Acceptance of family in Western society †Sociology Essay

Acceptance of family in Western society – Sociology Essay Free Online Research Papers Acceptance of family in Western society Sociology Essay The Encyclopaedia Britannica (1995) defines family as a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective social positions, usually those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings. The family group should be distinguished from a household, which may include boarders and roomers sharing a common residence. This paper will discuss whether all forms of the family are accepted in contemporary Western society by addressing several key questions. What are the forms of the family that we currently have in contemporary Western society? How do these current forms of the family differ from historical familial forms? Why does the family continue and at what point does a form of family become accepted? When looking at these key issues, other factors also need to be taken into consideration. Particularly when addressing forms of the family in contemporary Western society, aspects such as the law, religion and cultural influence are of paramount importance if we are to consider this question in its entirety, as it could be considered that many societies in the West have constructed their own variations or types of familial forms from the various cultural influences that comprise contemporary society. There are several defined forms of families that exist in contemporary society. The Australian Bureau of Statistics Year Book, in the Population- Households and Families analysis of data collected in the 2001 Census, describes significant changes in the types of families in Australia with the following statistical depiction: In 2001, of the 4.9 million families counted in the census there were 2.3 million couple families with children (47.0%). The number of families with this family type was the same at the time of the 1991 census but the proportion has declined, from 53.7%, as the number of all families has grown (from 4.3 million). While families with children remained the most common family type in 2001, other family types have grown significantly in the last 10 years. Couple families without children increased by 30% from 1.4 million in 1991 to 1.8 million in 2001. These are comprised of couples who have not yet had children and also couples whose children have left home. One-parent families also increased, from 552,400 in 1991 to 762,600 in 2001, an increase of 38%. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001) In the Encyclopaedia Britannica Online (1995), the forms of family organisation are the nuclear family, â€Å"†¦ the basic unit of family organization in virtually every society. It is generally defined as a married couple and their children (including adopted and fostered children, as well as the couples natural children).† The one-parent family, â€Å"†¦consists of one parent and his or her children. One-parent families may be formed through widowhood, divorce, or separation. They may also be formed when an unmarried person, usually a woman, raises children on her own.† The compound family, â€Å"†¦consists of a central figure (normally the household head), his or her spouses, sometimes concubines, and their children.† The joint family, â€Å"a group of brothers and their wives and children all live together in the same household†, the extended family – a larger and lesser controlled form of the joint family and kin networks, a result of extended families dispersing and government agencies taking over the financial responsibilities customarily looked after by direct family. Recent research has indicated that modern industrial societies are comprised of a â€Å"plurality of household and family types, and the idea of a typical family is misleading†. (Van Krieken, Smith, Habibis, McDonald, Haralambos and Holborn, 2000) In the 1970s, Shorter (1975) described the emerging post-modern family for possibly the first time. The three important characteristics noted by Shorter are: adolescent indifference to the familys identity; instability in the lives of couples, accompanied by rapidly increasing divorce rates; and destruction of the nest notion of nuclear family life with the liberation of women (Zeitlin, Megawangi, Kramer, Colletta, Babatunde and Garman, 1995). In pre-industrial societies, it was argued by Frà ©dà ©ric Le Play, there had been three types of family structure. He first describes the patriarchal family (typical among peasant families), where all sons in the family remained in residence with and under the authority of their father until such a time as an individual heir was appointed. Next, the unstable or nuclear family, where there is no expectation of support to anyone outside the nucleus and the offspring establish themselves as independent from their parents (typical among the wealthy and urban manufacturers) and the stem family, where only one son inherits the property and resides with the parents (again, typical of peasant families) (Van Krieken et al, 2000). This theory was argued against by Peter Laslett (1983; 1984) however, who uncovered evidence that there was a distinctive ‘Western family’ that was typically nuclear in structure, where the children were born relatively late to parents with little age gap and who as a family resided in their own separate households. This type of familial structure was distinct from Eastern Europe and other parts of the world and according to Laslett, possibly helped Western Europe to industrialise first (Van Krieken et al. 2000). One reason for the continuation of the family could be that in society, we have an extensive ideology of familism. Any changes to the familial structure, particularly that of the ‘nuclear family’ could be viewed as threatening the ‘stability of society as a whole’. (Steel and Kidd, 2001) ‘Familia ideology’ it is suggested by Diana Gittins (1993) ‘is often supported by the belief systems of both science and religion’ (Steel and Kidd, 2001). By this it is meant that religious institutions or teachings assert that ‘the most suitable way for humans to live is within a family’ and science asserts that humans have primitive biological urges (specifically sexual reproduction) that can be best fulfilled by existing in familial structures (Steel and Kidd, 2001). Families are viewed not as fixed, static entities, but as living, growing and changing over time (Steel and Kidd, 2001). A central concern to family sociology is diversity. Rhonda and Robert Rapoport (1982) believe that because of societal changes in recent years and the fact that there are various options and choices now giving flexibility to family living, there are five types of diversity that sociologists need to consider (Steel and Kidd, 2001). There is organisational diversity, where there are many structures and ways that families are organised, either both parents or figure heads earn a wage, or only one does and the resulting effects on the roles these parents or figure heads perform. There is cultural diversity, differences in the familial structure of various ethnic and cultural groups. Class or economic diversity, the differences in which middle-class and working class execute familial roles. Life-course diversity, changes in the family structure from early age marriage and children to a late age couple whose children have become independent and cohort diversity, people who may share s imilar family life experiences due to them experiencing similar social and historical events (Steel and Kidd, 2001). As diversity in familial structures and the rise of alternatives to the conventional nuclear family becomes more accepted and prevalent, they are also becoming more legitimate, particularly when dealing with divorce and cohabitation (Steel and Kidd, 2001). In an analysis of research focussed on the family or households carried out in Britain, Jo VanEvery (1995) states that in reference to ‘the precise ways in which family life is changing,’ â€Å"†¦recognisable are the public anxieties and political debates about the causes and consequences of these changes, and the legislative solutions aimed at halting the ‘post-modern family revolution’.† (VanEvery, 1995 in Jagger and Wright, 1999:165) What VanEvery (1995) is bringing to our attention is that with the difficulty of finding a precise definition for family, much of what we as society can classify as ‘research’ in which to base our laws and literature on, does not represent the diversity of family that we have in contemporary Western society. What was found was that only modern nuclear family households existed in the reality constructed by this research, regardless of how the individuals researched chose to organise their lives (VanEvery, 1995 in Jagger and Wright, 1999:166). With the difficulty that comes from defining the forms that ‘family’ takes, the consequent possibility of flaws that may exist in the gathering of data that could show the existing forms of the family in Western society and the constant changing and development of society as a whole, how do we implicitly say are all forms of the family accepted in contemporary Western society? When looking at census data, we can see that the forms of family that could be defined ‘accepted’ are couples with children, couples without children, couples whose children have left home and one-parent families (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001). Are these the only definable categories of family? Are compound families, with a central figure head and his or her spouses and children or joint families with brothers and sisters, their spouses and children counted as ‘couples with children’ although living in alternative households? What is it that constitutes a coup le to be counted? Are they same sex, married or unmarried? It would appear that the differentiation is not clear in the census data, but one could perhaps assume the absence of this differentiation shows acceptance in our society. If you are a same sex couple with children, you are counted as family – even if there are aspects of society that don’t reflect this acknowledgment. Research Papers on Acceptance of family in Western society - Sociology EssayInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UsePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThree Concepts of PsychodynamicRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoPETSTEL analysis of India

Biography of Mother Teresa, The Saint of the Gutters

Biography of Mother Teresa, 'The Saint of the Gutters' Mother Teresa (August 26, 1910–September 5, 1997) founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Catholic order of nuns dedicated to helping the poor. Begun in Calcutta, India, the Missionaries of Charity grew to help the poor, dying, orphans, lepers, and AIDS sufferers in more than 100 countries. Mother Teresas selfless effort to help those in need has caused many to regard her as a model humanitarian. She was canonized a saint in 2016. Fast Facts Known for: Founding the Missionaries of Charity, a Catholic order of nuns dedicated to helping the poorAlso known as: Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (birth name), The Saint of the GuttersBorn: Aug. 26, 1910 in ÃÅ"skà ¼p,  Kosovo Vilayet,  Ottoman EmpireParents: Nikollà «Ã‚  and Dranafile BojaxhiuDied: September 5, 1997 in Calcutta, West Bengal, IndiaHonors: Canonized (pronounced a saint) in September 2016Notable quote: We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something. Early Years Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, known as Mother Teresa, was the third and final child born to her Albanian Catholic parents, Nikola and Dranafile Bojaxhiu, in the city of Skopje (a predominantly Muslim city in the Balkans). Nikola was a self-made, successful businessman and Dranafile stayed home to take care of the children. When Mother Teresa was about 8 years old, her father died unexpectedly. The Bojaxhiu family was devastated. After a period of intense grief, Dranafile, suddenly a single mother of three children, sold textiles and hand-made embroidery to bring in some income. The Call Both before Nikolas death and especially after it, the Bojaxhiu family held tightly to their religious beliefs. The family prayed daily and went on pilgrimages annually. When Mother Teresa was 12 years old, she began to feel called to serve God as a nun. Deciding to become a nun was a very difficult decision. Becoming a nun not only meant giving up the chance to marry and have children, but it also meant giving up all her worldly possessions and her family, perhaps forever. For five years, Mother Teresa thought hard about whether or not to become a nun. During this time, she sang in the church choir, helped her mother organize church events, and went on walks with her mother to hand out food and supplies to the poor. When Mother Teresa was 17, she decided to become a nun. Having read many articles about the work Catholic missionaries were doing in India, Mother Teresa was determined to go there. Mother Teresa applied to the Loreto order of nuns, based in Ireland but with missions in India. In September 1928, 18-year-old Mother Teresa said goodbye to her family to travel to Ireland and then on to India. She never saw her mother or sister again. Becoming a Nun It took more than two years to become a Loreto nun. After spending six weeks in Ireland learning the history of the Loreto order and to study English, Mother Teresa then traveled to India, where she arrived on Jan. 6, 1929. After two years as a novice, Mother Teresa took her first vows as a Loreto nun on May 24, 1931. As a new Loreto nun, Mother Teresa (known then only as Sister Teresa, a name she chose after St. Teresa of Lisieux) settled into the Loreto Entally convent in Kolkata (previously called Calcutta) and began teaching history and geography at the convent schools. Usually, Loreto nuns were not allowed to leave the convent; however, in 1935, 25-year-old Mother Teresa was given a special exemption to teach at a school outside of the convent, St. Teresas. After two years at St. Teresas, Mother Teresa took her final vows on May 24, 1937, and officially became Mother Teresa. Almost immediately after taking her final vows, Mother Teresa became the principal of St. Marys, one of the convent schools, and was once again restricted to staying within the convents walls. A Call Within a Call For nine years, Mother Teresa continued as the principal of St. Marys. Then on Sept. 10, 1946, a day now annually celebrated as Inspiration Day, Mother Teresa received what she described as a call within a call. She had been traveling on a train to Darjeeling when she received an inspiration, a message that told her to leave the convent and help the poor by living among them. For two years, Mother Teresa patiently petitioned her superiors for permission to leave the convent to follow her call. It was a long and frustrating process. To her superiors, it seemed dangerous and futile to send a single woman out into the slums of Kolkata. However, in the end, Mother Teresa was granted permission to leave the convent for one year to help the poorest of the poor. In preparation for leaving the convent, Mother Teresa purchased three cheap, white, cotton saris, each one lined with three blue stripes along its edge. (This later became the uniform for the nuns at Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity.) After 20 years with the Loreto order, Mother Teresa left the convent on Aug. 16, 1948. Rather than going directly to the slums, Mother Teresa first spent several weeks in Patna with the Medical Mission Sisters to obtain some basic medical knowledge. Having learned the basics, 38-year-old Mother Teresa felt ready to venture out into the slums of Calcutta, India in December 1948. Founding the Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa started with what she knew. After walking around the slums for a while, she found some small children and began to teach them. She had no classroom, no desks, no chalkboard, and no paper, so she picked up a stick and began drawing letters in the dirt. Class had begun. Soon after, Mother Teresa found a small hut that she rented and turned it into a classroom. Mother Teresa also visited the childrens families and others in the area, offering a smile and limited medical help. As people began to hear about her work, they gave donations. In March 1949, Mother Teresa was joined by her first helper, a former pupil from Loreto. Soon she had 10 former pupils helping her. At the end of Mother Teresas provisionary year, she petitioned to form her order of nuns, the Missionaries of Charity. Her request was granted by Pope Pius XII; the Missionaries of Charity was established on Oct. 7, 1950. Helping the Sick, Dying, Orphaned, and Lepers There were millions of people in need in India. Droughts,  the caste system, Indias independence, and partition all contributed to the masses of people that lived on the streets. Indias government was trying, but they could not handle the overwhelming multitudes that needed help. While the hospitals were overflowing with patients that had a chance to survive, Mother Teresa opened a home for the dying, called Nirmal Hriday (Place of the Immaculate Heart), on Aug. 22, 1952. Each day, nuns would walk through the streets and bring people who were dying to Nirmal Hriday, located in a building donated by the city of Kolkata. The nuns would bathe and feed these people and then place them in a cot. They were given the opportunity to die with dignity, with the rituals of their faith. In 1955, the Missionaries of Charity opened their first childrens home (Shishu Bhavan), which cared for orphans. These children were housed and fed and given medical aid. When possible, the children were adopted out. Those not adopted were given an education, learned a trade skill, and found marriages. In Indias slums, huge numbers of people were infected with leprosy, a disease that can lead to major disfiguration. At the time, lepers (people infected with leprosy) were ostracized, often abandoned by their families. Because of the widespread fear of lepers, Mother Teresa struggled to find a way to help these neglected people. Mother Teresa eventually created a Leprosy Fund and a Leprosy Day to help educate the public about the disease and established a number of mobile leper clinics (the first opened in September 1957) to provide lepers with medicine and bandages near their homes. By the mid-1960s,  Mother Teresa  had established a leper colony called Shanti Nagar (The Place of Peace) where lepers could live and work. International Recognition Just before the Missionaries of Charity celebrated its 10th anniversary, they were given permission to establish houses outside of Calcutta, but still within India. Almost immediately, houses were established in Delhi, Ranchi, and Jhansi; more soon followed. For their 15th anniversary, the Missionaries of Charity was given permission to establish houses outside of India. The first house was established in Venezuela in 1965. Soon there were Missionaries of Charity houses all around the world. As Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity expanded at an amazing rate, so did international recognition for her work. Although Mother Teresa was awarded numerous honors, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she never took personal credit for her accomplishments. She said it was Gods work and that she was just the tool used to facilitate it. Controversy With international recognition also came critique. Some people complained that the houses for the sick and dying were not sanitary, that those treating the sick were not properly trained in medicine, that Mother Teresa was more interested in helping the dying go to God than in potentially helping cure them. Others claimed that she helped people so that she could convert them to Christianity. Mother Teresa also caused much controversy when she openly spoke against abortion and birth control. Others critiqued her because they believed that with her new celebrity status, she could have worked to end the poverty rather than soften its symptoms. Later Years and Death Despite the controversy, Mother Teresa continued to be an advocate for those in need. In the 1980s, Mother Teresa, already in her 70s, opened Gift of Love homes in New York, San Francisco, Denver, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for AIDS sufferers. Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, Mother Teresas health deteriorated, but she still traveled the world, spreading her message. When Mother Teresa, age 87, died of heart failure on Sept. 5, 1997 (just five days after Princess Dianas death), the world mourned her passing. Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets to see her body, while millions more watched her state funeral on television. After the funeral, Mother Teresas body was laid to rest at the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata. When Mother Teresa passed away, she left behind more than 4,000 Missionary of Charity Sisters at 610 centers in 123 countries. Legacy: Becoming a Saint After Mother Teresas death, the Vatican began the lengthy process of canonization. After an Indian woman was cured of her tumor after praying to Mother Teresa, a miracle was declared, and the third of the four steps to sainthood was completed on Oct. 19, 2003, when the Pope approved Mother Teresas beatification, awarding Mother Teresa the title Blessed.​ The final stage required to become a saint involves a second miracle. On December 17, 2015, Pope Francis recognized the medically inexplicable waking (and healing) of an extremely ill Brazilian man from a coma on December 9, 2008, just minutes before he was to undergo emergency brain surgery as being caused by the intervention of Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa was canonized (pronounced a saint) on September 4, 2016. Sources Coppa, Frank J. â€Å"Pius XII.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 5 Oct. 2018.â€Å"The Nobel Peace Prize 1979.†Ã‚  Nobelprize.org.