Question

Based on Chapter 8, Reading 23 titled "Unequal Childhood- Class, Race and Family Life" (Page 306) of book Family in Transition 15th Edition by Skolnick & Skolnick

Q. Discuss some of the preconceptions regarding family life in America and why the family is theoretically significant.

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Answer 1

Family plays an important role in the social, cultural, mental, and physical development of an individual. It is the basic unit of society. Without family, it is impossible to imagine the presence of any society.

There are many differences between the social and cultural structure of Western world like the U.S, European countries and eastern countries like China, Indian subcontinent’s countries.

In eastern countries like China,India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and other Asian countries, people are tied to there family and culture more firmly than people of Western culture.

They prefer to live with their family as the joint family or partly nuclear family due to their emotional and cultural bonding with their parents.

On the other hand, in Western countries like the U.S., most of the families are living as nuclear families.

Kid leave their family from very early age due to their academic and other study-related purposes. Hence, they do not get chance to connect socially and emotionally with their family, parents and their culture. That is the main reason that most of the people in the western world do not care and respect their parents as compared to eastern world.