MagistrateRedPandaPerson183
“When I Was Your Age, We Had to Walk a Mile in the Snow…” Select…
“When I Was Your Age, We Had to Walk a Mile in the Snow…”
Select an older person of a different generation (who is at least 60 years of age) and ask him or her to respond to the following questions about “family” in general (i.e., not about his or her own particular family):
When were you born and where (country, state, city) did you spend the majority of your childhood?
In what ways has the general concept of “family” changed since you were a child?
In what ways has the general concept of “family” remained the same since you were a child?
Overall, which of the following 3 statements (*that were discussed earlier in chapter 1 of your textbook) do you most agree with and why so…
(a) The family is declining
(b) The family is changing, not declining
(c) The family is more resilient than ever
In your interview summary, first provide a brief description of the interviewee.
Second, summarize their responses to the questions that you asked them during the interview.
Third, provide a thorough analysis of your reaction to his or her responses given in the interview.
Chapter 1
Conclusion: The Changing Family
There have been changes in family structures, but all kinds of families seek caring, supportive, and enduring relationships. There’s nothing inherently better about one type of family form than another. Instead, people create families that meet their needs for love and security.
The greatly expanded choices in family structure means that the traditional definition of family no longer reflects the interests of a particular group. Such fluidity also generates new questions. Who, for example, will provide adequate child care when both parents are employed? And is it possible to pursue personal happiness without sacrificing obligations to other family members?
Our choices often are limited by constraints, especially at the macro-level, such as the economy and government policies. To deal with changes, choices, and constraints, we need as much information as possible about the family. In the next chapter, we’ll see how social scientists conduct research on families, gathering data that make it possible for us to track the trends described in this and other chapters, and to make informed decisions about our choices.
CHAPTER 1 statements
1: What Is a Family?
2: How Are Families Similar Worldwide?
3: How Do Families Differ Worldwide?
4: Some Myths about the Family
5: Three Perspectives on the Changing Family
6: How Are U.S. Families Changing?
7: Why Are U.S. Families Changing?
8: A Multicultural, Cross-Cultural, and Global
Perspective on the Family
