Does Family Only Encompass Blood Relations? - Essay Sample

Introduction

The term 'family' is highly subjective. Different people have different views on the definition of a family. The issue of the perfect family structure, as well as the roles of various members of a family, has also been a cause of argument over the years. The family can be defined merely as the building block of any society. As defined by the English dictionary, a family is a group consisting of parents and their children together as a unit (Turnbull et al 1237). In this definition, each member of the family holds a specific position. Roles of each member is traditionally well defined.

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An example is, the father is supposed to be a role model and head of the family. His wife and children are expected to respect him and obey him. However, the roles of different family members have transformed over the years in response to various societal and cultural changes. For instance, while fathers were traditionally considered to be the heads of families, people coming from single mother families are bound to see the mother as the head of the family.

In the postmodern times, the definition of family has changed to encompass a few more components. The term family is now used to refer to any group of people that shared a commitment to each other. These people share the same values and have a similar view of the future (Sexton, 101). This family is still a social unit, but it holds a deeper meaning as compared to the dictionary meaning of family. Postmodern families can even consist of two people who are not necessarily married. In recent times, people in homosexual relationships are still considered family. This has become more acceptable in many societies. This acceptability has been made manifest even as courts allow such partners to adopt children and create nuclear families of their own.

Modern families have adopted parental diversity. This diversity is seen in the cases of divorced parents, same-sex parents, single parent, among other types of family setups. An increasing number of unmarried couples are raising children together, more people are living together without necessarily getting married, single-parent families are on the rise, and some couples are choosing not to have children.

The changing family dynamics, therefore, challenge the traditionally held perception that family consists of people related by blood. Other than the blood relations, family as perceived by most people also comprised of people connected by marriage. Therefore, following this direction of thought, the family consists of relatives. Relatives include grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and nieces. This definition shows that though this perception is considered ancient, it covers the modern family setups too. For instance, as mentioned earlier, same-sex partners are allowed to adopt children and make a family in different parts of the world. Such arrangements satisfy the requirements of a family according to the above definition since the two partners connected by marriage. This discussion, therefore, shows that the definition of a family depends on individuals. Unlike in the past when a typical family could only be defined as an arrangement between a married father and their children (biological) living in the same place, modern families take a variety of forms and shapes. However, the common trait of the different types of a family is a shared commitment and support between the members.

Having discussed the traditional perception and definition of a family as well as the transformations that family has undergone over the years, this paper will now seek to answer the question of whether a family is only restricted to blood relations. This question is significant since other people in the society such as friends and workmates are at times taken to be part of a family. Modern definitions of the family tend to advance that family refers to the people who stand by somebody regardless of whether they are related by blood or not. This definition seems to define friends as family (Berger & Brigitte 26). Moreover, the description also raises another question that challenges the very foundation of the traditional definition of family. When blood relatives fail to support one, do they cease to be family? To understand this concept better, this paper will look at the reasons why friends are considered to be part of the family.

Owing to the changes in society, people often leave their families and homes for far off places either for work or to further their education. In the destinations, they spend most of their time with friends. They offer a kind of closeness that family members cannot provide in such circumstances. Over time, all the aspects of their lives are known and shared by friends. They get to support them and stand by them just like a family does. It is as a result of this that people say that a particular friend is like a brother or a sister to them. A family is meant to accept one and support as they are. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in some traditional families. Many children grow up wishing that their siblings and parents would accept them for who they are rather than dictating who they should become. Fortunately, friendships can help realize this goal. Friends understand one more deeply than family members do.

Moreover, most people can be themselves when they are with their friends, a state that might not be achieved with family members. Therefore, just like families are meant to do, friends bring happiness and satisfaction into one's life. It is for these reasons that friends are considered to be family. On the other side of the coin, some family members are a constant source of pain and grief for some people. In such situations, some people end contact with their relatives in what is seen as a form of modern liberation. For instance, one might choose to walk out of an abusive marriage, and the partner technically ceases to be a member of the family.

This discussion reveals that family should not be restricted to a particular definition. Families can change in shapes and forms in response to various changes to society. Defining a family as a unit consisting of married man and woman and their children is no longer right since the number of same-sex families, single-parent families, and unmarried couples are on the rise (Berger & Brigitte 295). Moreover, defining a family within the confines of blood relations is wrong since most people look at their friends as part of the family. When rejection, distance, circumstance, or death tears one from their family, friends come in to fill the holes left and hence become like family. The discussion has also shown that one can cut off a member of the family when they become a constant source of pain and grief. Therefore, a family should be defined by the commitment of the members to bring happiness to each other rather than on blood relations.

Works Cited

Berger & Brigitte. The family in the modern age: More than a lifestyle choice. Routledge, (2017): 2-244

Sexton, Thomas & Jay Lebow. Handbook of family therapy. Routledge, (2015): 101

Turnbull, Joanna, et al. "Oxford advanced learner's dictionary." International Student's Edition (2010): 1237