PS3201 Family Studies - Essay Example

The element of a family constitutes a husband, children, and a wife who reside under the same roof. The interaction among the above elements shapes or defines the behavior that a person who demonstrate in the society. However, the description is limited to what many people believe to constitute nuclear family. In some traditional settings especially in Africa, family would constitute members of nuclear family and members from the extended wing (Strong, et.al. 2010:420). The extended elements are aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

This paper will examine a family in the modern era. Family setting depends with cultural practices observed by a given community. Communities across the globe demonstrate their cultural heritage through the association, which they project through their families. Traditions in Nigeria regarded a family as institution that was center to human existence i.e. sustainability of human race depended on the constitution of new families (Rotimi, 2005:8). The culture propagated by people started from a family.

The regard that the community gave to family was an institution just like other social institutions where people demonstrated adherence to order or law. The values set in the family included how to bring up a child, how children would relate with community members, courtship, rules of descent, ownership of property among other taboos. The taboos observed by a family had moral consequence to individuals who went against the norms. People believed in practices stipulated in cultural norms. Men had cultural responsibility of heading their families (The Fellows’ Forum, 2005:13).

Rules set by communities gave an opportunity to men to have as men women as possible as long as the man was able to cater for their needs. The traditional setting recognized the existence of the relatives and the role in the family (Omoera, 2010:78). For example, brothers in law