Introduction
Family is a controversial concept that varies among cultures. According to the Oxford dictionary, a family is a group of people consisting of one or two parents and their children. The significance of family cannot be overstated. They significantly impact people’s lives and help them grow as individuals. Those who are fortunate enough to have a family often underestimate its significance. While the ones without families, on the other hand, are aware of their value. It is generally assumed that family members should be related by blood and live together. Yet, the definition of blood is not limited to bloodlines. This essay argues that a family is a group of people, regardless of blood relations, who share common values, support, and love each other.
The family concept
Traditionally, the family includes parents and their children. However, not all families are complete and supportive as society expects them to be. For example, many families with irresponsible parents do not provide basic care and support for their offspring. In such families, children may feel alone and isolated, experiencing negative emotions toward their parents and life. Families like this cannot be fitted to the conventional perception of a family in which love, support and care are present. Therefore, a family should not be restricted to blood and should go beyond, including other people like friends. Regardless of how difficult or dreadful a situation may be, a family is usually the group of individuals to whom an individual can turn for the greatest and most useful counsel. For example, if a person comes to other people regardless of their blood and shares their concerns without fear of judgment, it can be called a family. People who support every beginning of their loved ones and try to provide the best advice in their situations can be considered a family, although they do not have common ancestors.
There are several methods to distinguish family, including shared characteristics such as parents, grandparents, and siblings. The term “family” refers to people who share common ancestors and get together for holidays and other special occasions. This definition is accurate in many ways. However, everyone goes through life encountering experiences that bring families together or tear them apart.
Friendship can be included in the definition of family as there are people who are not bound by blood and care for each other. Indeed, a family should be a group of people with whom a person can truly be who they are and feel comfortable. Friends are the ones people can rely on and have a positive experience when spending time with them. In traditional families, people do not choose their blood relatives and may be judgemental to their family members, making them uncomfortable expressing their true feelings and personality. Therefore, in the discourse of family, the ability to choose close social relations should be included. An individual does not choose to be born in a specific group of people but can choose with whom they can build closer relationships.
According to the above-mentioned definition of family, it consists of shared values that can be found in people with whom a person does not relate by blood. Values are the crucial components to having stronger social ties. If one’s perspective on a certain thing is aligned with another’s, they may be life-long partners. Finding like-minded people can be useful in fulfilling personal goals as it makes people feel motivated and inspired. A conventional family may not share values with every member of the family as there may be a conflict between generations. For example, a child wants to be an artist when he grows up, but his parents are professors and want their child to pursue a career in academia. There would be disputes, and parents may not be convinced by their offspring and make everything as they want to. In such cases, a person can be isolated from the bigger group and feel alone. As such, family is not only people that relate by blood but also by common values, principles, and perspectives toward life.
Conclusion
To conclude, family means different things to different people. Regardless of differences, each family is distinct and remarkable in its own right. No one has the authority to judge or discriminate against people based on their definitions and interpretations of what constitutes a family. A family may have two parents or none and still be considered a group of supportive people. Traditionally, a family is linked by blood. A male and female join their lives and produce new lives by giving birth to offspring through marriage. Procreation permits two entirely autonomous people’s blood to mix and give birth to a new child, creating fresh blood and promoting the concept of family as defined by the Oxford Dictionary. However, the concept of family is not always related to blood and common ancestors. It may be a group of people with no blood ties but with shared values, love and support for each other.
Reference
family_ noun – Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced American Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com. (n.d.). Oxford Dictionary.