The Word Family Essay - 1638 Words

The word family is such a perplexing and tricky topic to define and describe. That’s because of how many ways a single person can explain it. Nowadays, there are so many arguments about what a family actually is. Is a family considered to be made up of a heterosexual married couple, and that has two kids? Well, that s what Brian Powell, author of Changing Counts, Counting Change: Toward a More Inclusive Definition of Family, found when he explored the web in search of what a family was. I Googled â€Å"family† and looked at its pictorial representations. The images presented a group of close-knit and happy people, but if one looks closer at these pictures, one will also notice that these groups almost always are made up of what appear to be a father, a mother, and their children (most often two children: an older boy and his younger sister). These pictures typify what Canadian sociologist Dorothy Smith (1993) coined as the Standard North American Family (SNAF)—which strongly privileges heterosexual married households and, in particular, those that include children and those in which women and men assume traditional gender roles. The SNAF often is portrayed as â€Å"the family† and the gold standard by which other family arrangements are evaluated—often as â€Å"lesser† families or not as families at all. These other family arrangements—which are nearly invisible in the aforementioned Google images—include biracial fam ilies, single-parent families, adoptive families, childless families,Show MoreRelatedFamily Is A Powerful And Meaningful Word Family909 Words   |  4 Pages What is Family? According to the online dictionary family is all those persons considered as descendants of a common progenitor. I view family in a whole different perspective. The word family is a powerful and meaningful word. To me, it means people who accept you for who you are where there s no hatred or judgement and love you unconditionally. A dog or pet can simply become family. A person who you can count on through your emotional or financial distress can also be family. Growing up myRead MoreFamily Is A Word With Diverse Meaning1539 Words   |  7 PagesFamily is a word with diverse meaning. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as † A group of people consisting of two parents and their children living together as a unit.† This definition is known to be the most common stereotype in North America. â€Å" This definition doesn t comply with other cultures†, for example, the African concept of family states that â€Å" Family is considered a basic cell of soc iety. All social and cultural practices find their connection with a notion of family, either supportingRead MoreDifferent Definitions Of The Word Family1432 Words   |  6 Pagesdefinitions of the word â€Å"family†. There is not a set definition of what a family must look like, or how a family should behave. When it comes to families there is only one thing that truly matters, and that is love. Whether it is a non-traditional family, such as a single-parent, gay or lesbian, or a cohabiting, or the stereotypical â€Å"traditional† family of a married man and woman with a few biological children, the members themselves are not the what matters when it comes to families. A family is determinedRead MoreAn Internet Search On The Word Family1761 Words   |  8 Pagesthe word â€Å"family,† there are eight different definitions that show up — some even have another sub-definition. â€Å"Family† has a different meaning to every person. For example, my family consists of those that are blood-related to me, as well as my best friends, and my girlfriend. Families can come in all different shapes and sizes: from large nuclear families, to smaller nonnuclear families, and vice versa. The You May Ask Yourself textbook does not even give a clear definition of what family is becauseRead MoreFamily Scholarship : One Thousand Words Essay1000 Words   |  4 PagesMAS Family Scholarship: One Thousand Words Driven towards the miracle of liberty and challenge of a new beginning in America, I struggled and finally moved to the United States. Although I was born in Cuba, where democracy and liberty are elusive, even as a young child I longed for this freedom, which I never experienced. I truly believe that Josà © Martà ­ words ring as true today as they did when he first uttered them. Not only have I been driven to seek liberty, but also the journey has empoweredRead MoreFriends, Family, Co-Workers, Have Heard These Words â€Å"True956 Words   |  4 PagesFriends, family, co-workers, have heard these words â€Å"True love is hard to find† and even a poem by A.C. Bradley echo the words: â€Å"True â€Å"Tis; better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.† Friends will say these words and phrases to their dear friend whom is heart- broken to offer comfort and to express the empathy of what love’s bittersweet intangible imprint has caused. Regrettab ly, only a fortuitous miniscule number of the world population may boast the discovery of an all-encompassingRead More Thai Language and Society Essay1545 Words   |  7 Pagesis to serve the different types of people. The standard Thai language is used with normal domain or normal people. Another language is used for â€Å" High Function† or with the higher status domains such as with the monk and with the King and the Royal family. This kind of language is called â€Å" Kam Racha Sap† / /. The difference of the standard Thai language and Kam Racha Sap reflects Thai Society. Hence, it is necessary to understand how the two languages work, the differences of the two categoriesRead MoreFamily As A Traditional Family885 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Family† Language constantly evolves and changes as it is adopted by different cultures. Consequently, words have many definitions, connotations and origins. â€Å"Family† is a term that has changed over time; as a result the traditional definition of â€Å"family† is inadequate, and limited to describe the modern version of the term. Our society tends to attach itself to the â€Å"traditional conceptualization of family† better know as a â€Å"nuclear family† which includes a set of parents, and their biological offspringRead MoreSummary-Literary Analysis of Mommy, What Does Nigger Mean by Gloria Naylor609 Words   |  3 Pagescan shape reality. Naylor explains this, â€Å"chicken or the egg dispute† (Naylor 1) through her experiences with the word nigger. Gloria explains how she starts on one side of reality and shaping her language, then comes to another understanding from the boy in her third grade class. Language can be how words are used, what their m eaning is and the purpose behind that selection of words. Reality is everyday life and experiences. When in third grade Naylor encounters nigger as a racial derogatory whenRead MoreThai Language and Society1616 Words   |  7 Pagesto serve the different types of people. The standard Thai language is used with normal domain or normal people. Another language is used for High Function or with the higher status domains such as with the monk and with the King and the Royal family. This kind of language is called Kam Racha Sap / /. The difference of the standard Thai language and Kam Racha Sap reflects Thai Society. Hence, it is necessary to understand how the two languages work, the differences