There are several biases about parental caregiving the society might have. Many people believe that when they become adults, and their parents reach a certain age, it inevitably leads to shifting the roles of their parents. Society has a deep-rooted bias connected with the fear of death, and aging is perceived as terrifying and defines people’s lack of powers, health, and strengths (Family caregiving, 2022). Thus, the most common biases are that caregiving for parents will inevitably become children’s burden, and their loved ones start to get completely weak and helpless due to age. However, not all older people require special treatment or any care at all, or they are willing to hire a professional caregiver, or their loved ones might do it for them. My personal bias regarding the familial trend refers to the need to neglect my other duties and sacrifice my career or education to care for my aging parents. Although some families face certain difficulties regarding the issue, it is unnecessary to drastically change the lifestyle to help older family members.
Sociological theories and perspectives can help analyze several social biases regarding familial trends. Those approaches allow viewing the situations from different perspectives and identifying the causes of biases. For instance, the symbolic theory focuses on the interpersonal relationships between people and their communication through verbal and non-verbal ways. When the emphasis is on the core of the family dynamics, it shows that the reasons and premises of caregiving play a crucial role in its perception among society (Stephens, 2021). Therefore, the perspective of caregiving not as a burden but as a logical outcome of the close interactions between the children and the parents portrays the trend entirely differently.
Moreover, conflict and functionalism perspectives contribute to addressing familial issues and solving problems that appear in the specific trend on mezzo and macro levels. Sociological theories analyze the reasons and causes that influence the development of the family trend and form the public’s attitude towards it. Thus, the sociological perspectives allow dealing with the fear of aging and attract attention to the struggles of adult children with multiple responsibilities (Emoha Elder Care, 2021). In addition, sociological theories help address the negative impacts of the trend that can be represented by the excessive amount of pressure on adult children, physiological exhaustion, and psychological struggles. As a response to this government has developed special programs to support caretakers with financial and human resources. Another of the most effective responses is the support groups for adults who care for their older parents. Since caregiving can be emotionally exhausting and enormously affect mental health, that can result in burnout and difficulties in other areas of life such as work and the upbringing of children.
Although people go through the unique experience of caring for elder parents, and each individual might deal with it easier or tougher than the other, some basics remain the same for everyone. The efficient response to the familial trend would represent a preventive method with the preparation for the care of aging parents. This includes a special educational program for regular people who had to become caretakers. The program includes all the necessary knowledge and practice to successfully deal with the possible struggles: studying the basics of caregiving, psychological support, financial aid, personal approach, and treatment suggestions. Specialists will help realize parents’ mortality, introduce them to the community of people with similar struggles, and assist in making the first steps towards the new responsibilities.
Overall, the right start and the proper introduction and guidance to the appeared challenges contribute in a positive way to the adult’s mental well-being. It allows them to provide their parents with the proper care while managing other responsibilities. Using sociological approaches and collected data, it becomes possible to diminish the biased assumptions about the familial trend and provide people with solutions to emerging problems. Thus, despite the challenging position of adult children, sociology can positively contribute to the development of the parental care trend.
References
Stephens, K. (2021). Caring for aging parents. Oak street health. Web.
Emoha Elder Care. (2021). 7 issues we face while taking care of aging parents. Emoha. Web.
Family caregiving. HelpGuide. Web.