Modern Families And Traditional Families Sociology Essay

Families are changing all over the world. What we see as a family some years back is different. There has been a lot of transition from traditional towards modern families. It is sometimes because of technology but most importantly it evolves around the culture and how different people have adapted to different cultures. (The Future of Families to 2030)

Families; now and then:

A few years back, concept of a family was different. In different cultures family was considered parents raising their children and all of them living together raising children and grandchildren together. The aunts and uncles were part of families and were significant other. Three generations were considered to be a single family who are living together; but now the concepts of families have totally changed. Your significant others now days are only the parents or your siblings. At a time one or two generations make a family. This change does not vary on a cultural basis but it is seen to be adapted universally. (The Future of Families to 2030)

Modern families Vs. Traditional Families:

The book marks different examples and compares both stereotypes of families. The traditional families vary from modern families in a lot of ways. Example of primitive Chinese’s societies is given where is mentioned how the family works on the farm together play their role and act as one unit. Each of the family members has separate shares of land and they get divided when children grow up. To avoid this, primitive families gave the land to the eldest son. Further, traditional families have an advantage that the families stay close together with a strong bond. (Kong)

On the other side, living together can cause number of disputes and disagreements as well; larger the family, more the ways of thinking and more conflict of ideas. To keep this thing in place, a head of mainly is made who is mostly the eldest male member of the family. All the family decisions are in his hand. He is to decide whether to talk about and take a certain decision or not. This creates loos of freedom as no one is to take decisions independently and one loses the right of how to conduct certain things in the family.

In traditional families, more is talked about bonds and staying together like family as a single unit; but now days more is being focused in individuality; people like to think about themselves first and then about significant others. Individuality has given rise to equality and in case of families all family members must be equal together. This is a concept which has been adopted by the modern families where each of the family members has say in the family decisions and everything is based on equality.

This style of family is healthy at one side but it is also has a demerit; this type of families ruin the traditional values which elders kept safe throughout the generations. The respect of elders is becoming less. Parents living together with grandchildren are considered a burden.

Whatever the type of family is and in whatever culture or society we reside; but universally a family is where the love and care takes start. After a bad day; when everything comes to an end; you are always looking towards family as a last place of comfort. Families are there to support you and help you without being judgmental. (Kong)

Change in fertility and family planning from past to future:

There has been a lot of change in the family planning and idea of number of children. The fertility levels and family size have a lot of difference in the past as compared to today and in future. The fertility and family size has been changed not only because of the change in traditions and culture but growing population has become a global concern as well. There are many other reasons as well which have led to a different family pattern and size. (2011)

Now days everything and even the way of living has changed, now people like to have less but the best of all the options available. Same is the case with families; now days what parents commonly think is that to provide their children and family with the best options like education, standards of living and much more, it becomes impossible in the case when you have large families; so smaller families are a way to get all of this in today’s world.

Secondly, the trend of late marriages has also stepped in where now the people like to focus on their career and education before they plan to settle; late marriages lower the level of fertility and leads to less number of children but who are grown in the healthiest manner.

Thirdly, are the advancements in contraception’s and change in society marriages. Gay marriages are legal in most of the countries leading to smaller family sizes and advancement is contraception which was absent in the past have led to smaller families.

The fertility level and the family size and trends have changed a lot from past to the future. (2011)

The change in partnership patterns:

Families in the past were happy to live together for all their lives; the early marriages concept was common. People were not allowed to take bold decisions or to think about themselves; but as education came in and people became more aware about their rights; they started to think about themselves; hence changing the partnership patterns. (2011)

In past; marriages used to last long, but in future trends will be different because of high divorce rates. People think about themselves individually now and equality also plays an important role. Gender biasness has decreased a lot which maintains both the husband and wife rights equally and when they are not being fulfilled people go to look for other options like divorce and separation. This in future will result in families with number of single parents. (2011)

Same is the case with gay marriages; in future number of families will be with same gendered parents living together and raising families at their best.

The change in children behavior:

There are number of changes seen in the behavior of children as compared to how they behaved a century back. Now day’s children like to be and stay independent after they start to earn or turn eighteen. Children move out of the parents’ home and stay with friends or partners and look for an independent life. (2011) (The Future of Families to 2030)

In the past, this idea was rarely seen. Parents home was the children’s home and they stayed until they got married or even sometimes parents’ home was the family home where all lived together; children moving out in their teenage has changed the family pattern and the concept of family a lot.

Furthermore; as the world move towards globalization; studying and settling abroad has become very common as soon as we become global citizens. Children move out for higher studies and get settled there later on in life which has changed the family concept and pattern as compared to the past.

Family of the Future:

Family of the future seems to be a different term; but if we look upon closely the concept of a family still remains the same; the family is a place which you look forward to after everything. Family is about companionship and staying together in hearts no matter wherever you are.

The transition which the families have gone through from past to present towards the future has immense changes but whether modern or traditional family is where an individual belongs to. (The Future of Families to 2030)