The American Dream

                I was very impressed with some of the findings in the studies this week. The most intriguing study to me was the Hispanic immigrants that come to America. These people don't come here to find riches, get more materials, or even to get away from oppression found in Mexico. Most of the families in the study came so that their children could be ahead of the curve, they would be bicultural.

                But from what I understood from this qualitative study,  what some of the parents were hoping for was actually the opposite. Many of the children reported feeling lonelier, more out of place, and missing their homes in Mexico. Also, the family suffered greatly in regaining equilibrium in their roles.

                These parents wish the very best for their families. They want their families to be happier and closer. Instead, the family dynamics become skewed. The parents executive roles diminish, the children that acclimate fastest to the culture move up to part of the parental partnership.

                I wondered if they realize the trauma that is placed on the family after this event. If so, why do they continue to do it if it creates the opposite effect of their goal? If they don't know, is there a way we could get the word out to prepare them for the transitions?

Family Rules... or is it Roles?

We were talking about how each family has its own rules. Siblings that grow up in the same home tend to have a lot of the same ways of doing things. Take for instance in my home, we were to be very careful who we brought home and when. We were to give our mom at least a few hours heads up before bringing them over. And we were to bring suitable people home. I recall a few times my sisters bringing home some young men that my father was not particularly fond of. My dad would make them very aware that their presents wasn't welcome, all without saying a word... or pulling out a shot gun.

            But the thing is, these aren't just rules in the home. Each person in the family plays a very important role in keeping balance in the family. That's one of the reasons it's so hard to lose a member. My dad in this scenario played the protective father. What would happen if he failed to play his part? What would be different? How would that effect the other players?

            Every family member keeps equilibrium by playing their roles within the family set rules. Where do you feel you stand in your family? What is your role? What happens when you change your role in the family?

Define Marriage

As stated in class, in debate, whoever establishes the definition of a word can usually control the argument. Today, we have a strong debate on what is a family? What is marriage? Because everyone has different personalities and backgrounds, each person defines things differently. This is one of the reasons we have a dictionary. We need to be able to communicate effectively and if we cannot agree, we cannot converse.

I was reading an article about same sex marriage. The author stated that people believe the main reason for marriage is to procreate. He then argued that if this is the reason we don't allow homosexuals to be married, then neither should those who simply can't have children be wed. The author continues to say that marriage is about love and that homosexuals love just as well as heterosexuals. This is true, but marriage is neither singly about procreation or love. Although these are some reasons to marry, marriage has so many dynamics to support its existence.

So I want thoughts from others, why do we marry? Why does it still exist? What benefits do we get from such an institution?