Define Family Essay 27391m

Amy Walker Family Studies Mrs. Ford 1/18/17 The Definition of Family When one looks up the definition of family, hundreds of different definitions appear on the screen. There is the common idea that a family consists of only the people under one roof, a group of people related by blood, or a unit consisting of parents and their children. Each person has his or her own personal definition of family, depending on their background and upbringing. Today, it is more common to see people define the word family as people who offer complete , one’s close friends, or simply the people in one’s life who love one unconditionally. Family not only involves the ideas of love and , but also includes issues such as time, environment, and health. One way many define family is by the people of whom they spend the most time with. As Dieter F. Uchtdorf declares, “In family relationships, love is really spelled T.I.M.E.” Basically, if one spends more time with his or her friends instead of his or her relatives, he or she might consider his or her friends as family instead of their blood relatives. Spending time with loved ones helps tightened the bond and create life-long relationships. Poor time management within a family can lead to unsteady relationships and can

cause a them to drift apart from each other. After all, every moment spent with family (blood related or not) is time well spent. Environment is another factor that defines a family type relationship. One’s surroundings majorly effects one’s attitude and emotions towards others. As the Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky states, “since each family is made up of individuals in a different setting, each family environment is unique.” For example, if one was raised in a neglectful household without love and care, the child might be more difficult and defiant while growing up. In addition, if an individual recognizes that they are being mistreated or neglected, it is possible that they might not consider those people as family. Furthermore, one’s belief system or morals could be different based on the surrounding environment. For example, one brought up in a religious household might have a stricter set of rules to follow, and treat others in a way their religion expresses for them to. Basically, environment is everything when studying family relationships. Lastly, health plays a factor in defining the word family. In one’s family, certain medical conditions can be ed down throughout a family, such as a heart condition. Even if an ill child does not want to consider their father or mother as family, they have to recognize that they technically are, since a gene or illness has been ed down. In addition, hospitals have strict rules about who is or is not allowed to visit a sick loved one or have information released to them. For instance, under certain circumstances, if someone’s friend is in the hospital and is about to have surgery, only close (blood

related) family are allowed to visit. Also, certain information cannot be released to just anyone because of the HIPPA rule, which is, “a set of national standards for the protection of certain health information” (resource 3). It is important in this case to know who is family, in order to get the patient’s information released. Even though in health cases being blood-related matters, this does not mean one cannot consider non-blood related people family. Overall, I would define family as the people who offer their and and love you unconditionally. Family does not have to only mean the people you are related to by blood, they can be adopted parents/siblings, close friends, family friends, a church group, or even pets. Time, environment, and health also play major factors on how one can define a family. Our generation has created many new different definitions of family, which creates more diversity. As stated in Lilo and Stitch, “Ohana means family; and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

Work Cited Page Uchtdorf, Dieter F. "Of Things That Matter Most." Dieter F. Uchtdorf. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. "3 Family Environment and Adolescent Development." Family Life in Adolescence (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. Secretary, HHS Office of the. "Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule." HHS.gov. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 26 July 2013. Web. 19 Jan. 2017. Lilo & Stitch. Buena Vista, 2004. DVD.