How Has Your Family Affected The Way You See The World?

The way an individual leads his or her life, and the values he or she believes in is largely determined by the family he or she belongs to.

We spend most of our lives with the families we are born in to and even later on in our lives we tend to continue with same familial norms and traditions. It is human nature to always be connected to its kin in one way or another; this relationship could be manifested even by the dress one wears or the way one decorates a Christmas tree.

Diverse family background

Every child sitting in a classroom may belong to the similar mass culture of the society, but different family backgrounds. These distinct family backgrounds play an important part in shaping their personalities and behavior. A child may not eat like meat if its family has always followed a vegetarian lifestyle or a girl may wear a headscarf because she belongs to a family who believe covering the head is important for women. It is the values and belief structure of a family that an individual internalizes and perhaps also passes on to their children.

Family background and the world

The family we belong to can be considered as an important lense we use for viewing the world. For everyone this lense is different and hence the perception of the world is also dissimilar. We, humans, undergo the process of socialization. This process is important in creating human being who are functional members of the society. Family is important for this function, as believed by many functionalists.

My family background

I belong to a middle class family, where both my parents had worked hard to provide us with the life we have today. From an early age my siblings and I have been taught about the fruit of hard work and diligence. My father worked in a marketing firm in New York and my mother taught Geography to Middle school children. Everyone in our family had a busy schedule and our agendas were based on a series of goals: the goal of buying our first house or getting in to the best university. We, as a family, believed that dreaming was important, however working to achieve what we dream for was even more significant.

Sundays were the only days we all decided to leave work aside and spend time as a family. We used to go on picnics, boating in the park or even shopping as a family. It was the most awaited day of the week that allowed us to relax and find comfort amongst loved ones. It was a tradition, one that I have pledged to keep forever and carry on in my own family as well.

I believe that my family background played a huge part in who I am today. I still make special stockings for my children like my mother used to do on Christmas and we still make pancakes every Sunday. Keeping these traditions and values have always been important for me, as they were a part of my childhood and taught me lessons. Hence, one must always remember their roots and look back now and then for valuable advice.

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