Romanticizing the Traditional Family Is Dangerous

Families in Society

Families play a significant role in society. Families have rapidly changed in recent years by becoming more socially egalitarian (Root & Aulette, 2010). People present diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, and religion (Root & Aulette, 2010).

Drawbacks of Romanticizing the Traditional Family

The following are some drawbacks of romanticizing the traditional family for modern families. Families that are traditional can be harmful to society. It may cause harm to both family members and non-family members. You cannot ensure that traditional families will be protected from oppressive and totalitarian forces (Root & Aulette, 2010). Furthermore, it’s probable that those forces exist within and are spread by members of the traditional family. For instance, the sex roles are oppressive in conventional families. Regarding the family workforce, men were the bosses while females and children served as unpaid employees (Coontz, 2013). The responsibilities of women were always taking care of children and managing households.

Perpetuation of Inegalitarianism in Traditional Families

Traditional families tend to perpetuate inegalitarianism thus failing to exhibit features of real communities. Individuals who experience inequality in the traditional family may become reluctant to care about the situation (Coontz, 2013). It was difficult for women to access credit facilities with their own names. Moreover, one had to be beautiful to get a job (Coontz, 2013). Inequality posed a danger to traditional families. Women had no legal claim on what their husbands earned. In the case of marital rape, they received no legal assistance. In traditional families, the bond between parents and children may be maladaptive. Child abuse or domestic violence victims could only find few avenues to evade from the situation (Coontz, 2013). There was widespread discrimination on couples who divorced. It is hard for parents with a disabled child to revert to a time when such children were constantly warehoused in institutions.

References

Coontz, S. (2013, June 15). The not-so-good old days. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.stephaniecoontz.com/articles/article91.htm

Coontz, S. (2013, September 23). There is no such thing as the “traditional male breadwinner.” The Ideas. Retrieved from http://www.stephaniecoontz.com/articles/article94.htm

Root, J. A., & Aulette, J. R. (2010). Changing American Families. 3rd Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.