Facilitator:
Transcript: Filipino Family Traditional Rules Much sociological, historical and anthropological research dedicates itself to the understanding of this variation, and of changes in the family that form over time. Times have changed; it is more acceptable and encouraged for mothers to work and fathers to spend more time at home with the children. The way roles are balanced between the parents will help children grow and learn valuable life lessons. There is great importance of communication and equality in families, in order to avoid role strain. Families and Theory The primary function of the family is to reproduce society, both biologically, through procreation, and socially, through socialization. Given these functions, one's experience of one's family shifts over time. From the perspective of children, the family is a family of orientation: the family functions to locate children socially, and plays a major role in their socialization. From the point of view of the parent(s), the family is a family of procreation: the family functions to produce and socialize children. In some cultures marriage imposes upon women the obligation to bear children. In northern Ghana, for example, payment of bridewealth signifies a woman's requirement to bear children, and women using birth control face substantial threats of physical abuse and reprisals Producing offspring is not the only function of the family. Marriage sometimes establishes the legal father of a woman's child; establishes the legal mother of a man's child; gives the husband or his family control over the wife's sexual services, labor, and/or property; gives the wife or her family control over the husband's sexual services, labor, and/or property; establishes a joint fund of property for the benefit of children; establishes a relationship between the families of the husband and wife. No society does all of these; no one of these is universal. In societies with a sexual division of labor, marriage, and the resulting relationship between a husband and wife, is necessary for the formation of an economically productive household. In modern societies marriage entails particular rights and privilege that encourage the formation of new families even when there is no intention of having children. In many jurisdictions, the civil marriage ceremony may take place during the religious marriage ceremony, although they are theoretically distinct. In most American states, the marriage may be officiated by a priest, minister, rabbi or other religious authority, and in such a case the religious authority acts simultaneously as an agent of the state. In some countries, such as France,Spain, Germany, Turkey, Argentina, and Russia, it is necessary to be married by the state before having a religious ceremony. Conclusion Despite the media attention focused on the down side of family life, families are considered the foundation of our nation. We have a great many families that consider their family's health strong and growing. To be a strong nation we must build strong families. This takes know how, determination, desire, and hard work. So start working to build your family's strength. Whether you have grown up in a strong family or not, it is possible to have a strong and healthy family of your own. If your present family is a good model to follow, transfer those strengths to your new family. If not, rather than blame others, yourself, or circumstances, take responsibility for making your future family the kind of family that nurtures and loves its members. It doesn't just happen by accident. It takes effort and determination; but it's worth it. Investing in your family is the best investment in the future you can make. The Family Life Cycle * Identify the qualities of strong families (commitment, appreciation, decision making, responsibility, problem solving, etc.) * Share and explain the value of family traditions. * Identify the family life cycles strengths and weaknesses of various family forms. What is a Family? Objectives: Courtship is the traditional dating period before engagement and marriage. It is an alternative to arranged marriages in which the couple doesn't meet before the wedding. During a courtship, a couple gets to know each other and decides if there will be an engagement. Courting includes activities such as dating where couples go together for some activity (e.g., a meal or movie). Courting can also take place without personal contact, especially with modern technology. Virtual dating, chatting on-line, sending text messages, conversing over the telephone, instant messaging, writing letters, and sending gifts are all modern forms of courting. Courtship varies both by time period and by region of the world. One way courtship varies is in the duration; courting can take days or years. In the United Kingdom, a poll of 3,000 engaged or married couples suggested in an average duration between first meeting and engagement of 2 years and 11 months. Generally, we think of a