Family and Social Structure

Fam·i·ly

noun /ˈfam(ə)lē/

A group of people related to one another by blood or marriage.

 

Family, also known as one’s “kin”, can often be a way of deciding how loyalty and intimacy is shared by one among their relatives. Though the definition of family uses the phrase, “by blood or marriage” to specify the relation between family members, the meaning of Family varies from person to person. Personally, I believe family is a group of persons whose members love and try to help each other, whether they are related by blood or not. As they say in the famous proverb—Blood is thicker than water, a traditional family usually shares blood. However, the meaning, and common depiction, of what a family consists of has changed since the commonly portrayed Nuclear Families of the 1940’s.  People are moving away from the “traditional family”  and moving to the idea of a “modern family”.

Take a second to think about the word Family. When one thinks of the word family, the first things to come to mind are: Mom, Dad, Siblings, Grandparents. However, in today’s world it seems as if the term family encompasses a broader spectrum of people. From long time family friends to college roommates, the blood-based guidelines of the word family have been let loose.  Being Mexican, the term Familia is not ever limited to immediate family. In my familia we include extended cousins, aunts, uncles, and even my roommate/best friend, Andrew Bradshaw. While this is how I see my family at the present time, the future is something a little new and blurry to me.

People Espanol: Caption: "Ricky Martin and his Babies"

Being a gay male in this modern age, I would say the topic of “Family” is something I ponder about time and time again. We’ve all heard the negative comments and hateful jeers people make at the thought of a Gay family. On the news we hear about the controversy involving the debate of gay marriage, and on commercial breaks we see public service announcements condemning gay marriage as well as gay families with children.
The Declaration of Independence says that we are all created equal, endowed by our Creator “with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. ”  As of now I am content with the progress that has been made so far, and keep my head up high hoping for the best.  James Baldwin once made a very true statement which said, “Everybody’s journey is individual.  If you fall in love with a boy, you fall in love with a boy.  The fact that many Americans consider it a disease says more about them than it does about homosexuality. ”

 

Social Structure
When I think of social structure and social groups the first thing that comes to mind is a scene from the movie, “Mean Girls”.

Social structure and social groups are based on a shared interest or attribute which the people within said group hold in common. For example, music majors or members of a particular athletic team. These types of social groups are more common in the adolescent years, and as time passes the focus of these groups seem to change, as well as the members within the groups. Soon it it more common to see young couples with children in one side, while business oriented singles are on the other.  Other aspects of the social structure involves one’s socioeconomic class, career field, and even level of education.

 

Having said this,