IGCSE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES Subject Code: 0457, Component 2: Individual Report Session Summer 2022 Center Name Sekolah Lentera Kasih Center Number ID313 Candidate Name JONATHAN RAFAEL Candidate Number 3009 List of files included 1 Component 2 Individual Report IGCSE GP Topic Family How Far Have Families Adapted Economically In a Society? Introduction “Family adaptation is the process by 1which parents and other family members adjust, accommodate, or transform their roles and responsibilities to better meet current demands.”2 “A large and established body of research evidence has shown the significance of the family as a major institution for carrying out essential production, consumption, reproduction, and accumulation functions that are associated with the social and economic empowerment of individuals and societies. The key pathways to these functions and, in turn, to social and economic empowerment 1 Melissa Raspa, PhD, a Public Health Scientist at RTI International; Don Bailey, PhD (Distinguished Fellow), Carla Bann, PhD (Statistician), and Ellen Bishop (Lead Programmer) 2 National Fragile X Foundation, Examining Factors that Lead to Positive Family Adaptation to Fragile X Syndrome, Accessed: November 17, 2021 https://fragilex.org/news-reports-and-commentaries/examining-factors-that-lead-to-positive-family-adaptatio n-to-fragile-x-syndrome/ Published, Mar 28, 2014 By NFXF include family capital and family resilience. The concept of family capital borrows from the literature on social capital where the latter refers to“resources embedded within a person’s social network that influence decisions and outcomes by shaping a personal identity while delineating opportunities and obstacles within a person’s social world''.Social capital has also been described as “those social relationships that allow individuals access to resources possessed by their associates, and to the amount and quality of those resources upon which people depend for social, economic and emotional support”. “3 Economic support “Economic support programs are intended to serve people who are unemployed, disabled, have low earnings, or experience other economic or material hardship in families.”“In developed countries, financial safety nets for individuals facing economic setbacks are typically provided by comprehensive social security systems, pensions, insurance, and banks. In developing countries such institutions are extremely limited and where they exist they are typically only available to the better-off . In the latter countries, therefore, people generally rely on their family for support in times of financial and economic setbacks, where families contribute to the economic empowerment of their members by playing a “role of insurer of last resort, providing aid and solace when all else fails and preventing temporary setbacks from becoming permanent”. In Africa, as in many other developing regions, the extended family is a long established institution which provides its members with sophisticated social security systems and economic support to meet their basic needs for food, shelter, and clothing. The practices of education or training fostering and alliance building fostering are examples of how this was, and continues to be, achieved.””4 Financial Distress & the Family “Economic hardship and financial distress can have devastating effects on families. In tough economic times, many families lose their jobs, belongings, savings, health insurance, and more. Families often struggle just to meet their basic needs. Stay-at-home moms may suddenly find themselves searching for work or selling their prized possessions. Unemployed fathers feel like a failure, are guilt stricken and ashamed of losing their identity as the family's provider. Grown, adult men and women with children may find themselves moving back in with their parents until they can put the pieces of their lives back together; other families are moving in with each other. The shift from having "something," even moderate means, to having "nothing" is devastating. When families are faced with the grief of losing everything and the fear of never being able to recover, these uncontrollable circumstances have a drastic impact on families as a whole, on marriages, and 3 4 Zitha Mokomane, PhD, a human Sciences Research Council of South Africa. Family Empowerment Mokomane, Role of Families in Social and Economic Empowerment of Individuals Accessed: November 21, 2021 https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/egms/docs/2012/FamilyZithaMokomane.pdf Published: 10-12 September 2012 United Nations, New York on husbands, wives, parents, and children.5 Common responses to such devastation include: anxiety, depression, severe grief, overwhelming levels of stress, confusion, inability to sleep. Families may become torn apart or separated. For example, children may move in with extended family or friends, or marriages may be extremely stressful and fall apart, and there may be underlying tension or feelings of despair. Parents may interact with their children in tense or punitive ways with a short temper, resulting in children to respond with negative behaviors and emotions, and teens may face problems in school, negative peer groups, lost self-esteem, and delinquency.”6 Causes of Family Conflict ( Social ) “Social conflict theories are based on a family as a difficult system characterized by conflict and inequality that causes social change. Conflict theory focuses on the way in which members of the family struggle for different aspects of life. This includes the struggle for resources and power.” “According to conflict theorists, the family works toward the continuance of social inequality within a society by maintaining and reinforcing the status quo. Because inheritance, education and social capital are transmitted through the family structure, wealthy families are able to keep their privileged social position for their members, while individuals from poor families are denied similar status.7 Conflict theorists have also seen the family as a social arrangement benefiting men more than women, allowing men to maintain a position of power. The traditional family form in most cultures is patriarchal, contributing to inequality between the sexes. Males tend to have more power and females tend to have less. Traditional male roles and responsibilities are valued more than the traditional roles done by their wives (i.e., housekeeping, child rearing). The traditional family is also an inequitable structure for women and children. For example, more than 60 percent of all mothers with children under six are in the paid workforce. Even though these women spend as much (or more) time at paid jobs as their husbands, they also do more of the housework and child care.”8 5 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy is a professional association in the field of marriage and family therapy representing more than 50,000 marriage and family therapists throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad. 6 Financial Distress & the Family, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Accessed: November 24, 2021 https://aamft.org/Consumer_Updates/Financial_Distress.aspx Published: 2002 - 2022, 112 South Alfred Street Alexandria 7 Lumen Learning, a professional development experience, uses virtual learning communities to connect faculty members with peers and help them hone their expertise. They also provide tools and services to support effective teaching and learning practices. Lumen learning is trying to build more effective learners and more impactful teachers – because both are essential to improve student success. 8 Sociological Perspectives on Family, Lumen learning Accessed: November 26, 2021 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-sociology/chapter/sociological-perspectives-on-family/ Published: 2017, 812 SW Washington St, Portland, OR 97205, United States Solutions: There are some solutions for social family conflict. For poverty, we can solve the problem by providing education, skill training and job opportunities in a society. For unemployment, by providing job-oriented education.9 For population growth, awareness programmes should be created by family planning and its effect on population growth. For social problems, there are various awareness programmes like procession, advertisement of alcohol, and tobacco should be banned to solve social problems in family “10 Causes of Family Conflict ( Economical and Financial ) A financial problem is a situation in which you are not able to meet your bills on time or afford necessary basic needs. “Many things can place a strain on the family bonds. Health concerns, psychological disorders, disciplinary issues with the children, and financial problems are some obstacles that can affect any family. Financial problems can have many causes, and produce disastrous results when not handled promptly and properly. Families can take several steps to try to avoid problems or dig their way out of them. An example of family conflict, a 2009 Gallup poll lists lack of money, excess debt, the cost of owning or renting a home, job loss and healthcare cost as the most important financial problems families face. Families worry more about basic economic problems than they do about specific concerns, such as the high gas and oil prices, or taxes. The main cause of family conflict is that many families experience financial problems because they don't have enough money and good management skills and they often make unwise decisions about how to use income and credit. Uncontrollable factors such as unemployment can add to families' financial problems. Lack of communication can cause problems when shopping gets out of control. 11The results of financial family conflict are that family financial problems can lead to stress. Sometimes disagreements over money become so severe that they lead to divorce. Children may feel caught in the middle of the arguments, and feel guilt when they benefit from purchases, or disappointment when money problems prevent them from having certain things. 9 KulLabs, (Kul Techno Lab and Research Center) is composed of a bunch of young minds from diverse backgrounds that follow the same dream of creating a fusion between education and technology. 10 KulLabs (Kul Techno Lab and Research Center), Causes and Solution of Social problems Accessed: November 28, 2021 https://kullabs.com/grade-6/social-6/social-problems-and-solutions-1/causes-and-solution-of-social-problems Published: 2018, Kamalpokhari St, Kathmandu 44601, Nepal 11 Nicole Whitney, no bibliography information Prevention/Solution Because the financial problems affect the whole family, have a meeting to explain the financial issue and make a plan to solve it. Create a budget to eliminate debt and save money. Implement good record keeping practices, then establish priorities and stick to them. Viewing recent bank statements, monthly bills and income information will help determine the family's budget needs. Family heads can work to create a budget to eliminate debt and save money. If credit issues are out of control, contact creditors to make manageable payment arrangements.”12 Causes of Family Conflict ( Culture ) “Cultural values can influence communication orientation, or the degree of interaction between family members, as well as conformity orientation, or the degree of conformity within a family. Because social rules, communication beliefs, all of it, it really is, all in the family.” “Our culture is something that we learn and get used to over time, and it can become a pretty central part of our identity. It shapes significant things about us, such as our values and our way of relating to others. When you move away from your culture and into another one, there are heaps of challenges that come with adjusting to your new way of life. It can be a great thing to be in a household where multiple cultures exist under the one roof. You get all the richness and benefits of two (or more) cultures, instead of just one. Sometimes, however, it’s the cause of a whole lot of family conflict.”13 “Culture is a complex thing, and in a multicultural family there are many different factors that can stir the pot. Some of the things that can be difficult to manage with a parent from a different culture are language barriers, different opinions on things such as discipline and expectations. Identity crises may also be one of the factors when you feel stuck between two cultures since responsibility overload as you help your parents adjust to a culture that’s foreign to them and feeling different from your friends such as experiencing racism, and distancing yourself from your parents’ culture as a result. How to manage conflict between family and culture If you’re experiencing conflict within your family because of cultural issues, here are some steps you can take to help manage the situation. First, we need to listen to everyone's point of view. When you feel like your family is against you, it’s tempting to switch off or think about something else. If 12 Sapling, Family Financial Problems Accessed: November 30, 2021 https://www.sapling.com/6383353/family-financial-problems Published: 2006, Santa Monica, California, U.S. 13 ReachOut, the most accessed online mental health service for young people and their parents in Australia. they see that you’re willing to listen, your family might be more receptive to your point of view, too. Then, we need to look at it from their perspective. It’s also tough for your parents, who are trying to raise children in a totally different environment from the one they grew up in. A bit of patience can help you reach an understanding. We would then show our interest and ask questions with each other. Cultural diversity is the reason this world is so interesting, so ask your parents questions about their background. You might better understand why they have the values and opinions that they do, and even learn some things that are worth hanging on to. On the other hand we should focus on shared values, rather than differences in order to manage the conflict. Focusing on what’s going well in life, rather than what isn’t, has been shown to reduce stress and increase positive wellbeing. By focusing on positive ways to engage with your parents, you can build a stronger relationship with them based on shared values. You can also create opportunities for activities together, based on your shared values. Lastly, we need to compromise by talking to your parents about what’s most important to you, and ask them what’s most important to them. In some cultures, this might not always be realistic, and it can be difficult to reach a compromise. Only you can decide for yourself how much you can let go, how much effort you want to put into trying to reach an understanding, and what values you can’t compromise on. At the end of the day, we would have to agree to disagree. Sometimes, there are just some conflicts and problems in life that we have to let go. There are some things that you’re never going to see eye-to-eye on.”14 Conclusion With all of the problems families have faced economically in the society we live in today, there are always solutions to it. The conclusion is that family and goal attainment is achieved through power sharing and role blending. Like any family that has adapted economically in the society, many problems have arisen, however they are able to work through the issues and face all of the different challenges and problems they faced by finding the solutions for it with triumph. 14 Conflict between family and culture, ReachOut Accessed: December https://au.reachout.com/articles/conflict-between-family-and-culture Published: 1998, Australia 1, 2021 Bibliography Melissa Raspa, “National Fragile X Foundation, Examining Factors that Lead to Positive Family Adaptation to Fragile X Syndrome”, March 28, 2014 https://fragilex.org/news-reports-and-commentaries/examining-factors-that-lead-to-positive-family-a daptation-to-fragile-x-syndrome/ Accessed: November 17, 2021 No Author, “Economic support program”, Institute for research on poverty, No Date, https://www.irp.wisc.edu/research/economic-support/ Accessed: November 18, 2021 No Author, “Social Conflict Theories of the Family”, UKEssays, November, 2018 https://www.ukessays.com/essays/sociology/social-conflict-theories-of-the-family-sociology-essay.php# :~:text=Social%20conflict%20theories%20are%20based,struggle%20for%20resources%20and%20 power Date : November 21, 2021 No Author, “Financial Distress & the https://aamft.org/Consumer_Updates/Financial_Distress.aspx Accessed: November 24, 2021 Family”, No date No Author, “Sociological Perspectives on Family”, 2017 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-sociology/chapter/sociological-perspectives-on-family/ Accessed: November 26, 2021 No Author, “Financial problem”, IGI Global, https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/financial-distress-and-health/47382 Accessed: November 27, 2021 No Date, No Author, “Causes and Solution of Social problems”, 2018 https://kullabs.com/grade-6/social-6/social-problems-and-solutions-1/causes-and-solution-of-social-pr oblems Accessed: November 28, 2021 No Author, “Cultural values”, Influences on Family Communication: Culture, Gender and Technology, No date, https://study.com/academy/lesson/influences-on-family-communication-culture-gender-technology.ht ml Accessed: November 29, 2021 Nicole Whitney, “Sapling, Family Financial https://www.sapling.com/6383353/family-financial-problems Accessed: November 30, 2021 No Author, “ReachOut, Conflict between family https://au.reachout.com/articles/conflict-between-family-and-culture Accessed: December 1, 2021 Problems”, and culture”, 2006 1998 Zitha Mokomane, “Family Empowerment Mokomane, Role of Families in Social and Economic Empowerment of Individuals”, 10-12 September 2012 https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/egms/docs/2012/FamilyZithaMokomane.pdf Accessed: November 21, 2021
