Family Values

Contents

• Family Values

• Child Raising

• Young Adulthood

• The Elderly

• The Nuclear and the Extended Family

• Family Roles

• Stability and Change in the Family

1. Family ValuesFamily Values is political and

social concept used in various

cultures in support of the idea

the nuclear families are the

basic units of culture.

Some Political Concept of “Family Values” in Some Countries

• Australian Politics

• British Politics

• Chinese Culture and Confucianism

• U.S Politics

Australian Politics

• The Family First Party originally

contested the 2002 South Australian

state election.

• The party opposes abortion, euthanasia,

harm reduction, gay adoptions, in-vitro

fertilization (IVF) for gay couples and gay

civil unions.

• In the 2007 Australian election, Family

First came under fire for giving

preferences in some areas to the Liberty

and Democracy Party, a libertarian party

that supports legalization of incest, gay

marriage, and drug use

British Politics

• Family values was a recurrent theme

in the Conservative government of

John Major

• Family Values have been revived by

the current Conservative Party under

David Cameron, forming the

backbone of his mantra on social

responsibility and related policies

Chinese Cultures and Confucianism

• In Confucian thought, family

values, familial relationships,

ancestor workshop, and filial piety

are the primary basis of the

philosophical system.

• Filial piety is considered the first

virtue in Chinese culture.

U.S. Politics• In 1998, a Harris survey found that:

1. 52% of women and 42% of men

thought family values means "loving,

taking care of, and supporting each

other"

2. 38% of women and 35% of men

thought family values means

"knowing right from wrong and

having good values“

3. 2% of women and 1% men thought

of family values in terms of the

"traditional family"

Principles of Parties in U.S. Politics

Republican Party

• Opposition to sex outside of marriage

• Support for a traditional role for women in "the family"

• Opposition to same-sex marriage

• Support for complementarianism

• Opposition to legalized induced abortion

• Support for abstinence education

• Support for policies said to protect children from obscenity and exploitation

Democratic Party

• A living wage

• Universal health care

• The acceptance of adoption by same-sex couples

• The acceptance of the non-traditional family (single parent households and same-sex marriages)

• Social programs and financial aid for families

2. Child Raising

• Child Raising (or Parenting) is

the process of promoting and

supporting the physical,

emotional, social, financial, and

intellectual development of a

child from infancy to adulthood

• Many children are taught at a

very early age to make

decisions and responsible for

their actions

3. Young Adulthood

• Upon reaching an appropriate age,

children are encouraged, but not forced,

to “leave the nest” and begin a

independent life.

• In any families, parents feel that

children should make major life

decisions by themselves.

• Strong love between parents and

children is universal and this is not

exception in the American family

• Coexisting with such love in the

American family are cultural values of

self-reliance and independence

4. The Elderly

• Societal and familial treatment of the elderly also reflects this independence and individualism

• Their financial support is often provided by social security or welfare systems

• Some families send their older relatives to nursing homes

• There are many older people who choose to live in retirement communities

5. The Nuclear and the Extended Family

• The treatment of the elderly

can be further understood the

distinguishing between nuclear

and extended family structures

Extended Family

• Includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, and in-law.

• The children and parents have strong ties and obligations to relatives

• It is common in these families to support older family members

Nuclear Family

• Has its own separate residence and is economically independent of other family members

• When couples marry, they are expected to live independently of their parents and becom“Head of households” when they have child

6. Family Roles

• In both nuclear and extended families, the culture imposes set roles upon parents

• Traditionally, the male has been responsible for financial support of the home and family members, The female has often been responsible for emotional support child raising and housekeeping.

• In US, The role of the man as breadwinner and the woman as housewife is changing

• Some mothers work because of a financial need and not because of a desire to change their role

7. Stability and Change in the Family

• It is almost impossible to describe a “typical American family”

• Changes in the family structure are evidenced by increased rates of separation and divorce

• The changes, according to the more traditional viewpoint, represent a breakdown in the family structure, a disintegration of values, and a decline of morality.

• Others, who believe it is necessary to adapt to a rapidly changing society, believe these shifts in family structure are inevitable and positive