Introduction
The family is a key socialization agent because it is the first social institution that shapes the personalities of individuals. The impact that family has on self-formation differs due to the diversity in family size and structure. Moreover, the standards of nurturing, affection displays and discipline standards vary considerably worldwide. Families are also the root of positions in social structure. This is because all families belong to a particular race, ethnic group or class. This primary social standing is key to individual self-formation as well as life chances. Families additionally transfer varying forms of capital such as economic, cultural as well as social hence from birth one’s family positions in social structure affect his or her life chances. Therefore, the family unit forms the most crucial agent of socialization and this essay shows the changes that have taken place in the American household, the numerous differences in marriage and family as well as the trend towards assorted families and ways traditional families would affect woman’s rights.
Discussion
The dramatic changes in the American family have sprang from economic disparities. This is because in the face of poverty, men feel that they cannot support a family, while women avoid being tied to men who may drag them on their meager income. Meanwhile, the wealthy are likely to have lasting successful marriages because professional men tend to espouse professional women. Such partners considerably pool their assets and use some of it raising their offsprings. The changes brought about by these economic disparities include marriage splits, single parenting and marital decline.
Marriage and family differences are linked to gender, personal choices and class. In terms of class, families in low class have difficult sustaining nuclear families due to lack of opportunities. As for the working class, they face economic changes that move the families far from the idealized nuclear family. However, this class interact more with relatives than the middle class. The middle class families form the idealized nuclear families. They are capable of sustaining themselves through non-familial institutions. Racial stratification brings about different opportunities that shape families differently. This is because racism brings about a wider wealth gap and inferior living conditions for racial-ethnic families. In terms of gender, men tend to gain privileges in expense of women as domestic labor is divided in such a way that a woman’s occupational opportunities are limited. As for personal choice, people decide whether to marry or not based on the various circumstances they’ve been through or certain goals they intend to achieve.
The trend towards families is negative as single parenting is likely to increase hence increasing the housing pressure. Additionally, informal family care is likely to be undermined as family ties will be weakened by the increasing number of childless couples, high divorce rates and remarriages. However, if traditional families were to be restored women’s rights would be undermined. This is because married woman would be discriminated in job opportunities as they were thought to be incapable of leading. Moreover, their legal guardianship would be denied as traditionally woman guarded children’s morality but had no legal right over them. Moreover, their public life of politics as they would be limited to entering college and university education hence few would become professionals.
Conclusion
The impact that family has on self-formation differs due to the diversity in family size and structure. Moreover, families form the root of positions in social structure as they belong to a particular race, ethnic group or class. Families additionally transmit diverse forms of capital including economic, cultural as well as social hence from birth one’s family positions in social structure affect his or her life chances. Therefore, this initial social positioning is key to individual self-formation and life chances.
References
Luscombe, B. (2014, Dec 9). The difference between the haves and the have-nots have never been this steep. Retrieved from Time.com: http://time.com/3624827/how-the-american-family-has-changed-dramatically/
Monnier, C. (2011). Agents of Socialization. Retrieved from Global Sociology: https://globalsociology.pbworks.com/w/page/14711154/Agents%20of%20Socialization
OECD. (2011). The Future of Families to 2030. Paris: OECD Publications.
