The American Family

Interviewing several American students about their family made me realize that I can make generalizations with some aspects but also not in most of the cases. For instance, American families usually don’t have their extended families stay in their home for a very long period of time. Some might go to their home but only for purposes of family gatherings or visit. Also, American parents try to maintain a balance with regards to giving their child enough freedom to experience child life and teaching them to be responsible enough even at a young age. But with regards to other aspects, American families have different rules. For instance, some American parents give full financial support to their child when they enter college; some offer a 50% financial support or other proportions, while some do not support their child at all. But in this case, the financial status of a family can also be a factor that might influence this practice but for certain reasons, some do it for the purpose of teaching their child to learn the typical American values of being self-reliant and independent enough by implicitly telling their child to look for a job to be able to pay for college tuition and fees. On the other hand, some American students told me that they call their parents mom and dad while some call their parents by their first name. Some might think that this is awkward or disrespectful but looking at the positive side of things, it might be a reason to augment the existing relationship in the household and feel that they are equal to one another, which is one of the typical American values. While American Families might have similarities and differences, you can still see the typical American values entrenched in their family practices.