Introduction
Different ethnic and social cultures have diverse practices, beliefs, and values. Therefore, an individual’s cultural background affects their views and attitudes regarding various aspects of life, for example, their views on the issue of pregnancy in addition to the concept of family. In this paper, emphasis will be made on the ethnic and social cultures of the U.S. The first discussion is about pregnancy.
Main body
In the U.S., pregnant women are highly valued. Moreover, they are given the freedom to choose what care they would like to receive. For instance, a pregnant woman can choose whether she prefers public or private health care, where she wants to give birth, that is, whether at home or in a hospital (Greeley & McCready, 2018, p. 7). Additionally, a pregnant woman is given privileged health care, antenatal, perinatal, and postpartum care. Furthermore, the mother should decide how to give birth, such as if she would prefer a C-section or normal giving birth. Additionally, the attitude assumed by a pregnant woman is that she is valuable in society as she will provide life to another human being. Her care and pride from family and society contribute to that attitude.
Traditionally, the family structure in the United States is considered a support system for the family and involves two married persons providing care to their offspring. In this traditional family structure, the head of the household is the man. The man’s role is mostly to be the breadwinner of the family. A man commands respect in his household from all the household members. Additionally, in this structure, a man was operationally the head of the family (Greeley & McCready, 2018, p. 17). However, when it comes to decision-making on how money is spent, the decision is mostly made by the couple. Nonetheless, this typical family structure has been challenged by emerging issues in society, such as divorce and separation between couples, which have led to a dynamic change in the family structure. Other issues affecting the family structure include same-sex marriages, having stay-at-home-fathers, single parenthood, teenage pregnancies, and unwedded mothers, to name a few. Thus, the above roles are dependent on the family in question.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is a dynamic change in society, reflecting changes in social ethnicity and culture. For instance, surrogate mothers did not exist in the past, and neither was the C-section giving birth rampant like in today’s society. Additionally, the family structure has been affected as above mentioned.
References
Greeley, A. M., & McCready, W. C. (2018). Ethnicity in the United States: A preliminary reconnaissance. John Wiley & Sons.