Monday, January 17, 2011

Deterioration of Family Unit

Deterioration of Family Unit
Yukti Ahuja
Introduction
Family structures as we commonly know consist of mother and father with their
children living together under one roof. Some families include grandparents others have
step siblings or step mothers or fathers making up their living environment. But the
family trend in our times is mainly around deinstitutionalization of the marriage and
moving more towards a blended family or single parent family. With environmental
pressures such as more work, both providers working, less value from a culture on
marriage and acceptance of homosexual relationships, the ‘normal family’, seems to not
be so normal. With the high rate of divorce more and more people are moving towards
not getting married, some even choosing to become parents through artificial means.
There are also government programs that support single mothers by providing them with
childcare, food and shelter which entices them to not get married purely for the benefit of
receiving government support. The trend is more towards a non traditional family, but
what does that mean for our children. How does this lifestyle impact the future of our
nations? This paper will attempt to look at some of the changes in the family unit, what
effects these changes have and how can we correct the negative aspects of these changes.
The well being of our children is and should be the most important factor for all
societies to exist and grow. Among all the factors impacting children, domestic trends
take first priority mainly because it is the primary unit of mankind. Families in our
society exist in many variations, single mothers, divorced parents, married couples, gay
couples, grandparents as parents, divorced remarried parents. The various combinations
of families are the most we have seen ever and most researchers claim that the major
danger to our nation’s future is children being raised by single parent especially those that
never married. Various studies have shown the effect of divorce influencing a child’s
academic, psychological adjustment, self-esteem, social confidence, and parent
relationship. Commonly, studies have shown that children from divorced families show
lower level of achievement in all of the areas of development. A study done by Paul &
Bruce (1991) looked at these commonly held views attempting to further understand
how large the differences are between children in divorced and intact families, if these
differences are statistically significant and if there are larger differences for some
outcomes than others. There study was a Meta analysis of various research articles from
psychological, sociological and social science areas. The selected articles were mainly
those that included children living in single parent families created via divorce or
separation or death, and intact families, Overall, the articles totaled 13, 000 children in
ninety two studies. The children were evaluated on various categories, “(a) academic
achievement (standardized achievement tests, grades, teachers' ratings, or intelligence);
(b) conduct (misbehavior, aggression, or delinquency); (c) psychological adjustment
(depression, anxiety, or happiness); (d) self-concept (self-esteem, perceived competence,
or internal locus of control); (e) social adjustment (popularity, loneliness, or
cooperativeness); (f) mother-child relations (affection, help, or quality of interaction); (g)
father-child relations; and (h) other. The findings from the meta analysis of previous
research lead to the same outcome that children of divorced parents experience lower
level of well-being than children living with their intact families. In understanding why
there are differences between children from various family types, three theories were
identified; parent absence theory, economic disadvantage and family conflict theory.
First the parental absence perspective that states the differences in developed is due to the
lack of having a role model, source of emotional support and practical help. In order to
better support this theory, studies comparing development of children between intact
families, divorced families and single parent families due to death were analyzed. The
findings reveal lower level of well being in children who have lost a parent to death
compared to intact families; however children of divorced parents had the lowest level of
well being. These findings indicated that divorced families provide the lowest level of
well being in children. The economic theory states that the lower level of well being in
non-intact families is because of lower economic standards. Comparison of children
living with biological vs. step-parents as well as controlled economic variables provided
little support for the economic theory. Children from intact homes showed higher well
being than those of divorced step parent families suggesting that other factors are at play
other than economics. It was found, however that Children exhibit more problems in step
family environment than children living with biological parents which implies that
replacing a parent with another to compensate income does not necessarily solve the
problem in fact there is evidence that children in single parent families are better off than
children in step parent families. Finally, conflict between divorced and intact parents was
determined to be a cause of lower well being was supported. Children in intact families
with high conflict showed lower well being that divorced parents. Divorced parents in
conflict with their ex partners also revealed lower well being for children. Overall, the
findings from this study show the influence of a non-traditional family has on children.
When families are together in harmony, children thrive in all aspects, but bring in death
of a parent, conflict, separation and divorce, and the child begins to experience the
instability in his life. Most parents feel that they can overcome the changes in their family
structures, but what is critical to understand is that children do not have the same ability
as an adult. Children need the support of both parents to feel the highest level of well
being (Paul & Bruce 1991).
As we learn more and more about how family life influences the children living in
it, it became evident that children need both parents to provide a stable, loving home
where a child can receive proper care and guidance they need. We adults have become
insensitive to things like divorce or single mothers or separated couples but what we must
remember is that children entering this world are not used to such a setup. Factors leading
to the success of children include families that consist of two biological parents that
engage in regular activities with their children, provide ample opportunity to spend time
together and with relative, grandparents and other supportive friends and family. “This
builds a vibrant family subculture that provides a rich legacy of meaning for children
throughout their lives.” One of the main ingredients of a good family is quality family
time. With a direct correlation between amount of time parents spend with their child
and the character of the child as an adult has been profound. What can we as a society do
to remedy this situation? Since quality time is the main ingredient, the first step would be
to find ways to be able to give children the time they deserve. This would transform into
working in part time work, or work in environments that do not take away too much of
out attention Other factors include, less TV watching, living in cheaper areas which
would put less pressure on parents to make ends meet, and possibly holding off having
children until you an afford to have them. But the well being of children is also
dependent on the stability of the family, having both parents is known to be vital for
children. Society must place value in marriage again, making the sacred bond of
marriage mean more than it does today. Our culture and morals must be awakened to
reestablish the meaning of marriage mostly ‘for better or worse’. We as a nation must
first realize that marriage is what holds men to the mother-child bond. Separation and
divorce moves the father away from his children. In order to bring men back into
childrearing, marriage must be revitalized. We must find ways to build stronger
marriages so that divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing is reduced. Our beliefs in the
Church and God have to be reestablished in our schools and homes to bring back the
meaning of marriage. Another area of change is changing our work life. We have to find
ways of working less when children are younger and work more later, or work in settings
where the flexibility in the work environment makes it possible to spend time at home.
Finally, instilling morals in children allow them to have empathy for others, follow the
path of the Lord to guide them in difficult times as well as provide children with a place
of release. “Successful childrearing requires the active and continuing physical,
emotional, intellectual, and spiritual presence of parents in the lives of their children.
Those parents who spend the most time in childrearing, other things equal, will have the
best child outcomes.”( Popenoe, 1998).
Knowing what is needed to raise a health family is easier said then done. Finding
time to be with children, living with both parents around is even harder. Family
structures are changing rapidly in the US with 65% married in 1980 to only 59% in 1999.
With divorce rates high, families with single parents are becoming more and more the
norm. Why are people moving away from marriage and what factors are causing such
movements is analyzed in a study by Wells & Zinn (2004). They attempted to get a
better understanding on why the emphasis on marriage is fading, possible benefits of
staying married are also discussed. Marriage is the union between a man and woman.
Marriage has been linked to higher standards of living; the median income for married
family was $57,000 in 1999 where as only $38, 000 for single parent homes. If marriage
is linked to better living standards, with the rise of single parent families, the living
conditions of children in such homes raises concerns. Research in the area of marriage
and race shows that white women tend to gain more from marriage mainly because the
white men they marry tend to have high earning potential than women of color and their
partners. But white women with high earning potential also are more prone to divorce
and non-marital childbearing because they can support themselves, some even forgoing
marriage due to economic independence. “Thus White women's privileged racial
location contributes to more non marriage and increasing female headship in this
population” (Wells & Zinn, 2004). To better understand the relationship between
economic advantage and income independence, the study looked at a sample of families
over a period of time researching their class, family type and economic status in a rural
setting. The families were either single parent mother or father, married couples and
married couples with extended families. Findings from the study show that marriage was
not the means to finding a stable job and enjoying economic freedom, rather it increased
debt more than common assets. The most prevalent finding was that social class impacted
whether one enjoyed the benefits of marriage with rural families not receiving these
benefits. The findings reveal that marriage in rural settings did not bring a stable homes,
stable resources or better housing or health benefits for people in low economic
conditions. Therefore, marriage was not a remedy for economic stability; these findings
provide insight for policy makers on how to enhance opportunity structures so that
individuals in disadvantaged social locations can achieve the family stability and
economic well being needed for all families. That would be one way enticing people to
get married. If conditions remain as they stand today, then we can expect to see more and
more single mothers living in poverty depended on welfare because they see no benefit to
marriage (Wells & Zinn, 2004).
Conclusion
Family is the basic building block of a society. Children are born into a family
from which they learn their morals, their self worth, as well as develop trust and love for
others. When the building block itself is not stable then the outcome for children living
in such a setting can be detrimental. In understanding the impact of families where there
is only one parent, or step families it is obvious that children experience lower level of
well being. But parents do not setup the stage to raise kids in a bad environment, they too
have pressures externally like economic, social, emotional that influences their decisions
to be married or not. Mothers who receive welfare know that if they marry the
government will stop supporting them, then why must they marry? Many single mothers
stay single while living with partner so that they continue to receive government funding.
Work life too is a large factor in the well being of children. There is immense pressure
on people to outperform in the high fast competitive market. Such conditions take time
away from children, but again very difficult for any individual to overcome.
So the answer lies somewhere in between about how to raise kids in such a
society. First, changing government policies on welfare to encourage marriage must be
created such as large tax benefits and educational scholarships for lower income students.
Also, bringing back the family values of taking care of elders as in the olden days should
be beneficial to the whole family. Elders have experience and love their grandchildren.
Having extended family in the same home provides for more attention given to children
from adults, provides parents with more time to themselves, and teaches children the
value of caring for the elderly. In most countries like India parents live with grandparents
and it is the responsibility of every child to take care of their parent in old age. This value
of family life benefits all ages in a family. Finally, the re-establishment of religion and
God in the family will bring happiness, spirituality in adults and time to reflect on each
other as husband and wife so that problems in life can be settled rather than running to
get divorced. More research however needs to be done in determining why we as a
society are moving away from spirituality and more towards instant gratification. By
understanding different cultures and researching what makes some families succeed in
staying together and what makes others fail. The answer lies somewhere in between.
Bibliography
Amato, Paul R.; Keith, Bruce. Parental Divorce and the Well-Being of Children A Meta-
Analysis. Source: Psychological Bulletin July 1991 Vol. 110, No. 1, 26-46 ISSN: 0033-
2909 Number: bul110126 Copyright: 1991 American Psychological Association
(I don’t have the URL but have the actual article, please let me know if you want me to
mail it to you)
Wells, Barbara; Zinn, Maxine Baca
Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare {US : Western Michigan Univ}Vol 31(4) (Dec
2004): 59-80 Doc. Type: Article
The Benefits of Marriage Reconsidered. Source:Libraries Worldwide: 553 ,
http://firstsearch.oclc.org/WebZ/FSQUERY?sessionid=fsapp10-37999-esas9nkrkbrmy0:
entitypagenum=46:0:numrecs=1:searchtype=locateFT:tdbname=WilsonSelectPl
us_FT:query0=sc%3d%220191-
5096+200412+31+4+59+TBOMR+%3F%22:format=BI:entityfttoprecno=11:next=NEX
TCMD%7FFTFETCH:rule=0:tdbname=WilsonSelectPlus_FT:issuesici=0191-
5096+2004+31+4:fetchtype=fulltext:tdisplaydbname=WilsonSelectPlus_FT:thirdpartydb
id=461:isbillable=TRUE:isdirectarticle=FALSE:numrecs=1:format=BI:ftformat=PDF:ent
ityemailfullrecno=15:entityrecno=15:entityemailfullresultset=19:entityemailftfrom=Wils
onSelectPlus_FT:%7F
David Popenoe, We Are What We See: The Family Conditions for Modeling Values for
Children, PhD, Professor of Sociology, Rutgers University. Parenthood in America
(1998). http://parenthood.library.wisc.edu/Popenoe/Popenoe-Modeling.html

2 comments:

  1. The Deterioration of Family Values R6

    By YJ Draiman

    Website: http://www.energysavers2.com/

    Since World War 2 when women were encouraged to join the work force en mass, to replace the men who went to war and keep the economy and the war effort going.

    There has been a deterioration of family values and a breakdown of the family unit, a trend where a mother was not at home to take care of her children, monitor their behavior, help with the homework and discipline when and where necessary.

    The advancement in technology has harmed family values. The Media and Television has totally destroyed any comprehension of values in our society. We have become a materialistic society – No holds barred.

    The lack of discipline and total disregard for authority and respect is clear to anyone who has watched the past 50 years and seen our society’s values deteriorate.

    One example alone is that 50 years ago a teacher was happy to go to school to teach, a teacher was respected and looked up-to, a teacher could discipline. Today teachers fear for their lives they are petrified by their students, discipline is restricted both to teachers and parents alike.

    This scenario caries on to other social interactions of society today, and the situation is getting worse and worse every year.

    You will notice that many families who come from other countries have a very strong family values, tradition, good education, respect and the children excel in their studies. That is because they have not had the chance to be influenced by our overly liberal society.

    The education of our children begins at home and continues in school – the parents and the school must take a proactive approach to teach our children values and respect.

    In today’s society a teacher is not permitted to discipline a student, the teachers will be sued, not to mention that teachers fears for their safety.

    Parents in today’s society are also restricted as to how to discipline their children; in many cases parents are getting sued. In many cases children would never dream of treating their parents with such disrespect 50 years ago. Today some parents are afraid of their own children.

    Abuse has been and will be with society to eternity that does not give society the right to prohibit discipline; a few acts of abuse should not cause society to prohibit proper discipline.

    When an individual or individuals utilize a vehicle to commit a crime cause the death of others, does society prohibit vehicles altogether, no, a vehicle is very important for our everyday life.

    Well, the discipline of our children by parents and teachers is extremely important for our society and the preservation of humanity.

    It seems that our society is so busy chasing the dollar, fame and glory, that anything goes all values goes out the window. We should be an example of honesty, integrity and respect to our children.

    Are Americans patriotic and proud enough to defend, protect and bring family values back to America? Is America ready to fight for honesty integrity and justice in our society, eliminate corruption and fraud, waste and self serving programs?

    Re-invigorate our economy, rebuild our industrial base and decrease our dependence on foreign economies and resources.

    YJ Draiman, Los Angeles, CA.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Deterioration of Family Values R6

    By YJ Draiman

    Website: http://www.energysavers2.com/

    Since World War 2 when women were encouraged to join the work force en mass, to replace the men who went to war and keep the economy and the war effort going.

    There has been a deterioration of family values and a breakdown of the family unit, a trend where a mother was not at home to take care of her children, monitor their behavior, help with the homework and discipline when and where necessary.

    The advancement in technology has harmed family values. The Media and Television has totally destroyed any comprehension of values in our society. We have become a materialistic society – No holds barred.

    The lack of discipline and total disregard for authority and respect is clear to anyone who has watched the past 50 years and seen our society’s values deteriorate.

    One example alone is that 50 years ago a teacher was happy to go to school to teach, a teacher was respected and looked up-to, a teacher could discipline. Today teachers fear for their lives they are petrified by their students, discipline is restricted both to teachers and parents alike.

    This scenario caries on to other social interactions of society today, and the situation is getting worse and worse every year.

    You will notice that many families who come from other countries have a very strong family values, tradition, good education, respect and the children excel in their studies. That is because they have not had the chance to be influenced by our overly liberal society.

    The education of our children begins at home and continues in school – the parents and the school must take a proactive approach to teach our children values and respect.

    In today’s society a teacher is not permitted to discipline a student, the teachers will be sued, not to mention that teachers fears for their safety.

    Parents in today’s society are also restricted as to how to discipline their children; in many cases parents are getting sued. In many cases children would never dream of treating their parents with such disrespect 50 years ago. Today some parents are afraid of their own children.

    Abuse has been and will be with society to eternity that does not give society the right to prohibit discipline; a few acts of abuse should not cause society to prohibit proper discipline.

    When an individual or individuals utilize a vehicle to commit a crime cause the death of others, does society prohibit vehicles altogether, no, a vehicle is very important for our everyday life.

    Well, the discipline of our children by parents and teachers is extremely important for our society and the preservation of humanity.

    It seems that our society is so busy chasing the dollar, fame and glory, that anything goes all values goes out the window. We should be an example of honesty, integrity and respect to our children.

    Are Americans patriotic and proud enough to defend, protect and bring family values back to America? Is America ready to fight for honesty integrity and justice in our society, eliminate corruption and fraud, waste and self serving programs?

    Re-invigorate our economy, rebuild our industrial base and decrease our dependence on foreign economies and resources.

    YJ Draiman, Los Angeles, CA.

    ReplyDelete