Family

A family is a social unit, consisting of a mother, father and children who share certain goals and values and live together in one home. Its the most important social group. The family supplies basic physical, economic and emotional security for its members. A functioning family shows a strong relationship between its members. Human needs, such as love, protection, responsibility and support, are fulfilled there. In time of test, family is best. English proverbOne automatically becomes a family member immediately after being born. Exceptions: orphans and abandoned children grow up in orphanages and foster homes. Adopting a child is a very long process. Couples have to go through different checks on their origin, age, financial situations, etc.. All family members have specific social roles with various duties and responsibilities. Father: Most important role is to provide (or create) the financial security for the family. The one who brings the bacon home. Mother: She creates the emotional security of the family. Including: takes care of children, makes the family funcitoning (cooking, washing, ironing, and other domestic chores done by women). The hand who rocks the cradle. The main role of parents is to raise their children. Parents should teach how to differentiate between good and bad, how to solve problems in life, become and independent person and care about others. There are several type of parents: Democratic parents they lead dialogue with their children and respect their opinions Authoritative parents set strict rules and do not look for compromises, this kind of approach often leads to a generation gap. Very liberal parents they give too much freedom to theri children without limits. Over-caring parents they give too much love and usually bring up spoilt and dependent children. Children: Their main duty is learning and going to school. Besides that, children are expected to help their parents with some housework. Modern European families are monogamous and egalitarian. Married couples are expected to live faithfully without having any love affairs. Types of families: Nuclear family: It consist 2 generations (parents and children) and theres always kinship (blood relationship) between them. The parents have to be married. The steps to the wedlock (marriage): at first theyre dating then they being engaged, fiance (engaged girl), fiance (engaged man). On the day of wedding they are bride (bridesmaid is the helper of the bride) and bridegroom (bestman is the helper of the bridegroom). On the wedding ceremony theres marriage oath, after they bacome husband and wife. After this the wife becomes e.g: Caroline Smith ne Taylor (Taylor is the maiden name). Single-parent family: Typical is 1 parent, and there are reasons, e.g: - divorce

- death (is widowed), man is a widower, woman is a widow - child outside wedlock (illegitimate child) This type of family mainly disadvantages e.g: less financial security, missing role model. Reconstituted family: In case: - two single parent families are joined - Mother remarries a step family is created. Then the husband is the stepfather and for him children are step-children. If the husband has children the relationship between children and children step-siblings. We can consider a family step-family if the kinship is missing. If the mother and the husband has a child its the half-sibling of the existing children. Another type of reconstituted family is foster family theres no kinship, because the child is adopted. Extended family: Three or more generations are living in a house. Advantages: its financially better, theres no problem whos going to look after children, the family is together. Disadvantages: no privacy, if the house is not big enough then less room/person, the generation gap occurs more often. Cohabitation: When parents are not legally married, but theyre living in a house together. Its still dubious to the older generation and totally unacceptable among Catholics. Some couples get married when babies appear. Other topics to talk about: arranged marriages, inappropriate marriages (royalty+ordinary people or religions are mixed), gay marriages, monogamy, poligamy (polyandri, polygynyits having more spouses than one), overpopulation or decreaseof population (things touched on with natality, mortality), something about my own family. Questions: Q: In your opinion what are the benefits of being married in modern society and do they outweigh the disadvantages? A: Im more like a tradition respecting person. Certainly the wedlock has some disadvantages but these also can be advantages. For example I think that its not as good to promise for your spouse to live together and legally youre connected. Its much better to have nothing like that or sign a marriage contract. But on the other side this promise often holds back couples from divorce. So its either a good and bad thing. Here comes that I usually like traditions. I think in a persons life its very important to get married, to have all the things around wedding ceremony and the party at the wedding reception. Of course its just one thing. But I think its also worth of considering that a family with two working adults in it provides bigger financial security and its always a good feeling to come home because you know somebody is waiting you. A spouse who waits home could a huge emotional support for everyobody. Q: How has the importance of the extended family affected the upbringing of children and why?

A: In an extended family the new generations have better relationship with their grand and great-grandparents because theyre living together and of course the older generations help the parents of the children to bring them up. It can be a good thing but Id not live in an extended family because I think the generation gap occurs more often and more markedly. Q: How important in your opinion are shared family activities for developing childrens social skills? A: At first I think the social skills of children are mainly developed in schools. Because there they meet every type of person and they have to handle it. Although share family activities are very important but in an other aspect. These activites help to build a better relationship between parents and children. Unfortunately nowadays this type of relationship is relegated to the background. For example when a child wants to play sports I find that very important that the first steps of the activity should be taught by his father. For me personally our family holidays have given a lot of good experiences. I still like going on holiday with my parents. I think the discussion between parents and children should be a capital part of bringin up a kid. They should talk about their opinions on things. Q: In your opinion what is the best age for getting married and starting a family and why? A: In this question Im thinking like the majority of young people. Because for me presonally its fundamental to have financial security and a career before starting a family. Id like to marry around 28 and have children then or like 1-2 years after that. I think most of the people who are thinking this way have selfish reasons. They do want to spoil their life with a child or even with a spouse. As they say, they want to live their lives. But please, they should think more solemnly. I think in a certain age its important to have somebody by your side. To support you even in your career. Also having a child can be one of the biggest joys in the life. Q: What are the main characteristics of a typical Hungarian family, are they changing and if they are is this a good or bad thing? A: If I imagine a typical hungarian family then theyre living in a house, theres two children an of course theyre happy. Unfortunately sometimes its just the look. ??