Question:
Put the word family into an internet browser search engine and then select “images” to look at the photos, cartoons, etc. that pop up when we look up the word family. What do you notice about those ‘families’ that the internet determines are families? Are there any disturbing trends? Any reassuring trends? Choose one photo that came up in your search and analyze it based on the elements and qualities your book uses to explain the family unit. (Be sure to include a link to the photo or upload it directly in your post.)
Discusses intercultural views regarding the elderly. Choose one of the photos in the “Intercultural Images” section of the Content area. How does the image support or go against cultural constructions of the elderly? Are the images surprising to you or affirming to you? How might the images be altered to make them more interculturally ‘traditional,’ in your opinion?
Answer:
The internet determination of a family is a unit of a man and/ or a woman and children. The images on the internet show either a parent-child or a couple relationships. The internet also recognizes one parent with children and a couple without children as family. The disturbing trends on the images are the increased number of one parent families and decreased fertility (Bumpass, & Lu, 2000). The average children in the images are two. The reassuring trend is the increasing gender balance where the families have children of both gender. From the Image I selected, the family has two parents and two children. The parents are united by marriage while the kids are united to the family by blood.
Figure 1: http://familyselfdefencereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Stock-Smile-03.png
The intercultural view of elderly is inability to perform all tasks, unable to learn new things, stability in family, high level of knowledge and wisdom and deserve respect (Löckenhoff et al., 2009). The image I have chosen is that of elderly being put together to be offered care. This is against the cultural constructions. The elderly should not be separated (secluded) from their family. Elders deserve individual care for their need as other human beings. The image is surprising to me because the elders are left in isolation to be taken care by one person. The image can be altered to be traditional by including the elder’s extended family.
Figure 2: https://www.rehacare.com/cache/pica/6/4/6/9/2/5/1/285911491211308/panthermedia-net-diego-cervo-volle_breite-1491210412.jpg
References
Bumpass, L., & Lu, H. H. (2000). Trends in cohabitation and implications for children s family contexts in the United States. Population studies, 54(1), 29-41.
Löckenhoff, C. E., De Fruyt, F., Terracciano, A., McCrae, R. R., De Bolle, M., Costa, P. T., … & Allik, J. (2009). Perceptions of aging across 26 cultures and their culture-level associates. Psychology and aging, 24(4), 941.
