Almost all of us have our ideas about what constitutes a traditional family. In an article written my Stephanie Coontz, the idyllic, traditional family is discussed.
To me, the traditional family encompasses of one mother, one father, children and extended family. When I think of family I think of sharing holidays, being there for one another in one’s best and worst times and having unconditional love for one another. The family that I grew up in consisted of a mom and dad whom were married, siblings and one grandparent; I only knew one grandparent because all my other grandparents had passed away before my birth. The description of my family, to me, eludes less than traditional. After reading the article, “The Way We Weren’t: the Myth and Reality of the “traditional” Family”, I would view Coontz’s description of traditional as what is the norm of a society from within a particular era. The strengths that we also find in many families of the past were rooted in different social, cultural, and economic circumstances from those that prevail today (Coontz 1).
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"A Look at the “Traditional” Family".
A lot of what Coontz describes in her article rings somewhat true within my family structure. I assume that I can relate to a few characteristics because I grew up with some of the norms which were passed down from great-grandparent, to grandparent, to parent then to me. The family I have created as an adult is a diluted version of what I grew up with. There are a couple of similarities, but there is more tradition in the sense of sticking up for family and taking care of family. My current family structure is also more diluted because there are thousands of miles between me and my relatives.
After reading the article, I found that a traditional family is only in the mind of the beholder. More than 30 percent of households are single person households. 23 percent of children live with a single mother, 5 percent with a single father. More than 70 percent of all children live in families where every adult in the household is employed (What is the “Traditional American Family?”). It is safe to say that the traditional family of the 21st century is anything but the stereotypical traditional family is considered.
- “Traditional Family.” Human Life International. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
http://www.hli.org/ - Coontz, Stephanie. “The Way We Weren’t: the Myth and Reality of the “traditional” Family.” National Forum 75.3 (1995): 1-4. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. http://staff.jccc.edu/
- Coontz, Stephanie. “What Is the “Traditional American Family?”.” The Mother Company. N.p., 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Sept. 2013. http://www.themotherco.com/
