Think of the quotations and illustrations given and discuss them in groups.

Before reading the text think of the possible American family values.

While-reading:

Read the extracts.

American Family Values

By Stacy Taylor

(retrieved from: http://family.lovetoknow.com/about-family-values/types-family-structures)

 

Extract 1.

As society evolves due to progress and individual enlightenment, American family values undergo many dramatic changes. While no single list of values fits every modern family, exploring the most common ones may help people identify values of personal significance.

When asked about their family values, most people find it hard to formulate a response. The concept of values that pertain to a family unit is, in some respects, just that: a concept. These values are largely inherent, understood on an emotional level, unspoken and passed down through the generations based on personal experience.

For those who are unclear about the term and what it means, it might help to look at the wording and take a literal approach. Everyone already knows that the word "family" means a social unit--whether blood-related, marriage-related or emotion-related--usually residing together. The word "values" typically means a set of beliefs and ideals (social and sometimes political) that provide moral guidance to a family unit. When you put the two terms together, it makes sense to take their collective meaning as a set of beliefs or ideals that imbue each member of the family with knowledge about right and wrong, proper moral decision-making skills and well-developed social mores. Most modern American families also include caring, love and support of the family into their system of values.

Find out the true and false statements about the text information in the following exercise.

(T/F)

1. American family values undergo many dramatic changes.

2. The existing values have been created by a executing leader of a country.

3. The word 'values' means a social unit, either blood or marriage related usually residing together.

4. Most American families include trust, honesty and friendliness into their system of values.

 

Extract 2.

Traditional and Modern American Family Values

Modern society breeds a contemporary viewpoint about the attributes of a family, but this was not always so. As recently as the 1950s, commonly-used American family values took a far different approach to matters of gender, equality and the family as a whole. Despite the disadvantages of those mid-20th century ideals, many of them still have a viable place in contemporary belief systems. To formulate a set of beliefs and ideals that will work best for your family, it might help to examine both the traditional and the contemporary models.

Traditional Values

Although they are not for everyone, certain aspects of traditional ideals may still appeal to a wide range of families. They represent enduring familial themes and the comfort of conventional homes. The list below includes both common and uncommon values for old-fashioned families.

· Opposition to pre-marital sex

· Opposition to same-sex marriage

· Belief in traditional home-based roles for women

· Belief in Christian-based values

· Opposition to some elements of feminism

· Opposition to abortion while actively supporting abstinence education

· Belief in adoption as an alternative to abortion

· Belief in programs and public policies that shield children from exploitation

· Opposition to separation of church and state

· Belief in father as head-of-household