The concept and idea of the family are constantly changing. Different researchers have attempted to develop an ideal definition of the family. Social life changing makes family complicated to be analyzed. Numerous researchers such as Murdock have defined family, but have not been successful. Success lacks when groups and people in society are excluded from the definition. Murdock defines family as “It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children own or adopted of cohabitating adults”(Gittins 1985;1). Murdock’s four basic aspects of the functionalist are used to define family as well. The four aspects are: common residence, economic co-operation, reproduction,
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Sex refers to the biological aspect of a person. If you are born a female or male. Sex definition is not the same as gender. Responsibilities are assigned based on sex. For example, males fix the cars, and the female cook. Gender is described by Barbara J. Risman 1998 as the different gender roles that men and females are supposed to act upon. Gender refers to how a male and female should act, look, and feels. Men are supposed to act tough, and women are supposed to be sensitive. Gender also assumes that males are supposed to act masculine and females feminine. Gender is socially constructed, based on your sex; your behaviors should act accordingly. These behaviors are unspoken and spoken, but followed by society. When refereeing to gender it is always assumed that the man is the breadwinner and the women are the homemakers. Sex and gender are different, but only combined together when schooling someone. Individuals are schooled when they are acting outside from their sex. According to the article Teaching and Doing Gender in African American Families (2002), parents enforce gender roles assuring that the boys go to college because the girls need to take care of the …show more content…
Family is better understood because it allows for a more inclusive research to be done for each race and ethnicity, demonstrating that each race has their own experiences. Their own experiences lead to how they do family. People’s experiences are different and unique demonstrating how general assumptions cannot define family because everyone’s own story needs to be told based on their struggles and victories. “Mainstream American society defines white middle-class culture as the norm and whiteness as the unmarked marker of other differences”(Espiritu 2001;435). The ideal image of family has been around too long, trying to portray that their family definition is the correct. America does not only consist of white people, therefore this cannot be the expectation. Expectations and definitions cannot be made based on one race and ethnicity because is excludes all others. Therefore, race and ethnicity need to be incorporated to better understand the diversity of families that
Sex refers to the biological aspect of a person. If you are born a female or male. Sex definition is not the same as gender. Responsibilities are assigned based on sex. For example, males fix the cars, and the female cook. Gender is described by Barbara J. Risman 1998 as the different gender roles that men and females are supposed to act upon. Gender refers to how a male and female should act, look, and feels. Men are supposed to act tough, and women are supposed to be sensitive. Gender also assumes that males are supposed to act masculine and females feminine. Gender is socially constructed, based on your sex; your behaviors should act accordingly. These behaviors are unspoken and spoken, but followed by society. When refereeing to gender it is always assumed that the man is the breadwinner and the women are the homemakers. Sex and gender are different, but only combined together when schooling someone. Individuals are schooled when they are acting outside from their sex. According to the article Teaching and Doing Gender in African American Families (2002), parents enforce gender roles assuring that the boys go to college because the girls need to take care of the …show more content…
Family is better understood because it allows for a more inclusive research to be done for each race and ethnicity, demonstrating that each race has their own experiences. Their own experiences lead to how they do family. People’s experiences are different and unique demonstrating how general assumptions cannot define family because everyone’s own story needs to be told based on their struggles and victories. “Mainstream American society defines white middle-class culture as the norm and whiteness as the unmarked marker of other differences”(Espiritu 2001;435). The ideal image of family has been around too long, trying to portray that their family definition is the correct. America does not only consist of white people, therefore this cannot be the expectation. Expectations and definitions cannot be made based on one race and ethnicity because is excludes all others. Therefore, race and ethnicity need to be incorporated to better understand the diversity of families that