Defining Family

http:/ww.goc.state.md.us

The humankind has officially entered the post-modern era. Various family structures had arisen, changes in family dynamics had been evident, family roles had been redefined up to the point where one cannot exactly label what constitutes a family. Certainly, the definitions that had been previously used are considered obsolete as a family cannot be limited to a group of people constituted by a father, mother and children but rather may now be composed of unrelated people, bounded by love and support, sharing the same family culture, et cetera. It’s a cultural perception revamp as I would call it.

Previously non-existent family issues also evolved alongside these changes. For the past couple of years, there had been issues such as male to male, female to female, bisexual male to female, bisexual female to male – basically, homosexual marriages (I didn’t include gay to lesbian marriages since I still believe that those may still pass in the hetero classification) and childless couple having children through the most unnatural means say, artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization. Who would forget the increasing divorce occurrence and acceptance rate that seemed to be in the trending topic in Twitter if we happen to have a Twitter-like measurement system to see the prevalence. Aside from those mentioned, many other unconventional arrangements will most likely happen that would require us a bulk load of time and facts to think and ponder about. If these family structures are employed, as they are happening nowadays, I believe being called a family can just be another commonplace term – terms that had been used, overrated, their value downgraded and abused by the misinformed and the ignorant. 

It’s all about belonging. People strive to be part of something. People want to matter, to be with new and original, to be relevant but at the same time be one with the majority. Because to be part of something is to be part of that oneself. People constantly necessitate that much needed reassurance and affirmation of one’s worth and character to satisfy that need for belongingness. We have been conformists to the people and to the society that dictates who we ought to be and who they want us to be. 

I think that is the problem that people face nowadays, that we and our personalities have shifted from who we really are to who we are associated with. We call everyone around us a family even though we know for a fact that not everyone is worthy to be called one. Albeit knowing that reality, we still keep embracing these strangers we meet one by one, making beso with the most faked sympathies (but may appear so authentic as Class A imitation Gucci bags from Divisoria),and calling them family before you even realize that you haven't even considered them as friends .

We seriously need to re-evaluate our definition of a family.