Years ago when grandma and grandpa were raising their families everyone knew their place within the family unit and life just seemed to be easier. There was a ‘model family’ in which most fit into; you could guess what the Smiths were doing at 9am on a Sunday morning or the Walkers were doing on a Friday night.
Families went to church together and caught the latest film at the drive-in on Friday night each and every week. You will find few families that fit this mold anymore and even less drive in theatres! So is there a Father Knows Best or Donna Reed family that fits the 21st Century mould? There is and there isn’t. Here’s why:
Sociology Has an Answer
When questioned whether there is such a thing as a 21st Century model nuclear family, a social worker may draw upon some of the fundamental principles in sociology, to attempt to first define the current understanding of family and secondly try to offer examples of contemporary lifestyle to explain those families. Someone with a Masters in Social Work from prestigious universities such as Rutgers has looked in depth at today’s family to draw the conclusion that whilst there are commonalities within families, there is no set pattern that can be evidenced when going from household to household.
Blended Families and Non-Traditional Families
Oddly, the term ‘non-traditional’ is still used when talking about same sex marriages and common-law associations but with nothing being ‘traditional’ anymore, how can anything be defined as a non-traditional model? When working towards an online Social Work Masters degree, these various models of contemporary families will be explored. Perhaps when seeking to determine whether or not your family fits a mould, you might want to use the terms conventional and unconventional instead of traditional and non-traditional.
Today a couple is still seen as the pillar of the family but that couple might be an interracial couple, a same sex couple or a couple that has been married many times in the past as a New York Times article alluded to in 2013. This sort of research and documentation is crucial when seeking an MSW online degree because trends are changing and where better to read about them than in a major periodical?
There is something to be said for the ever-evolving image of a family because kids no longer need to feel left out or embarrassed if their parents are divorced or members of the same sex. Few kids are surprised if their friends’ parents are different from their own. This is important because kids need to feel part of something bigger than their family unit. There is no longer a need to feel left out as each and every family has its own model. Modern families may not be traditional but they works and that’s all that counts.
Disclosure: This is a guest post.