36 Unit 1 Your Development and Relationships
kitchen after dinner. Doing the
laundry may be the responsibility
of one family member for a limited
time, such as a week. Then another
member takes the role of launderer.
Your roles will often change as
there are changes in your family.
If a member of your family leaves,
you may need to accept new
responsibilities and roles. Your roles
may also change as you get older.
As a young child, you may have
fi lled the role of pet feeder or table
setter. As you got older, however,
a younger sibling may have taken
over that role. You may have then
assumed the role of launderer or
cook. You learn your family roles
from the members of your family.
Functional and Dysfunctional Families
In a functional family, each member contributes to the family unit
by fulfi lling his or her roles and responsibilities. Each family member
is committed to the well-being of the others. The family becomes a
dysfunctional family when a member does not do his or her part to fulfi ll
responsibilities. For instance, when a parent leaves unexpectedly or a child
refuses to do his or her share, the family system becomes out of balance.
Every family faces problems. Strong, functional families are able to solve
problems together. They do this through communication and respect for each
other. Members of a functional family also trust one another. They spend time
together. They make each other feel good and help each other develop self-esteem.
Observing family traditions will help link one generation of a family to the next.
Community Connections
Family and Community
Strong families help make sound communities.
Children raised in a loving family are more likely to
become caring adults. Their contributions to society will
include honesty and compassion. Children who learn
peaceful confl ict resolution can use those techniques
to help solve community problems. If family members
respect and support one another, they are likely to
respect and support people outside the family as well.
Your community is a lot like a big family. Many
people in your community may come from different
family situations, backgrounds, and cultures. How you
get along with others can help make you and your family
happier, and your community a better place to live.
1. How does socialization fulfi ll a function in families?
2. Name seven types of families.
3. What type of family occurs when an adult brings a child from another
family into his or her own family through legal means?
4. Distinguish between a functional family and a dysfunctional family.
Reading Review
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Reading Review
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