SOCIOLOGY 6
Running head: SOCIOLOGY 1
Sociology
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Sociology
Studies indicate that there has been a significant change in the nature of families over the past 60 years and the transition is becoming more diverse with time ( Schwartz & Scott, 2017). There are various issues regarding why family is an essential aspect of socialization, the variances in family and marriage life that are linked with gender, class and personal choice and the significant changes that have been experienced in the American family. Religious beliefs and family unity are part of the aspects which govern the overall principles of individuals. This paper seeks to give more in-depth insights into the changes that have been witnessed in the nature of families.
Reasons Why the Family Is Considered as The Most Essential Agent of Socialization
It is concrete to say that the family holds an integral part in socialization and social development. It shapes the behavior of people from their childhood and hence is a significant determinant of how people will socialize in the future. When people are young, they entirely depend on others for survival. Parents are the primary agents who mentor children alongside other elder family members who teach on the sharing of resources, group life, and close relationship. Moreover, they determine the first system of beliefs, norms, and values and this reflects on the religion and social status of an individual. The family settings enable children to become familiar with the social cultures and impart the socially acceptable behavior and thinking into them. Therefore, how parents treat their children affects how they will behave in the social domain. Nevertheless, families are different but can be part of the same society. Some of the factors which distinguish families in society include ethnicity/race, socioeconomic status, cultural background, national origin, religion and personal attributes (Kendall, 2013). Even though the various characteristics differentiate families, it cannot be denied that the family is the primary basis of the process of socialization. Most individuals interact with their family through ought their life, and hence there is a considerable impact on the personality of an individual, that comes from family members.
Factors that Caused the Dramatic Changes to the American Family
There have been constant typical changes in families in America and around the world as well. There are various factors which indicate that American families have changed over time. Generally, economic times have changed, and there are constraints that can be attributed to those changes. Women have now gained the desire to seek better career options so that they can support their children. This can be contradicted to the past times where men were the sole breadwinners in families. Education, culture, economy, and ethnicity are the factors which have contributed to the existing modern American family. There have been changes in the culture of people through interactions, and this has led to the assimilation of other people’s lifestyles. As a result, people have participated in interracial marriages; a factor that was not readily accepted in the past. Work and other current global elements have enabled people to engage in interracial marriages without discrimination from society. The society has generally become inclusive of all genders, and women have become more financially sovereign, hence more tension in marriages. Furthermore, there have been cases of more conflicts reported in marriages than it was reported in the past.
Differences in Marriage and Family Life That are linked to Class, Race and Personal Choice
Family and marriage are vital components in most of today’s societies. However, there are some aspects which make them distinct from each other. In family life, people tend to originate from the same social class and similar race. However, as they move onto marriage, the situations seem to change as they may be integrated into a different social race or class. Social class has some sort of impact on the choices that people make when people are choosing marriage partners. Modernization has changed the aspects of race and social class, therefore, improving the outlook that people have on these aspects. The differences between marriage and family are caused by extensive social diversity when meeting new life partners. Typically, race and class organize the entire society hence leading to multiple contexts of family. The striking differences may only be noticed when one wants to choose a marriage partner. Studies indicate that the number of interracial marriages is on the rise; hence race is no longer considered a significant barrier when making marriage choices (Thompson & Hickey, 2016). Social class, on the other hand, is judged on the basis of occupation status and the kind of life and conditions that an individual may prefer when they are married.
Trends toward Diverse Families
From my standpoint, the trends towards having diverse families have both positive and negative impacts. It is positive as it will allow people from different backgrounds and statuses to interact, hence allowing interactions and unity. The stereotypes that most people have on others will be reduced as people will understand each other and thus would not judge them on presumptions. Diversity in families ensures that people ensure an inclusive world free of discrimination. People tend will therefore tend to bring more understandings into the concept that family diversity ensures critical awareness on issues such as sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender and ethnicity. As a result, people would avoid bring up generalizations that surround such notions. However, family diversity brings out negative impacts as well. Studies indicate that family diversity usually leads to an increase in lone parenting.
Impact on Women’s Rights If the Trend Changed towards Traditional Families
In the situation where the trend would have changed towards traditional (pre- World- War II) families; there would be a regression in women’s rights. The conventional notion that women were less powerful beings and their only role was to raise children, cook and clean would have been maintained. This would have resulted in a detrimental effect on women because they would not have a chance to earn an income and contribute to the financial well-being of a family. Women could have been limited from accessing more opportunities as they would be limited in going beyond some boundaries. This would lead to a subjective family life where men would always be considered as being more powerful beings than women. Women could not have known that they could chase their dreams and advanced career lives. However, this is not possible in the current world since women have been empowered that they can also make a difference in their lives and that of others (Widmer, 2016).
In conclusion, it is seen that there have been changes in family structures over time. The traditional family is was bound to be rejected as evidenced by its propagation of inequality. This change was essential as it allowed social progress since families are now seen as vital social institutions and not as political construction that uplifts only a specific category of people. The contemporary world now supports interracial marriages. Typically, there is a rise in the diversity of families.
References
Kendall, D. (2013). Sociology in Our Times, 11th. Independence, KY: Wadsworth Publishing
Schwartz, M. A., & Scott, B. (2017). Marriages and families: Diversity and change. Pearson.
Thompson, W. E., Hickey, J. V., & Thompson, M. L. (2016). Society in focus: An introduction to sociology. Rowman & Littlefield.
Widmer, E. D. (2016). Family configurations: A structural approach to family diversity. Routledge.