Introduction
Different changes happened in families with the emergence of a new era of genders and possibilities. The current family functions can be said to differ dramatically from those considered traditional a century ago. The video of Changing American Families discusses the new family structures that can vary within gender, race, or the member’s role in functioning as successfully as conventional families.
Traditional Family Values
Currently, the vast criticism goes to the conservative defenders of the traditional values on racial homogeneity, the part of a male and female in the family, and the denial of same-sex marriages. One of the essential considerations in the video is the same-sex couple that has lived happily together for the last decades.
It is important to consider from standpoint of family as a client. Here, each individual has a role and is collected into the family group with each function. One of the traditional family functions and values that were important to consider was the role of a man and woman in the family, where the husband serves as the foremost breeder, bringing the financial capability to the family, and the wife is the housekeeper. She is also responsible for the children’s education and behavior.
Wood (2018) claims that same-sex couples exert a similar nuclear family structure despite the criticism from conservative groups. However, with the emergence of new families, these roles are shifted towards the overall utility, depending on the financial possibilities of each partner on who should be more in charge of the children and house, as well as the career development.
Modern Family Challenges
Still, there are challenges that modern families face in the social context. Perales et al. (2020) pointed out that same-sex couples are usually ignored in studies concerning social exclusion, but they still have massive issues with this topic.
It can be reviewed from the family as a system, where there are observable interactions within members, but the overall family issues are missed within the studies. The exclusion can happen in smaller and larger environments, such as local communities or more prominent urban societies. Messina (2018) claims that same-sex couples face emotional conflicts and self-doubts during essential family functions, like child upbringing, due to social pressure. Thus, it is important to review modern family varieties within the case of social exclusion.
Conclusion
The times have changed, and so do families. Traditional families no longer stand as a standard for the family perception, and thus they fail to be recognized as the only efficient way of partnership. Modern families can be created without regard to gender, race, or other factors, and thus it is essential to review the structure of the interrelationship of partners rather than their background.
References
Messina R. & D’Amore S. (2018). Adoption by lesbians and gay men in Europe: Challenges and barriers on the adoption journey. Adoption Quarterly, 21(2), 59-81.
Perales F., Simpson R. L. & Plage S. (2020) The family lives of Australian lesbian, gay and bisexual people: A review of the literature and a research agenda. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 17, 43-60.
Wood K. (2018). Families beyond boundaries: Conceptualising kinship in gay and lesbian adoption and fostering. Child & Family Social Work, 23, 155– 162.