HUGHES 1

Rebekah Hughes

20 January 2018

U1E1

Denise Landes

, FHS 2400

What is Family: Interview and analysis of three individuals’ beliefs.

Answer:

What is family? That three-word question proved to be a very personal, as well as

difficult question to answer. I asked three people from differing religious, economic, gender and

income levels, to share their understanding of family. Here is what they shared with me.

53, M, Middle School Teacher, Married, 4 Children ranging from teen to adulthood.

“What is family? What a truly deep question, wow. How can I answer this? Family is

everything. It is the reason I work, the reason I strive to be my best in life, the reason I

desire to live. Family is support and even from the little members, the comfort and

support the provide produces the essence of family. The struggles endured in family

relationships make the “good-times” more enjoyable. Life would not be enjoyable

without a family.”
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Female, 19, Grocery Store Meat Department Staff, Newly Divorced, No children.

“Family is people who are always there for you. People you can trust, who love you and

have your back. They can be blood related or not, in fact blood does not matter when it

comes to who is family. Family are those people who you can always trust your feelings

with, your secrets to and who you know will not violate your trust and intentionally do

harm to you out of mean intentions.”

Male, 27, Student, Lives with Parents, Works Part-Time, never married, 6 siblings.

“The fundamental basis for all of society. All people are entitled to a family of their own

and not one person on this planet ought to be permitted the ability to create family of

their own.”

Family and how it is defined involves different qualities that explain what the term family

can be defined to mean. However, there is a universally accepted belief which is best stated in

the textbook, “Marriage and family usually furnish emotional security and support” (The

Marriage and Family Experience: Intimate relationship in a changing society, Strong & Cohen,

p12, 2017). The recurring theme from all three individuals interviewed included this

understanding. With the obstacles and challenges throughout life it is easy to understand that

regardless of where we are in life, there is a need to be part of a family, which often aids in

alleviating these stressors. Life and all the trials endured are greatly impacted through family
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relationships. Family is essential to life, due to the elements of support and the security

experienced. It appears that family is desired and beneficial to people. This may be the reason

that regardless of lineage the label of “family” is prescribed to express a value of others and what

importance they hold to us. Blood or not, we all have people we claim as family.

My thoughts on the topic: Through family the emotional bonds we create and experience

through our family units, starting at birth, deeply influences our individual understanding of the

world and our individual role within it

Our social nature serves as evidence that we are designed to function in relation to one

another. The family provides a network for us to not only survive but also aids in our ability to

thrive, within our familial units. Family defines so much of who we are, and how we behave.

Vital to the development of our individuality and how we chose to declare our personhood. Even

in the broadest sense, is an interdependent unit of support and serves as an emotional care

system(Bowen, http://www.thebowencenter.org).
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Works Cited:

The Marriage and Family Experience: Intimate relationship in a changing society, Strong &

Cohen, p12, 2017

Kerr, Michael E. “One Family’s Story: A Primer on Bowen Theory.” The Bowen Center for the

Study of the Family. 2000. http://www.thebowencenter.org

The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family. 2000. http://www.thebowencenter.org