A few weeks back, when we looked at agents of socialization, many of you identified the “family” as a primary agent involved in socializing individuals into society and culture.  In fact, the family is much more than that.  In almost every culture, the family is the premier institution for the following: socialization of children, adult intimate relationships, lifelong economic support and cooperation, emotional support and status, and the continuity of relationships along the life course.  

Here is a brief reading about the family and its role in society 

https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/hdfs/fii/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/s_wifis01c02.pdfLinks to an external site.

That said, the family structures that were very common a century ago are not nearly as common today. Today, American families take many forms: The 
Traditional Nuclear Family is a family group consisting of married parents and their children. This is the family type that was most common until recently. Another common format is the 
Single-Parent Family, which can be created by unwed motherhood, divorce, or death of a spouse. The second most common type of family in America today is the 
Blended Family, which is a family group created by remarriage that includes stepparents or stepsiblings or both. Another type of family, the 
Extended Family, is when a family group includes relatives beyond nuclear or blended family levels (i.e., cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and great-grandparents) who live in the same household.  A newer type is the 
Family-by-Choice, which can include adopted children, live-in partners, kin of each member of the household, and close friends. 
Family-by-Circumstance is a non-traditional family structure where life events and/or crises join adults and children together for a period of time. This includes foster families, emergency placements, and “live with” situations.  All of these family types have unique characteristics and factors which can either enhance or impede their functions as socializing agents and supportive structures for its members.

For this week’s assignment, I would like you to look back and discuss the family structure that you were brought up in as a young person.

In your post this week, tell us the following:

1.

1. Explain the dynamics of the family in which you were raised. In your post tell us what type of family you come from and explain its composition. Then tell us a bit about how your family functioned to provide support and stability for you and the other members of the family group.

2. Discuss what you felt were the 
advantages and the 
disadvantages that you experienced given your particular family structure.