The Evolution of the Family

The composition of a family has evolved through the years. In the olden days, the family was traditionally composed of a mother, a father ,and children (www.writework.com). T'etreault and Lipschutz (2009) discusses that the traditional family is headed by the father and confirms to the patriarchal society, but the rise of new ideologies and social movements have changed the traditional composition of the family. Ideologies like feminism which promotes equal treatment to all genders sparked social movements that lead to the evolution of the composition of the family (Michaels,M.W., n.d.). Nowadays, the family does not need to be the traditional mix of the father, mother , and children. Heterosexual parents with children, homosexual parents with adopted children, or just plain couples can be considered as a family. The acceptance of nontraditional families today which were considered taboo in the past can be credited to the people that pioneered social movements whose goals were to establish fair treatment to different genders in society. The traditional ideology that the father is the head of the family has also evolved. The head of the family in contemporary times need not to be the male, but also the female. the head of the family does not confirm to the patriarchal society anymore but to whoever is able to make the most critical decisions and is able to support the whole family. It is also imperative for the head of the family to be able to act as the foundation of the family.

References:

• T'etreault, M. & Lipschutz, R. (2009) Global Politics as if People mattered. 2nd edition. Lanham,MD: Rowman & Littlefield

• Michaels,M. W. (n.d.). Feminism and Woman's nature. accessed September 23,2010 from http://www.answers.com/topic/feminism

• The traditional nuclear family is a vital institution in producing and maintaining a healthy society in Britain.( January 29, 2003) retrieved September 23,2010 from http://www.writework.com/essay/traditional-nuclear-family-vital-institution-producing-and