Canadian Family Enetering 21st Century
Like everything else, "family" has an infinite number of definitions. One definition of family is "any group of people united by marriage, blood or adoption, constituting a single household, interacting and communicating with each other, and creating and maintaining a common culture" (Hales 14). Many contemporary sociologists have expanded this definition to include people whom or may not be related and those who for of their lives live together, satisfying their emotional needs and relating to each other to fulfill wants and desires. Regardless of the definitions, everyone has his or her own idea of what a family is. Some feel that family life "is not what it used to be" and have a very negative view on the subject. Others more optimistic argue that families are not dying but are being reborn in new forms and styles. Society is ever changing therefore, so is the family institution. The old "Leave it to Beaver" view on family life is being quickly overtaken with a new millennium, where there is no "set" standard norm. Although the causes and effects of the breakdown of the Canadian family unit in the 21st century are numerous, there are many ways in which families are developing and adapting for the future.
Canadians like to imagine the family as a refuge from the stresses and strains of the outside world. While this is true, there is another reality. The family is both the most loving and supportive of human groups and also by far the most violent group or institution. Women's liberation has also played a key role in the breakdown of Canadian families. Women's increase in education and movement into the work force, often creates neglect in homes as a result of their need to seek personal satisfaction. This by no means is implying that women are the soul cause of family breakups. Adoption and foster families are also becoming part of the social norm. Adoption is a permanent placement of a child in a family, whereas foster care is temporary. Children are placed in foster care because of problems that do not allow them to stay with their own families. Many families are adopting more hard-to-place children instead of only newborns. Older children and both physically and mentally disabled children are being incorporated into today's families much more easily than ever before because of awareness and tolerance. (The Vanier Institute of the Family 131) dered the most basic social institution. Often the significance of problems that occur within family is underestimated. Families are being increasingly jeopardized by a number of social issues. In 1991, approximately one-quarter of Canadian households consisted of only one person (Hagedorn 396). Although over the past twenty-five years the number of marriages has decreased significantly. Most people in Canada marry at least once in their lifetime. "Most marriages are characterized by homogamy and by inequality in domestic labor and marital power" (Hagedorn 396). Therefore, many people are turning to divorce or common law relationships as an alternative. Divorce can be an extremely traumatic experience for anyone, especially for a youn
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Approximate Word count = 1278
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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