Historical Perspectives on Family Studies by Stephanie Koontz - Article Example

She emphasized that family traditions were not simply passed on to the next generations, but were intricately assimilated to migrant countries adapting to the changing economic and political environment. The evolving concept of marriage was also discussed with marrying age increasing over time and “the redistribution functions of marriage also vary by community context.” (Koontz, 2000, 287). She appropriately averred that contrary to previous views, marriage was not a doomed institution but rather a transformed one due to demographic factors, cultural norms, and dictates of contemporary times.

In the end, Koontz acknowledged that an interdisciplinary approach is necessary for the comprehensive and holistic study of families, to correctly assess and interpret the families’ lives as they face the future.

2. How does this relate to what you have learned from the textbook or in class

 The article touches on similarities in what we have learned in class especially when it discussed the types of family structures (we know the extended family, the matrilineal extended family, and the nuclear family, among the more prominent types. As it is true in other Asian countries, the nuclear family exhibits an awareness of strong ties with relatives in the father’s and mother’s side up to the third cousin range. Cultural values play an important part in family studies defined as a widely held belief or sentiment common to a particular culture where some activities, relationships, feelings, or goals are important to the community’s identity or well-being. We also learned that there are two concepts that are considered important in evaluating and assessing social structure. These concepts are status and role. These theoretical frameworks have formed part of the historical discourse presented in Koontz’s article.

3. How does this reinforce or change the prior understanding of the topic?

            An understanding and assessment of Koontz’s article provided one with the opportunity to be aware of contemporary views in family studies. It enlightened students on the vast amount of research and scholarly work written on the field. As emphasized, it is not enough that one is presented with the historical view of family studies. More importantly, students must realize that a collaboration of diverse fields of discipline (sociology, anthropology, demographers, economists) interplay to present a clearer, more comprehensive picture of family studies. Further, this is not a static endeavor. Scholars are aware that the study on family – whether local or on a global scale – requires continuous updates and monitoring to incorporate changing factors dictated by the environment.