Model Family Personal Response | Teen Ink

Model Family Personal Response

October 6, 2010
By Katie Johnson BRONZE, Fort Worth, Texas
Katie Johnson BRONZE, Fort Worth, Texas
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

In today’s society, the image of a model family is obscure and unclear. The image all depends on a person’s view on how a family should be constructed, such as their behavior or their relationships between family members. In truth, there is no such thing as a model family in this day and age. Not one family is perfect. They all have flaws.

Through my analysis of how people perceive the minority families in America, I have learned that most people believe that they are more connected with their families and offer support such as childcare or sharing their homes. This perception comes from one’s observation of Latinos and Blacks and how they always seem to congregate in large groups with each other. People infer that Latinos, because they tend to have a lower level of education and a lower income, have to rely more on their relatives for familial support and everyday needs. Many people believe that Blacks, due to their endurance of slavery in the past, became more unified because they needed to stick together to survive. Just because some people infer that Latinos need financial help or that Blacks are more unified because of slavery does not mean that it is true. Of course many aspects of these inferences have been viewed or proven, but not every Black community or Latino community defines this stereotype. The model family becomes something that the world makes it out to be and many times their definition of this termza are incorrect.

As I shifted my focus to the beliefs about the model family being the Whites I learned that people believe them to be the true model family because of their higher education and their higher income. Of course, with higher finances, many of these families are able to help each other out financially which is great. The world believes that the model family has to be educated and intelligent because then they can become more successful in the world. Just because a family does not have enough money to go to school does not mean that there aren’t options for them to become educated. As we see in the world today, certain colleges want to diversify their campus and they are sometimes more likely to admit a student if they are of a different race. This, of course, makes many White students believe that the college is being unfair. Defining a family as a perfect family raises so many controversial issues over money and education. People need to understand that neither money nor educational opportunities defines a model family because the model family does not exist. Yes, certain families will have more money than others and many families will be happier than other families. In the end, the model family is just an image we project in our brains to give us something that we want to believe is the right way that families should act to become the perfect family.
Some people believe that just because many families have money they are automatically happy. The world needs to understand that money does not secure happiness in a family. One family could have all the money in the world yet have the worst relationships with each other that lead to a life full of hatred and dishonesty. The happiness of a family comes from their love and support. Where would families be if their relationships were solely based on riches? Where would families be if their relationships were based on love and grace? Think about these questions and see which one sounds more appealing. I am not saying that having money is a bad thing and that it will always lead to a dysfunctional family. I am saying that with money comes a responsibility to provide, out of love, for your family and to give to others who are in desperate need of things such as clothing or food. There can be no model family based on material things. There can only be families that desire to set a good example with their strong foundation and their support.

The author's comments:
My teacher and our English lesson

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