Essay Examples About Family

Family traditions and cultural legacies contribute to an individual's self–identity because it is the fabric of where he or she derived from, who they are, and where they're journeying. Cultivating Culture states: "Culture can give people a connection to a certain social values, beliefs, religions and customs. It allows them to identify with other of similar mindsets and backgrounds. Cultural heritage can provide an automatic sense of unity and belonging within a group and allows us to better understand previous generations and the history of where we come from." In contrast, traditions and cultural legacies can also inhibit an individual's self–identity because some families believe in total loyalty to the constructs of the family system....show more content...

Because of Dee or Wangero disdaining of herculture, she will wander aimlessly in where she fits in this world, not knowing if she is Dee Johnson a woman of a strong descent or Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo a woman of a style popular for the moment. "Culture the entire way of life of a group of people (including both material and symbolic elements) that acts as a lens through which one views the world and is passed from one generation to the next." "Although culture may seem to be "second nature" it is something learned, rather than innate. Because we learn it so slowly and incrementally, we are often unaware of the process. For instance, few of us would be conscious of having learned all the slang words we currently use or the distance we typically maintain from someone while talking with him /her. We may not remember exactly when we first felt patriotic or how we formed our opinions about people from the upper class. We all carry culture inside ourselves; it becomes ingrained and internalized into our way of thinking and acting. Culture guides the way we make sense of the world around us and the way we make decisions about what to do and how to do it." However those guidelines are not always embraced my every family member, so then the family traditions and cultural behaviors can become a burden to the family member who wants to branch out and lead a

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Gathering research about my family and its history turned out to be an interesting and insightful opportunity, through which I learned much more than I expected. When I started this project, I knew that I would not be able to find as much useful information on the Internet as some of my peers. In effect, I realized that I would have to rely on other primary resources such as my parents and grandparents to reveal the story of my ancestry to me. After I had interviewed them, myfamily history became much clearer to me. More than 2 millennia ago, around the 3rd century BC, a group of Tamil–speaking people from present–day South India migrated to the nearby island of Sri Lanka. Among these people, known today as "Sri Lankan Tamils", are my...show more content...

The Peninsula has a hot, monsoonal tropical climate characterized by a dry season from February to October and a wet season from October to January. Because of the monsoons, the region is humid and averages three feet of rain each year, which is relatively low compared to the rest of the island. The climate of the region allows for many crops to be grown including many varieties of fruits and vegetables. While interviewing my parents and grandparents, I learned about many customs and aspects of the Sri Lankan Tamil culture. Sri Lankan Tamils are devotees of the Shaiva sect of Hinduism, mainly worshipping the lord Shiva. The three main cultural festivals celebrated in the area are Thai Pongal (beginning of the harvest), Chittrai Pongal (Tamil New Year), and Deepavali (Hindu Festival of Lights). In addition, pujas (religious rituals) are performed for different occasions, such as the death day of an ancestor or the celebration of a certain Hindu deity. It was also a custom to ask the village astrologer for advice on certain decisions, such as the name of a newborn child. Paternal Great–Grandparents In the early 1900's, Kadirasaipillai and Vairavipillai Kandappar, my paternal grandmother's parents, were born in the village of Puloly, Northern Province, Sri Lanka. They were both born into families of the Vellalar caste of Tamil society and went to school at Puttalai Vidhyalayam, the only schooling option

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No one can't meet a family like mine's. My family is well diversified. Every family member plays an important role in all my family's lives. In my family, there are four people: my father, my mother, my little brother and me. My father is one who brings money home and is also responsible for organizing and planning family trips. My mother is the one who is in charge for making meals and makes sure everyone eats at the appropriate times. My little brother is the pet of the family. He actually doesn't have any responsibilities, for he's the pet. I am the rock of support in my family. I always go beyond my parents' expectations. I also support my younger cousins and little brother, by being a role model that they can look up to. Another...show more content...

Doing what my parents tell me to do is just one of many reasons why I am a rock of support for my family. Not only do I support my parents, but I also support my younger cousins and brother. As an eldest brother and cousin, I feel I must be a good example for the young ones. There are numerous methods of showing my cousins and brother support. One main way is by providing advice on making the right choices. For example my brother had a problem at school with one of his classmates. As a mature and responsible older brother, I advised him to use the non–violent approach. I told him to go discuss the problem and try to resolve it peacefully. My brother then asked me why he shouldn't fight his classmate. I explained how violence is the answer to anything. I advised him to first talk to his classmate in a professional manner. If then things get out of hand, I told him to let the teacher know the situation. In the end, my brother didn't need to get the teacher involved. In fact, their conflict was resolved by talking through with each other. I also am very supportive of my little cousins. One way I help them out is by tutoring them once in a while. They come over to my house and I assist them with their school work. Not only I help my cousins with their homework, but I also support them recreationally. I play various sports and activities with them. As their older cousin/brother, I feel I should be a good role model to follow. I am also known for being there

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Often times when we hear the word culture, we think of the differences of different countries. That statement may be true; however, there are different cultures within the same country, even within the same city. No matter what culture we call our own, there are distinct differences between that of other cultures around us. One of the major differences occurs in the realm of family; family affection to be more specific. When talking about family affection, we should consider many different aspects. It was my task and privilege to explore these aspects. I consider myself having a strong American culture. My family has been here for many years and has adopted the "American Way". After being born and raised in Wisconsin, I now spend my...show more content...

Teresa, however, does show a little affection towards her family "by teasing or making fun of them...the stupid things. By laughing together, that's how my family shows our affection toward each other." My family does tease each other too, however, we more of consider that having fun than showing affection. The simple act of showing affection is very different throughout different cultures. Another aspect of our different cultures is our reactions to the affection that is shown to us. As my family members show affection to me, I feel good about it. To me there is nothing better than to know that my family cares about me. I usually show affection back to them after they have shown some affection towards me. However, this is not the case with Teresa. "If a family member did show affection I would probably just shrug it off and think they lost their mind for a moment or something," explains Teresa. Affection is very important in my culture, so if we showed affection toward a family member and that person just shrugged it off, we would think they are being rude or that something is wrong. A lot of how we treat each other as a family member depends upon reactions to affection and caring. One thing to think about when talking about a family showing affection to one another is how the family interacts in public as compared to in private. In my culture, it does not really matter if we are in public. We show just as much affection for one another

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I was born and raised into a hardworking family that are the complete opposite of culture alienators. My siblings and I are all first generation in America on my mom's side and second generation on my dad's side. Life was very hard for my parents to raise all seven of us and depended on my grandparents for most of their help. Being that my grandparents brought all nine of their kids to America from Belize it was also very hard for them so survive and find stability. Most families that come to America from a third world country usually find it very difficult to keep up family traditions and sometimes lose all contact. My family found a way to stay very close and keep the Belizean culture very alive still to this day. As you can tell by now...show more content...

This left my mom with seven kids to raise by herself. Meaning one on one time was rare, because my mom is not a superhero and could not be in multiple places at one time. Grief left my family and I in a place where we did not know what to do, but we eventually got out of it, and continued on with our life. We always remembered the hard working parents we had, and the hard working mother we still had. I am resilient and got back on my feet and continued to attend school, graduated elementary school, and will soon graduate from high school. Although, I have gone through many difficulties it has made me work harder as an individual and choose my career choice at an early age. Being that I was very into the heart at a young age, and my father passing from a heart disease, I always knew I wanted to study cardiology, and will someday soon become a cardiologist. Being that my mother has attended medical school several times, I first handedly have seen how difficult it can be. I have been told by many people to pick a different profession because of that; But because of how passionate I am about cardiology and the amount of times I have experienced people deal with heart problems has assured me that I have chose the right profession. I being a very conscientious person has has also assured me that I will be able to tackle medical school and become a cardiologist. I believe that the first steps of becoming a cardiologist is that I have personally experienced people suffer from

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Thesis About Family

Chapter I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS STUDY

1. Introduction

Family is very important part of our everyday life. It helps us in improving our personality. It also helps us in shaping our life. It teaches us the value of love, affection, care, truthfulness and self–confidence and provides us tools and suggestions which are necessary to get success in life. Family is a place where you can be yourself. It is a place where you are accepted for what you are. This is where you are completely tension free and everyone is there to help you. Family encourages you when you are surrounded by problems. It helps you survive through tough times and bring joy and happiness into life.

Decency is very important in the communication of daily life. It...show more content...

Psychologists believe that a child learns the most from his or her family life. The way your family members deal with you has a life long effect on your personality. Keeping in view all these facts the importance of your family life cannot be denied. Family unit happens to be the most important part of your life till you grow up. The children are usually closer to their parents and their siblings as compared to any other person in the world. As the children grow up they find good friends, spouses, their own kids and colleagues to share their lives with. Although time brings this change but the importance of family remains there. The children who have a sound family background and who belong to a family with strong family ties are almost always happier. Thus one cannot deny the importance of family life.

The life with your family is very important it plays a major role in your development into the person you become. The goals you set for yourself in your life are very much dependent on the life you have with your family. Those children who belong to the families which have a rich education background tend to learn more. They are interested in learning more and thus it is easy for their parents to get them educated. Similarly, for example, children who belong to a family from which a few of the people are in the field of professional sports, the kids tend to have an interest in sports and they also

My Family History

Family history is very important to an individual. By knowing where you come from, you can have a better perspective of your life. Having a clear understanding of your family background allows you to better appreciate the things that you would normally take for granted. The house, the car, and the average clothing may look better when one sees the sacrifices their family has made. They will see that their family has worked very hard just so their family can experience the better things in life. A persons roots and origin is one of the most important things to explore. It alone can bring you closer to self–discovery.

There are two sides to a person's family and one side of my family has...show more content... One of these is that on Thanksgiving everybody comes together to my parents' house in New Jersey for a huge feast. On Christmas only my mother and the children (me and my brother) travel to Illinois to spend a week with my grandparents. On New Years Eve we all get together at my parents' house in New Jersey and toast to the New Year with champagne and apple cider. During Labor Day weekend all of my family travels to South Jersey to my grandfathers' condo. We usually spend all of our time on the beach and barbequing, except on Sunday when we go to church. After all, my grandfather is a minister. One of our biggest family traditions is going back to Puerto Rico. Every year my mother and I travel back to Puerto Rico for a portion of our summer vacation. Now that I am older I travel there more often and stay there much longer. My father never joins because he doesn't like my mothers side of the father too much and he thinks that we when we speak Spanish we are all plotting against him. Of course that's not true though. My bother doesn't speak Spanish so he doesn't like to go either. I guess that tradition is one that belongs solely to my mother and I.

The role of the people in family basically stayed the same for most of the generations with a little change in the later generations. Earlier the males were the only ones that worked in the family and the wife stayed at home and took care of the house and

My Family Heritage

Family Defined

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...show more content...

William, known as Bill, was born on July 20, 1921 in Minneapolis, MN. He worked in the plaster/stucco business for over 25 years before working at Northwest Airlines. His wife's maiden name was Lorraine Mulcahy. Lorraine was born on August 13, 1922 in St. Paul, MN. Lorraine went to college at the University of Minnesota where she got her Bachelor of Science degree and became a dental hygienist. My grandma "Lo" is the genealogy nut in our family. She has searched for birthdates, marriage licenses, and other documents of her grandparents. I called grandma Lo to get some information on my great–grandparents and family stories. I found out I was part Norwegian and I never even knew it! Grandma Lo's parents were Edward Mulcahy and Olga Shermoen. Her father Ed was born on April 15, 1880 in Minneapolis, MN. Ed worked as a claim agent for the Great Northern Railroad in the twin cities. Olga was born on March 15, 1888 in Hawley, MN. She also worked for the Great Northern Railroad as a matron. Edward was 100% Irish while Olga was 100% Norwegian. This makes my grandma Lorraine 50% Irish & 50% Norwegian. My grandpa Bill was adopted in Minneapolis so his genealogy is unknown. He was told by his adopted parents that he was mostly Irish. If we pretended Bill was 100% Irish, this would make my mom 75% Irish and 25% Norwegian.

Father's side

My father's name is Gerald Otto Utz. He was born on January 23, 1950 in Springfield, MN. He is

I was born into a "happy" family that was actually a web of lies, which unfolded itself through a divorce. My parents' marriage was based on the fact that my father needed a permanent residency card to stay in the United States. Some people may view this as a devastating event; however I have chosen to embrace being an American and a Ghanaian. Coming from two different backgrounds was a challenge, because of the different values and morals each share. These challenges have left me to understand my true purpose concerning my two cultures. I feel fortunate enough to grow up with two different aspects on life itself. Throughout life I was considered to be the "one" on both sides of my families. I was the one who was supposed to accomplish...show more content...

Such as attending a public college or becoming President of the United States. Education has therefore played an important role in my life and has been highly valued in my family. While the expectations of my American and Ghanaian family members were so high, their affirmation was not always there. As a child of divorced parents, my mother raised and supported me. My father was always there mentally, emotionally, and physically, but I was financially fully dependent on my mother. Although she had an education, we still struggled. Sometimes we didn't know where our next meal was coming from and had to rely on others. We moved several times while I was growing up and at times, I would be left at a relative's house because of my mother's need to get us financially stable. Things improved, I remained committed to working hard in school, and the expectations never changed. Education has brought me, given me, and gifted me with empowerment, leadership, confidence; greater understanding of social issues and tools to work towards social justice. As many educators say, education is the key to success. I believe that not only is it the key to success, but it's also the key to happiness. College will help me meet my high education and career expectations that I have for myself which is to ultimately get my Professional degree, and make a global difference. It will also help to meet my families as well. College will help me

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Family and Household

The word family comes from the Latin word familia which means household. This seems to be fitting since they both seem synonymous. In the dictionary the definition of family is a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head or a group of persons of common ancestry. The definition of household is those who dwell under the sameroof and compose a family or a social unit comprised of those living together in the same dwelling. Even the definitions are very similar, yet they have come to mean two very different things in ourmodern day world. As time evolves so does theclarity of what makes up a family and the function of family and household are....show more content...

In the Dada tribe they live by a patri–local custom of always living with the husbands family. Although this custom sometimes causes problems between the woman and their in–laws it is still a practice that they maintain because having the men move away would threaten the economics of their community and their well–being (Abrams & Bishop 1994: "Family and Household").

In the Asante tribe they are also patri–local, in the sense that the new wives must move and live with their husbands family but in their customs all inheritance is through the mother and they also practice polygamy so the fathers are often not involved with the complete well–being of their children. Because of this many mothers set up their own individual household and create work for themselves in order to earn something to give to their children (Abrams & Bishop 1994:"Family and Household").

Both of the above examples provide examples of how family means different things but mostly because their culture has different needs than that of another.

The term household and how it relates to each culture is a little harder to define. In America household usually means the nuclear family and where they reside. Household is very independent and for the most part, does not

Reflection on Family

Family Reflection

"No one is ever born into Life alone. Everyone has shared the bond of family, at least at birth, and for many people it is a bond that will follow them throughout life. For many people it is the most important bond of all."

Family means many things to different people, yet the word itself can bring about a host of emotions from anyone who hears the word uttered. As a child growing up in the 60s and 70s the family dynamic was defined by the people we grew up with were related to by blood, and extended to the many family members of the different generations that made up the family unit.

I have fond memories of growing up with love and compassion, by the people who I was surrounded with. The feeling of...show more content... The people may be different, but, the bonds will grow and develop in our existence.

I remember the feeling of completeness and security I had growing up with my mom, dad, grandparents, and extended family members. I always felt like I belonged and was accepted for me. People are not perfect, sometimes in actions and words, but, knowing the unconditional love that we are surrounded with by our families keeps us grounded in our true selves. Now that I am older, I feel the same security that I experienced while growing up. A familiarity of comfort that brings me to a place of peace and security. My own comfort zone where I am loved, happy, cared for and needed.

A family can be defined in many ways, but the common denominator in all is the love and fulfillment one gets by being surrounded by family members. Families can sometimes be at odds with each other, but the strain of this type of relationship usually creates an upsetting feeling to the people involved. People want others to rely on, talk to, do things with, share, love, embrace, and be part of. No matter what the family dynamic is the qualities the word family has will remain the same, as time goes by, and life evolves once again for every person living their

For most of us, the family is considered as a well–known and comfortable institution. The perfect model of the 'ideal' family is still mostly considered to be consisted from two different sexes' parents, and one or more children. Until quite recently, the sociology of the family was mostly functionalist and just in the last few decades has been challenged from various directions. There are many different definitions about what the family is. Different theoretical positions influence these variations. For example, the functionalist sociologist George Peter Murdock defines the family as "a social group characterized by common residence, economic co–operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain...show more content...

An early functionalist George Murdock argued that the family plays the main role in the society by performing three main functions–пЃ¶Stabilisation of the sexual behaviour and reproduction. пЃ¶Providing the basic economic requirements. пЃ¶Serving the function of socialisation of the next generation. G. Murdock claimed that without family serving these three functions the society would disappear. He considered these functions as universal, although he agreed that they could develop. Talcott Parsons argues this statement, by saying, that there are two broad functions of the family– primary socialisation and stabilisation of the adult personality 'throughout the emotional security, including sexual expression, provided by marriage' (O'Donnell, 1997). In these days, when society is changing, the functionalistic statements lose their strength. For example, the sex outside the marriage, in these days of easily available contraception, is no more the taboo. Margaret Mead argues Murdock's and Parsons imply that nuclear family is biologically necessary and natural. She stated that the nuclear family is based on culture, not biology. Marxist views on the family Marxists have very critical view of the family and society. They adopt a structural perspective, but put it in the class nature of the society. The starting point for the most Marxist analyses of gender and the family is Friedrich Engels' (1820–1895) The Origin of the