Activity:
Activity:
Chapter 2 Families and Parents 49
Summing It Up
•
The word family has many different
meanings, but basically family describes
two or more people who are related
by birth, marriage, adoption, or other
circumstances.
•
Five basic family structures are common
in America today. Each structure has
both advantages and disadvantages.
•
Regardless of their structure, all families
perform five basic functions. A family’s
ability to perform these functions is an
indication of its strength.
•
Families are in different developmental
stages as described by the family life cycle.
Within the family’s developmental stages,
children and parents go through their
own developmental stages, too.
•
Families operate as a social system. In
doing this: the parenting role is a two-
way process; patterns (roles, rules, and
communication styles) evolve; boundaries
between family members and between
the family as a unit and the outside world
are set up; and family systems can be
challenged resulting in family stress.
•
Parenting is affected by other sources,
including cultural background,
socioeconomic status, lifestyle, parents’
childhood experiences with their parents,
community resources, and media and
technology influences.
•
The effects of parenting are significant
and far-reaching. The roles of parents,
children, and society are connected. Each
affects and impacts the other two roles.