Family Definition

It is very probable that when thinking about the idea of ​​family the following image comes to mind: a married man and woman, and one or more children. Although this is the most widespread and traditional model, there are multiple family structures that are increasingly accepted. Regardless of the structure of each one, they all have elements in common.

The dynamics have changed and currently one finds same-sex couples establishing the parameters of a family, thanks to an endless fight for equal rights and possibilities. Marriage between two men or women, and the opportunity for adoption are realities in several countries, a trend that is gradually expanding.

For their part, the ties of the heart can be as strong or stronger than those of the blood, because what moves and pushes people revolves around love.

The affective dimension and coexistence

In every family nucleus there are deeply rooted feelings. If love prevails, harmony and respect normally prevail. On the contrary, harmful feelings such as rancor or envy normally cause conflicts and confrontations.

The question of coexistence is one of the typical problems in most families, especially when the children grow up and question the authority of their parents.

In this framework, the importance of the family is based mainly on two fundamental pillars for the existence of the human being: on the one hand, the family offers the newborn protection, care and affection, teaching them through these things rules of behavior, where they are the danger, what things should not be done, how to be healthy, how to be healthy, what each sensation means, etc. This is so since a baby (of any type, not only human) when abandoned without any type of care or protection from possible dangers could not survive on its own.

For human beings, the care and protection of parents is necessary until the age of adulthood, at which time it is understood that the person can already fend for and care for himself (in terms of age, adulthood varies from country to country). in the country but is usually established around 16 to 18 years of age).

But another of the family factors, especially the human one, is the possibility of establishing communication with other beings, a phenomenon that will allow one to later adapt to the society in which other individuals live. It is usually estimated that it takes a while for the newborn to understand that the mother is a being different from himself and that is where the father plays a fundamental role, separating them but also allowing the baby to slowly understand that he is part of something bigger than himself. .

A learning environment

We learn at school, at work, with friends and self-taught. However, where we are really formed as individuals is within the family. From our most direct core we learn behaviours, hobbies and guidelines for daily life. What we receive has, logically, two faces: everything that ennobles the spirit and everything that affects us negatively.

Why is the family group related to survival?

To understand this, it is interesting to ask the following question: what would happen to a newborn baby or child if it were abandoned, both in the middle of nature and in a big city? The reality is that if that child did not receive immediate attention, he would not be able to survive. In the same way that it happens with the rest of the animals, the family’s first function is to receive us in this world and provide us with all those things and attentions without which we could not live because we are absolutely defenseless beings.

The role of care, protection and love can be occupied both by our real, biological and blood relatives, as well as the people who occupy that role in the event of having lost contact with them. This is the case of a child who loses her parents, who is abandoned or separated from them and who must be taken care of by other people. In either case, those who protect us and ensure our survival are understood as the family that we can never get rid of completely.

Our personal trajectory

In any biography there is a section of great importance: the story of the family circumstances directly related to the character. Somehow, the trajectory of each individual begins with the seeds that grow within the family.

If a psychologist has to understand a patient’s situation, it is essential that they know the role of the different members of their family. If a teacher detects strange behavior in one of her students, the first thing he will do is contact her parents. In short, our personality and temperament depend on the coexistence relationships that we have in the family nucleus.

The authoritarian model has weakened in recent decades

Historically, the father of the family was, and in some cases still is, the one who imposed his will on the children and the wife. The authoritarianism of the patriarchy has gradually faded and currently the guidelines for coexistence are agreed upon through dialogue.

Although the democratic spirit is in principle something positive, there are some risks: that the children impose their will in a capricious way, that each one does what they want and that there is no criterion of authority.

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