Exam-Fright Killer FAMILIAL ISSUES - IN A NUTSHELL Introduction # For most. the family usi means the nuclear family (father, mother and Changes and Trends * children), the basic unit of social organisation and the basic living arrangement. The family provides its members with protection, security, companionship and socialisation. Historically, the family offered the framework for nearly all human activities: the family unit was the basis for economic production, education, religion and recreation. Functions of the family . > Families still provide affection, emotional support and security. They also teach values, daily skills and common practices. > Other traditional functions of the family are performed by specialised institutions: schools, recreation centres and churches. > The influence of peers and that of the mass media have gained a large role in the socialisation of children. The composition of the family > In modern times, the sense of extended family identity has weakened. Loyalty to the family is important, but it is less common for extended families to live together or close to each other. Children are less burdened with responsibility for their elder family members because of increased residential mobility, waning family estates, the availability of old people’s homes and nursing homes, and the provision of pensions and benefits for retired people. > The size of the average family is shrinking: the number of childless couples is on the increase; the average number of children has fallen sharply. The reasons why families are getting smaller are many and various: deliberate personal choice, more effective family planning (birth control), getting married later in life, delaying having children until partners’ careers are well established, high expenses of raising children, and unwillingness to take on responsibilities of parenthood. > There is an increase in the number of stepfamilles through remarriage. > There are more and more single-parent families as well, owing to a rise in the divorce rate, and the fact that a growing number of single mothers have children. The latter trend also explains the increase in the number of illegitimate children: bearing children out of wedlock is becoming acceptable. > Cohabitation is getting more widespread. > Homosexual couples live together more openly as families, with adopted or foster children. > The number of people living alone has risen significantly. Young singles are afraid of losing their independence by getting married. They prefer to pursue a career rather than get married, or are unable to find a suitable partner.Problems to Think About ‘® The role of the spouse > Traditional roles = Father is the wage earner and decision maker; mother is the housewife (homemaker), responsible for looking after the children. > Moder roles = As women have become part of the labour force because of economic necessity or a desire for a career, they have achieved greater equality with men. ‘Women’s breadwinner status and legislation guaranteeing equal rights for them have substantially altered women’s social standing. "= Traditional gender roles are eroding: modern mothers carn money to supplement the family budget; modern fathers are involved in childcare and housework. = The “New Age Man” is the ideal husband who does his share of domestic chores. Househusbands stay at home and look after the children when it is ‘more practical for the wife to keep her job. + Living in poverty: families with working single mothers or lots of children often find it hard to support themselves. %* Jugaling career and childcare is very difficult for working mothers, due to lack of time. % Lack of adequate parental attention: as both parents work, they cannot spend enough quality time with their children. The number of latchkey children is on the rise. % Generation gap: teenagers question their parents’ norms, formulate and experiment with their own values. This process creates tensions and conflicts between people sharing their lives. % Divorce: coping with the effects of a broken-down relationship is demanding, both emotionally and financially, for all parties involved. %® Fitting into a stepfamily: adoption or remarriage is often a source of tension between nnon-biological parents and children, half-brothers and half-sisters. %* Domestic violence: sexual, physical or psychological abuse of children and spouse is the dark side of family life. % Juvenile delinquency: there is a marked statistical increase in the mumber of young people who commit serious and violent crimes rather than petty theft. % Problems of the elderly: elderly people feel neglected and lonely; many live in Poverty; the sick often lack proper care; some people regard them as a burden on the state. % Population growth in the developing world increases poverty and may jeopardise the Future of our planet. %® Longer life expectancy, coupled with low birth rates in industrial nations, is more than likely to cause serious economic and social problems brought about by radical shifts in the size of the workforce. 123