Understanding Families

Objectives:1.1 reflect on the roles and responsibilities of families

1.2 analyze the demographic trends of families and predict the implications for Canadian families and society

1.4 develop a definition of family within the context of Canadian society

The Importance of Families

• A family is a group of two or more people who care about each other and are committed to each other.

Why does family seem to matter so much?

A family is every child’s first connection to the world. As a child gets older, a family should provide a safe environment from which to explore-and to which he or she can return.

The family provides an important sense of belonging for every member.

1950’s Family

Today???

Types of Families

• Family groups take many different forms and vary in size and structure. A family may include a single parent and several children, or two parents and one child, or two married or committed with no children….etc.

In spite of these many variations, there are four main kinds of family groups:

- nuclear family - extended family - single-parent family - blended family

The Nuclear Family

Is a family with two generations – a father and mother and

at least one child – sharing the same household.

the families may differ depending on how many children there are, whether parents work outside the home, and other characteristics.

A nuclear family can include: - biological children - adopted children - foster children

Single-Parent Family

• Is a family group that includes either a mother or a father and at least one child.

• The parent may be father or mother. • That parent may be raising children alone.

Single parenting puts many demands on the parent. He or she has a great deal of responsibility, little free time, and no spouse with whom to share problems. Many single parents find support in a network of friends and relatives. Some communities have organizations for single parents, which provide emotional support and social opportunities.

Example: YMCA

Custodial Parent

• In the case of divorce, many children make scheduled visits to the parent who doesn’t live with them. These visits give the custodial parent, the one with whom the child resides, a necessary break from the challenges of single parenthood and preserves the relationship between the other parent and child.

The Blended Family

• Is a family group formed when a single parent marries another person, who may or may not have children.

• Step-parents

• Step-children

• Step-brothers/ step-sisters

In the first few months or years, the members of a blended family may experience challenges:

• Learning to live with each other

• Accommodations and compromises

• Stepparenting adjustments

• And more.

Extended Family

• Is a family group that includes a parent or parents, at least one child, and relatives other than a parent or child who live with them.

Examples:• A woman raisers her two grandsons. • An elderly man lives with his daughter, his son-in law and

his granddaughter.

• The term extended family also refers to additional relatives outside the family.

Joining a Family

• A child can join a family in many ways. – Biologically– legal process

• Adoption

• Foster

A legal guardian is a person who is designated by a legal process to assume responsibility for raising the child.

Adoption

• Is the legal process in which people obtain the permanent right to raise a child who is not biologically their own.

• In the past, children were always matched as closely as possible to their adoptive parents, with special consideration given to their race, ethnic and religious background, and physical characteristics.

• Now, the emphasis of adoption is on finding good homes for children who need them. Matching the characteristics is no longer considered especially important.

Foster Child

• A child whose parents or other close family members are unable to care for him or her. Foster parents assume temporary legal responsibility for the child.

Trends Affecting Families• All families are affected by trends in the society around them.

– Mobility• Many adults move away from the community where they were raised. Families

may lack close, supportive connections with extended family.• Families must rely on themselves, neighbours, and close friends for support and

assistance. – Aging Population

• People are living longer then they used to. People find themselves caring not only for children, but also helping and caring for aging parents. This can create stress as well as opportunities for intergenerational interaction – between young and old.

– Fluctuations in Economy• Families struggle to make ends meet. Finances are often the primary reason why

both parents in a nuclear family are employed. The pressure of finances have led to families having less children/smaller families.

– Workplace changes• There is a constant shift in the amount of jobs available at any given time. In such

a changing work environment, there is the demand to continuously learn new skills.

– Impact of technology• Can make life easier, and make life more difficult. • Cell phones, internet are two technologies that are leading to less communication

and time for each other.

Review

There are four types of families:1. nuclear family

2. extended family

3. single-parent family

4. blended family

There are four different ways to become a parent:1. Biologically

2. Adoption

3. Foster

4. Through marriage

Your Task

1. Choose a tv show that portrays families.

Examples: Family Guy, Simpsons, Modern Family, Parenthood, etc.

ARE THEY REFLECTING CURRENT CULTURE OR FUTURE TRENDS?

Explain with examples.

Include: • How are the gender roles portrayed?• How do the roles in this family exhibit society's expectations

of roles within the family today?• How do the roles portrayed in this family go against society’s

expectations of roles within the family today?