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Part Five Dimensions of Families
Education
Almost from the moment of birth, children are taught the ways of
their culture by their families. Through the years, families teach children
how to speak a language. They teach them how to feed, bathe, and dress
themselves. Families teach their children how to get along with others
in addition to many other necessary skills.
Families also convey their beliefs about religion to their children.
Many families will take their children to worship services at a church,
synagogue, mosque, or other house of worship and will observe
religious holidays. Their children may receive a system of religious
beliefs and personal ethics they will draw upon all of their lives.
Procreation
Through procreation (reproduction), couples bring the members of
the next generation into the world. Although a male-female bond forms
the foundation for parenting and family life across cultures, marriage
forms may differ widely. For example, most cultures value monogamy
(one husband and one wife). In some other cultures, polygamy (many
wives) or other forms of marriage may be the norm.
The degree to which a woman is valued for her procreative ability
differs among cultures. In the U.S., a woman is seen as a valuable person
who is worthy of respect regardless of whether she bears children. She
and her spouse can control whether or not they will have children and
if so, the number of children they will have. Women are encouraged to
get educations and to have fulfi lling careers in addition to being wives
and mothers.
In some other cultures, however, women are valued primarily for
the number of children they can bring into the world. In other cultures,
women are well-respected if they give birth to an heir. Women who are
denied educations and careers tend to have greater numbers of children.
In such cultures, population growth tends to be high.
Protection
Adult family members are responsible for the care of all family
members. They are also responsible for protecting their members from
harm. Accordingly, responsible parents encourage their children to
• practice good health and safety habits
• form wholesome friendships
• avoid situations in which they are likely to become victims of crime