Hello all,
Attached is my first draft of an assignment for a basic english composition course. I'm a little rusty so I wanted to post it. I appreciate any feedback given, thanks in advance.
Family is traditionally defined by factors relating to ancestry and marriage. For many people, they consider their family to be constituted solely of relatives closely related by blood. These relatives are often considered family regardless of the quality of the relationships. This idea of family is far too strict and traditional to define many modern families. There are many families of less traditional composition that function equally as well. While it is becoming more acceptable to think of family based on the actual relationships between people, many people still cling to definitions of the past. Family should refer to individuals that support and care for each other regardless of biological ties or legal institutions.
While the idea of the standard Nuclear Family is common, it would be naïve to think of it as the only definition of family that is able to thrive. In many situations a person may feel isolated from their genetic relatives but have other people in their lives who care for them. Are these interpersonal bonds any lesser because they aren't based on biological relation? For example, I have a step-father who has always been there to support and care for me. My biological father has been absent for most of my life and I have no relationship with him. I would consider my step-father family, but not my biological father. This is just one example family composition that doesn't rely on biological factors. Similar to blood relation, people often equate marriage as something that is necessary to define family.
Marriage has social, spiritual and legal implications in regards to family. It can strengthen emotional bonds and bring people together. It is considered by many the first step towards creating a new family. While there is nothing wrong with these ideas, they create an image in society where many people feel marriage is a necessity for a family. There are a myriad of reasons that people may choose not to marry. There are financial and legal factors involved for some, others may not place any importance on the act. These relationships can be strong, loving and supportive regardless of gender or legal status. Many families have a composition where parents are not married and this should not be considered any lesser of a bond.
There are people we meet in our lives that we form caring relationships for that aren't related to us by blood or marriage, our friends. Friends can impact each other greatly and often provide support for each other when required. People choose their friends without the same sense of obligation they sometimes feel to relatives. We should consider that sometimes blood isn't thicker than water. In many ways our friends can often fill the gaps of more traditional family member roles that we may lack in our lives. These relationships can be very important and some friends should also be considered a part of your family. Similarly, many people equate some furry and feathery friends as members of the family.
The bonds we form with our pets can be truly amazing and as such many people would consider them part of their family. Whether they know it or not, our pets often support us in the best and worst of times. For many couples that can't have children, pets have provided an outlet for them to teach and nurture. Pets in their own unique way can be considered part of the family.
Family is a group of people that support and encourage each other. It is not dictated by common ancestry or marriage. Any person that fills this role in our life can be considered part of our family. Pets are even considered family members for many people. The modern family is determined by the relationships within it as opposed to its composition.
