Summary Of The Changing American Family

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Family is the most powerful motivator for all people around the world. Every person has a family that they are drawn to, despite any imperfections. Family is a group of people that shapes identity, but more importantly supports each other through any situation. Families are supportive and helpful, but to have a true family, they are not distant. In the article “The not-so American Family” by RD Hangsor, the two brothers and dad are an example of a strong family unit. Families need to be strong and cohesive in order to truly function as family. Many things can happen in a family that can cause conflict, but true families support and help each other through the hard times rather than let the difficult time separate them. In the article, “The…show more content…
Families need to be strong and cohesive as stated above, so when families distance themselves from one another, they become more acquaintances than families. In the article, “The Changing American Family” in the New York Times it states that sometimes people replace family with friendships, calling them “…adopted kin to replace family…” showing that they are no longer part of the family. Although these friendships are valuable, it is not what a true family is. Some people struggle to keep the cohesiveness, in the article it says, “The veteran, Jon sighed, was right. ‘I have to make a special effort now to stay emotionally connected with my daughter and to keep up with her daily experiences,’ he said. ‘It’s hard for me to do. She’ll start talking about her friends and I’ll have no idea who they are.’”. Although he is trying, if he does not know things such as his daughter’s friendships, then he is losing the strength that it takes to be a true family. He is fighting to keep his family by learning this, but as of right now, he is not meeting the true definition of family. Family needs to be close and tight…show more content…
The two brothers and father looked out for each other no matter the situation, which made them strong and cohesive. After John, the youngest brother, ran away, his brother stated, “I didn’t get much sleep this week. I couldn’t stop worrying” (Hangsor). They were such a cohesive family unit that without one member, they could not rest. This shows that they are a strong cohesive family. In the article, John states, “I felt bad after running away. I know that my dad and brother care, so I just made a mistake” (Hangsor). This is John stating that he wants to keep them together as a true family, despite his mistakes; strong and cohesive. He is trying to help his brothers stick together despite

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