a
divorce. This happened when I was 10 years old. Little did I know, my parents separating was the
least of my worries. What I thought was an all–American family was not at all what we had. The
divorce made my mother very upset and, amidst everything happening, she decided to let me know
that the father that had been in my life this whole time was not my biological father.
At first, this made me very confused. The man who had raised me was not biologically related to me
at all. That's when I started to have a new feel of what a family was. Before my parents' divorce, I
saw myself at an advantage over others with divorced parents. I remember questioning people who
said they had step–parents, not fully understanding what exactly that meant. This whole time, I had a
step–parent as well. I soon started to realize that family is not a simple matter of

The Evolution Of The American Family Essay
The Evolution of the American Family
Lisa Parris–Godley
Introduction
n the upcoming page's I will answer the following questions. Why is family the most important
agent of socialization? What caused the dramatic changes to the American family? What are the
changes? I will discuss the differences in marriage and family, I will discuss how they are linked to
class, race, gender, and personal choices. The purpose of this study is to explore the many different
family functions and the paths that people are now choosing. I will give my opinion on whether
these changes have had a positive or negative affect. I will finally discuss the trend of the modern
family, back to pre–World War II family structure, how would that effect the strides that have been
made in the progression of women rights.
American families have never been as diverse as they are today. There is a constant changing
definition of what we call "family". We as Americans are straying further and further from the idea
of a classic nuclear family. One of the biggest reasons is a dramatic rise in kids living with a single
parent. In 2014, just 14% of children younger than 18 lived with a stay–at–home mother and a
working father who were in their first marriage (Livingston, 2015). This research will address in
depth why households are now more diverse than ever, what's the normal family now, and why
aren't the laws adjusting to how the average American family lives today.
Researchers who study

The 1950s: The Myth Of The American Family
The traditional American family comes from the 1950s, when TV shows like Leave It to Beaver and
Ozzie and Harriet were released. They were the model to follow and create the family that the myth
promotes. Parents happily married, nice house in suburbia, and a harmonious home are common
traits of the model American Family. The myth of the American family creates a template for other
families to follow; however, it only reflects to Caucasian families and creates a disappointment on
today's society.
Families acquired a new form and with it a myth of the American family was created. The myth of
the American family is one where "father knows best, mothers are never bored or irritated, and
teenagers rush to the dinner table each night, eager to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Coontz writes, "The stability of family and community life... rested on pervasive discrimination"
against those who were not white (44). Many families from minorities did not see the perfect family
that the myth promoted; instead they only saw discrimination towards them. It was that
discrimination that allowed Caucasians to contemplate the chance of living the myth of the
American family. Minorities could not even yearn for a perfect family because they did have access
to all the tools to create it, since "there was tremendous hostility to people who could be defined as
'others'" (39). Minority families did not have the alternatives that Caucasian' families had to function
as a family. They experienced rejection from society and were not part of the privileges that the
country offered to families. At least for Caucasians this myth gave them hope to replicate that
family, but to minorities it only reminded them that they will never achieve such

College Sociology : The American Family
Leigha Terry
5–7–15
College Sociology
The American Family Today, family still remains alive and well. Although many forces have
attempted to change the American family, it has managed to prevail and preserve the basic values
and principles it was first found upon. What Americans need to realize is that what works for a
family in one economic and cultural setting doesn't work for a family in another. This study is
relevant because most people don't understand that families are just doing what they have to do to
survive the new ways of society.
Some of the problems families have had to face are violence and divorce. The structure of family
has also undergone some changes. Two–career families, single–parent families, and blended families
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Women were essential partners to their husbands and were often in charge of duties like making
clothes, tending a garden, raising livestock, and selling simple goods. Because of industrialization
women lost their role as the husbands economic partner and production was taken out of the home.
Men, women and children started to earn money working in factories to contribute to the family
wealth. After the industrialization women acquired a subordinate status as homemakers. But as time
has gone by things have changed and there has been a significant rise of equality between husband
and wife. The changes and problems families in the U.S. have been through go way back in history.
Today, people in the United States have higher expectations of marriage, family and parenting.
Even today there are many prevalent changes occurring in the structure of the American family. As
time goes on the traditional building blocks of nuclear families are becoming less common in our
society. Today, it's common for both husband and wife to have incomes, while in the past it was
almost frowned upon for women to work. This up rise of two–career families has had many positive
results. The employment of married women has increased income family significantly, and brought
overall marital happiness in most cases. With the increase in income families are able to live without
the added stress of financial issues. Work also allows women to get

American Family Culture
I was raised in the 50's. My parents came from Europe after the war in 1948 and began a new life
with just the clothes on their back. They had some family here and every holiday, birthday, and just
some weekends in between we would get together. By the 70's in was already gradually starting to
shift as high school seniors were heading off all over the country expanding their horizons as they
embarked on college life. After college students embarked on new adventures stating their careers
away from their families. Although it seemed subtle at the time, now reflecting back it seems loud
and clear change has arrived. After high school I never moved back home just like many of my
friends and of course this included my cousins. Eventually my aunts and uncles also moved to
different states and everyone was all over the place. To this day I miss those wholesome days and
wished my child could have had that experience growing up.
I do believe that the first 5 years of life are so very important. How and what you do and say in
educating your children at this important is imperative to keeping family values and culture of your
own family history embedded in their absorbing ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
As evidence suggests by the year 2025 the United States will be predominately South Americans,
Asians, and Black. I actually think that might be very good if these families continue with their
cultures which for many are very good family values. They may not be as independent as the
European Americans were, though maybe a happy medium can be created where they allow more
independence but don't take away the family values and cultures. So I am optimistically hopeful that
culture within your own ethnic family can continue with families who realize the importance and
will be able to reflect back on a time when European America nurtured their families but perhaps
gave too much rope of

American Family Traditions
Holidays Another way that older generations pass down elements of the Korean culture is through
holiday traditions. For the most part, the interviewees listed the typical American holidays that their
families celebrate, including Christmas and Thanksgiving. It was evident that some American
holidays were less emphasized, such as Independence Day and Halloween. Julie expressed that the
lack of observance of some American customs exemplifies her parent's transmission of Korean
culture. For example, because Halloween is not a Korean holiday, Julie and her siblings never
dressed up or went trick–or–treating like a majority of their friends. Instead, their parents took them
to pumpkin patches, church functions or harvest festivals. Julie formulated ... Show more content on
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(Interview Julie November 5, 2015)
Ray, whose family also participates in this exchange each year, also described the scene as being the
most formal family tradition:
So, one of the parents announce that it is time and my cousins and I will all bow to the older aunts,
uncles and grandparents of course. We're supposed to memorize something in Korean to say to
them. After we do that, they say something back to us and give us cash or give the younger kids
candy or a small gift. I'd say it's the most formal or traditional thing that we do with our whole
family. It's pretty cool. (Interview Ray November 10, 2015)
Although it is not a consistent annual tradition in his family, Daniel expressed that he is familiar
with this ritual and has done it before due to its prevalence in the Korean American community
(Interview Daniel November 14, 2015). It is no surprise that this tradition is one of the more popular
among Korean Americans because it is consistent with the Korean and Confucian values of
respecting elders and maintaining family hierarchy (Park

Mexican American Family In The Mexican Family
El cambio es algo bueno. That means change is a good thing and I have a proposal that involves
change for families. I believe that Mexican families deserve a shot to live in America, even if they
are illegal immigrants. The plan involves a way where a United States' family and a family from
Mexico can both benefit from each other. The three ways that a U.S. family and a Mexican family
can benefit from each other are: sharing different foods, learning new languages, and learning new
life skills. While these exchanges are going, the Mexican family earns free citizenship as well. This
is a government funded program. The families will have to pay for their own food and housing, but
the housing is supplied by the government for a low price. The housing fee pays for a limited, but
reasonable, amount of water and electricity.
No one likes to eat the same type of food every day. Mexican food is one of the most popular types
of food eaten in the United States. The Mexican families that come over to get their citizenship can
run Mexican restaurants during shifts throughout the day and night. The restaurants will be open 24
hours a day at places like hospitals, hotels, and colleges. They will make simple kinds of foods like:
tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas. The food will be sold for a cheaper price than usual, but the
quality of the food will still be well and enjoyable. This will be benefiting the Americans who need a
quality lunch for cheap. This will also benefit the Mexicans

The Model Of The American Family
For as long as I can remember, the ideal family household consisted of the male/father as the bread
winner, provider, and head of the household, and female/mother, and children as members of this
family. This image was embedded in us through our social class, our parents, our community, and
the social media. The families of today have drastically changed, and are more complex in the
family role. As time progresses, divorce rates are at an all time high, and single parent homes are
even higher. To top it off we can't turn on the TV or computer without seeing or hearing about
gay/lesbian marriage or states legalizing same sex marriage. Over time the idea of what the model
family was viewed as and the reality of what a model class consist of now began to clash. American
families are becoming numb or more excepting of the detrimental changes that I have listed above,
of the model African American family. Finances and infidelity are at the top of the list of reasons
why the African American family is becoming non–existent.
The idea that the 1950s were the best time to raise children was based on the finances of the middle
class, but the women back then were not respected as an equal to their husband as they are more so
today.
The African American male traditionally had the patriarchy role. He was the provider, and head of
the household. That role is still ideal today, but not always possible. Due to high divorce rates, that
role changes to the African

Changing American Family Essay
The Changing American Family
The American family in the last 50 years has changed so much from the "Leave It to Beaver" days.
Now the U.S. Census has had to change their forms just to include the many different types of
"families." Between 1950 and modern times America has gone through the Korean Conflict, the
Vietnam Conflict, the Gulf War, the Iraq War, and finally the Afghanistan War. America is a battle
hardened and tested country. All this being said, most of those wars were long, drawn out conflicts
that happened half way around the world. This causes tears in the American family. Once people
return from all the bloodshed, all they want to do is be with their families and spend time to make up
for what they missed.
Studies have been completed around the new typical family and the findings are surprising to some.
Natalie Angier wrote an article in The New York Times called "The Changing American Family", in
the article she found that although people are indeed getting married, it ... Show more content on
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More gay and lesbian people are having kids than before. According to Sunday Morning on NBC,
125,000 gay or lesbian couples had adopted a child in 2010. This may seem like a small percentage
of the population, however this is the first time that those numbers had ever been tallied. LGBT
people cannot reproduce as easily as a heterosexual couple. This allows the LGBT couple to plan
out and think ahead for the future. Currently there are an estimated 14,100 foster children in gay and
lesbian homes awaiting adoption. Also interesting statistics in this field, over half of gay men, and
41% of lesbian women want to have children. There is also an estimated 2 million gay or lesbian
people in the United States that are interested in adoption. Lastly there are approximately 4% of the
children in the U.S. that are currently being raised in a LGBT home (The Williams Institute

The Black Family In The African American Family
The African American family
Family dynamics across all races are complex. For the state of the black family is made even more
complicated by a history rooted in slavery. Fractured families were born out of a system where
husbands were taken away, jailed or killed, leaving the family weakened with a mother and/or
grandmother at the helm. While these historical facts may be true; that the black family is weak, can
be argued. Yet, the family for many in the black community and other communities of color extend
to include a large number of kin. On the other hand, it can also be argued that since families were
ripped apart during the slave trade it created an opportunity for setting up networks of support and
family units to include members who may not be blood related. You often hear black people refer to
an elder as "aunt" or "uncle" these networks were put in place as protective factors in the event that
parents were sold there was an assurance that someone would care for the children. To an extent this
behavior continues to this day as we see many fathers sentenced to long jail terms for petty crimes
or killed. The family structure makeup may be a blood relative and it may also be kin of another
kind. LaShawnDa Pittman discusses how these factors shape the African–American family and how
slavery impacted the role of the mother and father within the family system. During slavery there
wasn't any possibility of childhood. Children were socialized to begin work at the age of

Family Values In American Family
In 1840s, Asian American community began to be formed when a large number of Chinese
immigrants arrived in the United States as contract laborers. Immigration from Asian countries has
increased since 1970s. The two types of Asian immigrants coming to America at this time were
voluntarily immigrants and refugees. While Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese are immigrants who came
to the United States for business purposes, Vietnamese, Laos, and Cambodian are refugees who tried
to escape their countries in the World War II.
The majority of Asian American first generation come from a strong tradition of extended and
kinship ties. Although these ties are disconnected during migration, they have been quickly
reconstructed to shape family patterns in the historical periods (Zhou 29). Contemporary Asian
immigrants from different countries of origin mostly come with their families. They also bring their
cultures and values in their home country to the United States. There are some common family
values in the Asian American family that are distinguishable, such as emphasis on the centrality of
the family, filial piety, respect for the elders, and reverence for tradition and education. While these
traditional values offer a strong moral basis sustaining the Asian American family, they have often
clashed with dominant American cultural values and have caused emotional pain and detrimental
consequences in the family and community (Zhou 30). Other than that, when the first wave of Asian
immigrants

Role Of Family In African American Family
Looking at the definition of family you realize there is not set definition in the world today. The
definition is one that changes from culture to culture. When looking at the role of family in african
american family you must look at the relationship between mother and child slaveholder and slave
and simply family in general. This had a cause and effect factor even today. What happened then
still affects african american families now and needs to be changed.
Being a mother is something that many slaves dealt with mainly when they were children having
some type of relationship with their mother. Mothers usually took on the role of caring for their
children and also doing their jobs as slaves. According to one secondary source, (Shaw) one mother
fished at night and worked an extra 4 days to provide more for her children. Some mothers did not
have any choice but to bring their children with them to work. One mother brought her child and left
him underneath the tree and said the tree was her child's nurse. (Shaw) According to the secondary
source, Mothers in Slavery, in Virginia women were convicted of murder of their children and were
hung, mainly because they had no money, or property to pay as fines for their "crimes." It seems
likely that it could have been because of poor nutrition, low birth weights, poor pre and pregnancy
care. Also according to the secondary source, a woman was very smart by threatening to kill her
baby if her master tried to separate her from her

The Ideal American Family Analysis
As stated in an article by Kimi Kennedy entitled "Television: The Ideal American Family," most
American families portrayed on television in the late '40s and early '50s consisted of "a husband,
wife and 2.5 kids" (Kennedy). In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, the Loman family seems to
perfectly fit the mold of a family living the American dream; however, the actions of the family
show that everything is not what it seems. Although the Lomans appear to be the ideal family of the
time, the way in which the family treats each other directly contrast with other fictional families of
the time. The family's treatment of Happy exemplifies the lack of attention given to some children
within American families. Throughout the play, Happy often takes a back seat to Biff when it comes
to getting his parents' attention. In Act I on pages 1851–1853 Happy says multiple times, "I'm ...
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Willy is conflicted about his feelings toward Biff. On page 1844, while talking to Linda, Willy goes
from saying, "The trouble is he's lazy..." to saying "That's one thing about Biff– he's not lazy" in a
matter of seconds (Miller). Biff also feels conflicted about his father. Biff cannot seem to decide if
he really loves his father or not. On page 1864, Biff is confident in his love toward his mother yet,
the love he feels for his father seems to be an afterthought (Miller).
The Loman family seems like the ideal American family based on television in the 1940s and '50s.
Willy, Linda, Biff, and Happy, however, do not get along very well and most they all have secrets
that they keep from each other. The Lomans first appear to be a typical fictional family of the time
consisting of a mother, father, and two children, but soon show their flaws. Arthur Miller breaks the
mold for the fictional families of the time in his play Death of a Salesman by highlighting the flaws
and downfalls of each member of the

Essay On African American Family
The concept of family is one of many universal priorities amongst all Africans in all regions. Family
is something that African families genuinely value and is considered the foundation for their
standing in society. No matter how old you are, you are not considered an adult until you have had
children. African parents do not feel complete until they become grandparents. And even if you are
married you are not considered to have a family until you have children. African families have very
strong foundations because they cherish their families, and are all very close knit. It is considered to
be very common and normal to live in a household with both of your grandparents and sometimes
even aunts and uncles.
Marriage in African culture is looked at as more of a business arrangement rather than marrying
someone for love. A woman is to marry a man who can provide for her and take care of her family.
When the time comes for a woman to marry a man the man's family often pays the woman's parents
for "the loss of their daughter". So basically daughters in the African family are sold to help their
families. In my personal ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
African Americans value family but nowhere near as much as the African family. The African
American family has been destructed in my eyes by the white man. African Americans are not as
proud and close as the African family are. African Americans are not as proud and are quick to
diminish one another rather than help out each other and stand together. Most families only have the
mother in the household, a lot more children are born outside of wedlock, marriage is not as
common, and African American families are less likely to have their grandparents or extended
family in living in the household with them. Most African American families do not have the father
in the household. Most families are ran by the mother, who is most likely single with more than one
child to take care

Postmodern American Family
Research Question:
What role does technology play on kinship ties in postmodern North American society?
Thesis Statement:
In the postmodern era technologies of social saturation render the ties of kinship less significant than
they were in the postmodern era.
Summary:
The modernization of North America has changed the make of family lessening the significance of
the ties of kinship. According to Zeitlin, the theory of the postmodern family is based on the concept
of changing gender roles as there is no longer a need for a distinction between the genders. Men are
no longer hunters, women are no longer dedicated to domestic labour and childbearing. It is because
of technological advancements the differences between the genders are less ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
The telephone completely alters the the nature of social interactions. It can be described as a lifeline
to the outside world or a device that can cause isolation. The placement of information and
technological devices within the home alters the domestic environment. The interaction between
these devices and the inhabitants show that having these devices causes an impact on the people
within the home, influencing their habits and values. These devices become important to the daily
lives of the inhabitants, and cause new social networks which form relationships outside the family.
It is difficult to maintain both external and internal relations so families struggle to make time for
each other, and when they do spend time together it may involve use of these devices which isn't
really a social connection at all. In communities with little chance of casual encounters providing
people with this technology causes isolation from society outside of screens. This is directly related
to the belief that humans are becoming more antisocial which as a family would have a negative
effect on interpersonal interactions. (Strathern 2005:

Spanish American Family
1. Learn as much as possible about each family's culture and values. However do not make
assumptions based on faith, race or country of origin. Families from other countries generally have
their own cultures and values. In order for a family to feel welcome and comfortable, they need to
maintain their own identities, forcing them to use or follow ours will only confuse them and make
life difficult. Since this family has moved to the United States, it is possible they have already taken
to some of ours. "One way to build trust and open communication is to strive to understand and
respect the family's cultural perspective. One way to build strong relationships with families is to
gain more understanding about multicultural perspectives" (Browder ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Some agencies may be able to provide Spanish interrupters. They could help Miguel in school and
help with communicating with the family during this meeting. While this helps relieve some anxiety
from us as teachers, it also can show the family we are willing to assist them in any way possible.
Other community agencies can connect Miguel and his family to other families that are from
Nicaragua or from other Spanish speaking countries. If Miguel would like children his age to play
with, without the sense of 'not belonging,' local organizations may have sports team established for
children like Miguel. As Miguel and his family meet other families and develop relationships, the
feeling of being alone will subside and will help make the transition

Changes In The Traditional American Family
Sunday morning, the mother is in the kitchen making breakfast for the family while the father is
feeding the animals getting the children up to do their chores before breakfast. The children do their
chores, eat breakfast with their parents and then get ready dressed to go to church. The mother after
finishing cooking breakfast, gets herself cleaned up to get ready for church, as well has the father.
Then off to church and then a Sunday afternoon spent with the family together, no electronics, no
shopping, just together working on takas at home. Does this life exist anymore? The typical
American family has changed drastically. Focusing on marriage as part of this change. In the past,
people got married because they fell in love. The marriage

Stereotypes Of The American Family
The perfect American family was given to us in a form of a photo, an inspiring photograph dating
back to the 1950's gives us light to the perfect portrayal of the American Family. The media painted
them as a middle class, white family standing in front of their perfect suburban home. Neatly
trimmed grass lined with a white picket fence, husband and wife holding their infant child. In the
twenty–first century the nuclear family is not the only type of family around, on a daily basis we see
same sex couples, single parents, and blended households all raising families. The traditional
American family is no longer traditional, what's normal and accepted today still causes eye brows to
be raised, the family template we have created as a culture ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Today a normal family consists of a mother, father and biological children but there are many things
that are accepted these days. Adoption is a very real thing and it is acceptable to adopt a child if you
cannot bare your own. Single parents are very common now a days it is questionable if one parent
can raise a child successfully. We wonder how a man can raise teen girls, how a man can teach a girl
the things only a woman can understand and vice versa for male children and woman guardians. But
even in 2015 there are things we raise our eyebrows at. Same sex marriage is something that is still
up in the air, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) community is isolated and targeted on the
other hand same sex marriage has been added to law so does that mean it is accepted or normal? To
prove my point there are some television shows that are being aired that are still looked at as
inappropriate, "Full House" and "Modern Family". "Full House" is about a widowed father raising
three girls who invites his brother in law and best friend to move in and raise the children. "Modern
Family" is a show that has several different families who are all related but specifically Cameron
and Mitch's relationship, the gay couple who adopts a little girl. If you adopt you are looked at if
something is wrong (medically) with

German American Family
The translation of this final proverb is "trouble shared is trouble halved––joy shared is joy doubled."
As in many German households, family is considered the place of mutual support and strength in
times of crisis (Winawer & Wetzel, 1996). In addition to German households, I discovered this
proverb deeply resonates with my beliefs. Personally, I believe having a family is having those to
help alleviate any type of trouble or sorrow and to celebrate joy when it is shared. When speaking
with my grandparents, they felt this proverb also aligns with their perceived purpose of family,
believing that family is the foundation to lean on through celebrating and mourning. Prior to hearing
my grandparents' story, I assumed they were traditional in the way they viewed roles for men and
women. I figured they aligned to the majority of cultures in that they believed the women should
stay home while the men worked. However, when speaking to them further, I realized their marriage
was created on the belief that they equally contributed to the success of the family – pulling weight
where needed and acting a partnership. To them, it didn't necessarily matter who earned the income
versus who maintained the house, as long as they both ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In most German households, the husband is the head of the household and the leader of the family;
however, a wife's contribution is highly valued by her husband as she takes on many roles (Winawer
& Wetzel, 1996). The children also play an essential role in the German family. They are raised with
schedules and structure and are awarded more for politeness, table manners, and household chores
(Winawer & Wetzel, 1996). In reflection of the importance of structure in the German culture, each
family member had a specific role and equally contributed to the success of the

Old American Families
Our families often are an important part of our lives. They are always there for us. Because of our
society's constant acceptance of new ideals, what one calls a family differs from person to person.
The composition and expectations for the modern American family differ from those of the old–
fashioned American family, however, both old–fashioned and modern families in the United States
are often united, caring, and mostly happy.
The composition of the modern and the old–fashioned family has changed over the years. No family
in the United States today is exactly the same compared to how it was for old–fashioned families in
which all families were the same. Unlike old–fashioned American families, today's modern families
are composed of women in the workforce, stay at home men, adopted children, same sex family
heads, and interracial families. Women are joining the workforce, which means that they can now
provide for their families while the men stay at home and do housework. This would have never
happened in old–fashioned American families since men were the ones who went to work while
their wives stayed at home. The modern American family sometimes opts to adopt children rather
that conceiving themselves, unlike the old–fashioned American families that conceived over
adopting. Since same sex marriages became legal in the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Women in the modern family are expected to be more independent from their male relatives
compared to how it once was in the old–fashioned families. Additionally, women in modern families
are expected to contribute their income to the family whereas men only did in the past. The
expectations for men household roles and responsibilities have also changed. Men are now expected
to help do chores around the house compared to how only the women did in the old–fashioned
families. Men also help take care of children compared to how only women did it in the

Family Values In The Family Of The American Family
Picture a picture frame sitting on the mantel over a fireplace, sitting in the frame is a warm candid
family sitting on the couch, the photo reads 12/ 25/77. The father is holding a beer with his four–
year–old daughter sitting on his lap her curly black hair almost engulfing her face. She is opening a
present wrapped in shining green paper, the girl's mother sitting next to them smiling in excitement
to see what her daughter thinks of her gift. Happy American family during the holidays. This is
initially what every family wants, "The Great American Dream": a nice house, a happy family, a
warm meal to come home to, and a white picket fence. The American family dynamic is changing
its look but it is keeping its core values
Next to that photo is another family photo, it shows a mother sitting on the couch holding her 2–
year–old son, sitting on the floor opening presents is two kids maybe five or six years old, next to
the mother sits the father holding a gift wrapped in shiny green paper. The photo reads 12/25/1955.
The typical American family has definitely changed since the 1950s however most families
experience the holidays together, with gifts, food, smiles, traditions and family squabbles. Most
every child experiences the magic of the holidays with their family, why can't they grow up
experiencing that magic with two moms or two dads?
The Loving's made history when Richard and Mildred Loving become the first interracial couple to
be married in the United States, forever

The Concept Of The American Family
Ashley Guy
Professor Edwards
EN 101–2
4 December 2014
Transracial Adoption
Introduction:
Over the years, the concept of the American family has undergone a radical transformation. The
change in the concept of the American family is now reflecting society's acceptance that just 50
years ago was impossible to even imagine. We are now accepting the unification of blacks and
whites and are coming to terms with homosexuality and the unification of a more diverse family.
Among all divisions of society, there is a greater acceptance of the differences in families from
single parenting to blended families to same sex parenting of children, but there is still some
controversy in racism that can cause problems in the adoption process.
A majority of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Adoption offers new opportunities for children who have been left behind by their biological parents
to grow up with a more fitting family that will love and accept them for who they are.
Transracial Adoption:
Much like the apples, adoption ranges greatly. There are now five types of adoptions: Agency,
Independent, Step Parent, International, and Open Agency Adoption. An international adoption or
transracial adoption is defined as, "the joining of racially different parents and children together in
adoptive families" (Silverman 104). Among the five types of adoptions, international adoption is
considered a controversial topic.
Good or Bad?
I personally find adoption to be a positive issue that is turned into a negative issue due to the
comments toward diversity. I also believe that in the future, people will be more accepting towards a
more diverse family whether it is towards their sexuality, age, and/ or appearance. Slowly, but
surely, we are becoming more open to different races coming together, and with that said, we are
adjusting to social circumstances. Blacks and whites are now going to the same schools, and even
getting married. I feel as though we are more open and accepting to different things, so why not
have the same marriage, or adopt children of different races? I feel as though families in the future
are going to shy away from the more "traditional" family and become a lot more diverse and unique
through

American Family Defined
The ABC news documentary "2010's American Family Defined", talks about the definition of
today's modern family. This information is based on a research that explains how people have
changed their ideology of what makes a family. It points out that the traditional family consists of a
father, a mother with children's have changed into a modern family that consist of what a person
considers a family should be. The modern family can be a blended family, same sex family, single
parent, and so on.
My family consist of my son and myself, as a single parent, I will be considered a modern family.
The traditional family have changed to the modern family like in my case due to divorce because the
laws had made it easier for women to file for no

History Of The Mexican-American Family
Our family history is rooted in Texas and Mexico. Discussing our family history with my parents
and relatives I have found that my grand–parents and great grandparents were born and raised in
Texas. They moved back and forth between Mexico and Texas for work. Both sides of our family
always sought work and better opportunities for their families. Our families have been made up of
strong men who worked mostly as laborers. My grandfathers and great–grand fathers worked in
cotton fields, as ranch hands, migrant workers known as "Campesinos", "Brazeros" or laborers,
sheered sheep and have even been grave diggers. Working in many different manual labors in the
Del Rio, Austin and Hill Country area of Brady and Seguin, always working hard for their families.
During the depression in America, my ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Some of my family is unable to vote due to immigration status, but they still held strong political
opinions. In the late 1890's to early 1900's my great–great grandfather paid his "Poll–Tax" and
encouraged those he knew to pay it so that they could vote, too. As Mexican–Americans in Texas
they wanted to have equal opportunities for all regardless of race and origin. Trying to help establish
equal opportunities for all people my great–great grandfather worked to advance and promote an
organization that is still in existence today, LULAC. The fundamental beliefs of the Democratic
Party were aligned with what they were working so hard for. Looking back at some the past
Presidential elections my family has only supported the Democratic party. Some of the candidates
my family mentioned they supported were John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and most
recently Hillary Clinton. These candidates gained our family support because of our belief that the
Democratic party stands for helping the working class, the laborers, equality for all citizens and help
to create jobs and programs for the American

The Differences Between Chinese Family and American Family
The differences between Chinese family and American family
Abstract：Family is the basic miniature of the social economic activity, and it is the basic unit that
constitutes the society. The values of the society rely on people's family values in a large degree.
However, due to the difference of geographical and historical background, religion and belief,
different nations have their own family values.A clear and direct contrast between Chinese and
American family values can bridge over their communication gap.The paper first introduced the
Definitions of Families．It then，focuses on the difierent types of families in China and America．
In the following section，the paper proceeds to elaborate the extension of family to social ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Any kind of life philosophy, if not pay attention to this fundamental relationship, can not be
considered as an appropriate philosophy. American family members pay great attention to the
concepts of individual equality, independence, individual right and family relationship, among
which the most prominent concepts are independence and equality. Chinese families focus more on
seniority relation,

Family Values and The Status of The Traditional American...
When one thinks of the term family values, many different ideas can come to mind. Morals,
religion, beliefs, tradition, expectation, controversy, and misuse are some things that may come to
mind when the term "family values" is mentioned. The true definition and meaning of family values
can most likely never be directly pinpointed, but it is always going to be a known fact that family
values are always going to have different meanings to different people. It is the common
misunderstanding that family values are just simply the things that shape a growing persons values
and morals. From a the beginning of a child's life, they are instilled with values to go by in the life
that lies ahead of them by either their own family or the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
When it comes time to make an important decision, ones personal courage and self discipline are put
to the test and what has been instilled in them from the beginning of their lives is the determining
factor of how the situation will turn out. There are many things that can go wrong in the process of
passing family values on from generation to generation. If certain values are instilled in a particular
family since the dawn of its existence, and those values are not necessarily the best ones, it is more
than likely going to be considered a perfectly acceptable value and taught to members of that family
to come. When negative family values are taught, it is common that when someone applies those
same values to real world situations, they will encounter conflict among people and situations that
they come across. This is common with families that are prejudice, racist, sheltered, or just plain
ignorant to modern cultural standards. It is a very sad thing when incorrect or socially unacceptable
values are taught to the youth in a family. For the reason that, to a young and impressionable mind
what is taught to them is the only thing that they know and it is always considered right. It is not the
youth's fault, or the parents fault for that matter, it is just simply a matter of how a particular family
or group of people adapt and conform to contemporary socially acceptable customs. Sometimes, the
teaching of family values is diverted by

Changing American Family
In today's overall population, the structure of family is evolving. People's perspective toward race,
sex, religion, and society has allowed more open entryways in the way that families are developed.
As demonstrated by Natalie Angier, "Researchers who look at the structure and headway of the
American family express unsullied amazement at how rapidly the family has changed of late" ("The
Changing American Family," 2013). A substantial bit of these critical changes are credited to
women's parity and their passageway into the workforce. In fact, even as fiscal uniqueness develops,
the American families are ending up being more socially populist over all. Social unions within the
unmistakable races, religions, and political get–togethers are growing. ... Show more content on
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A sudden example change towards the ordinary family suggests women would be not have
permission to higher up occupations and they would face input for working outside the home.
Furthermore, as a result of such a development, women would just not work outside; rather they
would raise kids and do family work (Smith, 2010). Women would be dispirited from searching for
cutting edge instruction or they wouldn't have the ability to go to schools by any methods. Having
gotten the benefit to vote would have been way far from reality. Women would be up 'til now
fighting with isolation, especially women of different shading if society moved back to a more
traditional family

Two American Families

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