In order to study the various family dynamics I hope to be able to interview the children raised in different family dynamics. My goal is not to figure out and prove that one dynamic is the best dynamic or that only one could serve as traditional and true to family values. My goal is to open a door to my readers who come from various dynamics and give them an inside to the other dynamics.
The one family dynamic that truly intrigues me is the "traditional" nuclear family; father, mother, child(s). I am an on-looker, an observer from the outside when it comes to the nuclear family. My personal opinion is that children from this type of dynamic tend to be more happy, optimistic, and almost ignorant (not to offend anyone). I have friends who are offspring of the nuclear family and they usually tend to display said traits. I find it interesting though when I hang out with these friends and I just observe them and how they interact with one another. When I watch them it is sort of watching some sort of old sitcom like Leave It to Beaver, with June baking a pie, Ward reading the newspaper in the office, and Wally and Beaver playing ball in the front yard.
Why does the nuclear dynamic peak my interests? Well I was born into a traditional, catholic, and nuclear family. Unfortunately things happen and and when I was the age of 3 my parents split leaving my mother to raise me. And of course the years went on and my mother married an other man, and I was raised with 4 step-siblings as well, I was the odd man out. Then my mother got another divorce and now I back to the single-parent.
My perspective on everything has changed drastically, maybe I could just be a pessimistic person, but I want to know how these various dynamics effect children could it be for the worse? or the better? Are conservatives telling the truth that for you to be successful is to be raised in a family with a father and mother or can you can you have two dads or two moms and be just fine. Are children from single-parent families destined to the state's juvenile delinquents. Well in my research I hope to demystify the stereotypes and show the many dynamics of family.
I like your focus on finding how family dynamics shape the children in them. By using your family as an example is a good start in comparing other family dynamics. I would like to know which family dynamics you are looking to compare, to narrow your scope of research. I think it would be really interesting to study a family dynamic that included same-sex parents. There are a lot of negative stereotypes toward this type of family dynamic and it would be interesting to see if you can break any, by being an "insider" in their life. Overall, I think you will have a lot of fun with your research and I'm really looking forward to what you come to find. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThe concept of your blog is very interesting. Ive always been in a nuclear 4 person family so I might have a slightly biased opinion. But going out and understanding the ways of different not so normal family structures is extremely important. Breaking out of our own shell and experiencing something different is exactly what I've learned from this class.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of focusing on the effects that different families create in children. Maybe you could also try and find out not only how a happy nuclear family effects a child, but also the effects of parents who are unhappy with each other but staying together only because they have a child. Also perhaps you could take a look at the effects of having extended family beyond the nuclear family living with you. Definately an interesting topic to look at
ReplyDelete