Diversity In Interracial Families

As of 2015 the U.S Census Bureau revealed that approximately 116 million families are living in the United States. These families possess their own unique style, culture and set of beliefs. My family, consisting of my married parents and my older sister, are no different in the aspect that we too hold our own set of beliefs. The socially constructed term ‘family’ traditionally is defined as a unit that is related by marriage or blood, share financial responsibilities and care for any children/dependents (Lofquist et al., 2012). Growing up as a Haitian American, my ideas of what it means to be a family have been greatly influenced by my cultures and my religion. The Haitian culture greatly emphasizes family relationships and familial

In today’s society, family is often attempted to be organized within a social structure. Within this structure family typically is consisted of mom, dad, daughter, and son. However, many families do not fit into this configuration. These families may include same sex couples, separated or divorced families, extended families, or even blended families. Even though these families may be happy and healthy, to many they are not considered real families. Going along with the topic of imperfect families, both Barbara Kingsolver and Richard Rodriguez try to break down the traditional family structure through their writing. While Kingsolver’s “Stone Soup” and Rodriguez’s “Family Values” explore the ideas of different family structures and traditional American values, “Stone Soup” breaks down what an actual family is like while “Family Values” expresses the value of family in different cultures.

In this chapter of, Families as they really are, Coontz, a professor of history, asserts the theme of how as time went on the definition of a family has altered. Coontz begins this chapter by showing how every area in the world has a different definition of what is a family. Specifically, in the United States, the definition of a family has altered from the early colonial times to today. She explains the differences of the how every race has a different meaning for families. According to Coontz, originally a family could be considered anybody within the kin. Also, people in the early days did not marry because of love. People got married because of social and financial benefits. Another point that was emphasized by Coontz, was how originally there was not formalities for a marriage. A marriage was just two people that are close to each other. However, as time went on documentation was given out of a valid marriage. Coontz, goes on to state how in the 1950s all of this started to change. Families started to live together, the husband and wife got married because they both love each other. This was the time period where the nuclear family started to be the ideal family of a husband being the breadwinner, and the wife as a stay at home mother, and two children going to school. Coontz, concludes with how the definition and perspective of a family has changed over time, and will keep on changing.

Myths of family, media, gender, opportunity, and technology shape our assumptions about who we are and ought to be by holding people up to an unrealistic standard that not everyone can meet, and by normalizing the circular logic of fringe beliefs through intellectual framing. This could cause us to lose sight of our own independent thoughts and experiences, in favor of meeting a standard that may or may not be impossible for us to meet. Myths of the perfect family have now become outdated, and striving for this could devalue the meaning of family to people who all have different family experiences and ideas of family. This is because the idea of family is dependent on culture and the historical time. For example, during The Model American Family unit, we watched a film of standards families were expected to meet in the 50’s.

In line with the above, and in recognition of the diversity of contemporary society, we should emphasize that "respect for diversity requires that family be defined openly and broadly so as to include whomever the family itself- with its unique culture, circumstances, and history-designates" (Allen and Petr 1998:8).

Prior to enrolling in American Families at The University of Mount Union, I had a predisposition to what I perceived a perfect family looked like. I envisioned a nuclear family with parents who are madly in love and children who thrive from tremendous emotional support. After weeks of studying the topic of American families more in depth in and outside of the classroom, my perception has changed. I have learned the important concept that every family is a unique, diverse unit. The service-learning project provided me with the opportunity to apply many topics discussed in class, such as family structure, communication patterns, and the Symbolic Interaction Theory to a real American family.

Robert Dale Morison, a parent who has adopted a son of a different race, professes the root of racism could easily be eliminated, stating, “The quickest way to end racism would be to have everyone adopt a child of another race. Mo matter what your beliefs, when you hold a four-week-old infant, love him and care for him, you don’t see skin color, you see a little person that is very much in need of your love.” Interracial adoption isn't about the color of the child’s skin, it is about the love they will be given in their new home and that they will still be able to learn about their culture in a safe and loving environment. The most important factor in interracial adoption is that the child has a permanent and loving home.

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

This paper discusses the dynamic issues involving the diversity of multicultural families in regards to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic, gender and sexual orientation. This paper will also highlight same or different minority or cultural backgrounds, identity and biases involving multicultural families. How multicultural families incorporate their beliefs, cultures and values into a family unit as well as the transformation of acculturation. Challenges involving racial identity, ethnicity; where do people with different cultures fit in and make it work; the population of multicultural families has risen and continue to do so. Socioeconomic status in multicultural families

Assessing the View that Family Diversity is Leading to a Weakening of Traditional Family Values

Interracial families are more prevalent today than they have even been and the number of interracial families are growing each year as people are becoming more accepting of people of other races and rejecting the past. However, interracial families still report dealing with issues such as discrimination. Not everyone has yet to accept and welcome the idea of an interracial family in their own family and neighborhoods. Parents and children who are a part of interracial families must deal with multiple biases, how people act towards them, and developing a healthy identity in a world that is not always ready to accept them as they are.

The families in America are steadily changing. While they remain our most valued and consistent source of strength and comfort, some families are becoming increasingly unstructured. In the past, the typical family consists of a working father, a stay at home mother and, of course, well-rounded children. Today, less than 20 percent of American families fit nicely into this cookie cutter image. American households have never been more diverse. Natalie Angier takes stock of the changing definition of family in an article for the New York Times.

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.

The word family has changed so much in the past century. A family back in the 1950’s was probably considered a husband, wife, and one or more children. Times have changed and families have become much different. The Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others book defines family as a, “Unit made up of any number of persons who live in relationship with one another over time in a common living space who are usually, but not always, united by marriage and kinship” (Beebe, Beebe & Redmond, 243). Families can be broken up into five different types. The first is the traditional family, which includes a mother, father, and their biological children. Next, is the blended family which includes

Throughout human history individuals around the world, of various ethnic, racial, cultural backgrounds have linked together to form what people call today families. A lot of questions come to mind when contemplating the complex relationship people have. Since families have a direct bearing on society now and on future generations it is essential to take seriously what is happening to the family. Is the American family in decline, and if so what should be done about it? “Traditionally, family has been defined as a unit made up of two or more people who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption: live together; form an economic unit, and bear and raise children (Benokraitis, 3).” The definition of decline is to “fail in strength, vigor, character, value, deteriorate, slant downward.” The traditional nuclear family consists of a father provider, mother-homemaker, and at least one child (Brym and Lie, 252).” The nuclear family is a distinct and universal family form because it performs five important functions in society:sexual regulation, economic cooperation, reproduction, socialization, and emotional support. Research from the 1950 's to the present will emphasize what trends are taking place among American families. Family trends might not have expected???