Family and Social Structure

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Institution:

A family is a place where people always find it secure to explore their individuality. They also train on how to make individual sacrifices for the benefit of the whole. It is common for parents to engage their children in different activities so that they can easily recognize their interests. Parents also encourage their children to participate in various activities which can benefit the entire family. In the long run, this is what constitutes to a reputable society. Being a father with two children, I have to ensure that my children are on the right course according to the family and societal cultures respectively. Therefore, my position as a father has been influenced by a number of factors. For instance, it has been influenced by my culture, community, religion, and social hierarchy (Lee, 2005). According to our culture, men are required to marry when they are still young to ensure that they take good care of their families before they die.

In addition, they are also considered to be the head of the family hence taking responsibility. These have greatly influenced my position since I had already attained the required age to marry. I am also required to take charge of family. A lot of pressure came from the community who wanted to see my generation. People would constantly ask when I would get married. This served as an encouragement to have my own family as I did not want to go against the wishes of the community who had brought me up. Religion has also influenced who I have become. According to the Christians’ religious beliefs, men are encouraged to marry and have children as they are considered to be a special gift from God. Therefore, every man would always want to receive God’s gift. Social hierarchy has influenced my position in that men are always considered to be the head of the family followed by their wives and children respectively.

As a result of this socialization process, I have a number of roles and statuses. My status as a father in the family requires me to play certain roles like taking care of the children by ensuring that they receive better education, protection, and guidance. My role as a father is also to provide companion to my wife and children. This implies that I have to be available whenever they are in need of my assistance (Pattnaik, 2013). This is expected to continue even after my children shall have moved out. As always believed, fathers are supposed to take care of their children even if they also have their own families.

Since my parents are Africans, I was also forced to marry an African so as to retain the lineage. My culture does not encourage intermarriages especially between blacks and whites. Therefore, I also had to marry an African. Previously, I had considered it as a challenge since we stayed in America, a country with more whites than blacks. The social process I have undergone is believed to be common to most men. However, things have greatly changed as men are currently forgetting their roles as fathers. The legalization of gay marriage has also affected the normal socialization process. For instance, it would not be easy to recognize the statuses and roles of a father in gay marriage.

References

Lee, J. W. (2005). Gender roles. New York: Nova Biomedical Books.

Pattnaik, J. (2013). Father involvement in young children’s lives: A global analysis. Dordrecht: Springer.