SEQ CHAPTER Values and Tradition How they foster a successful adult
For thousands of years cultures have recognized the benefits of tradition. These benefits extend far beyond reminiscing about the past on a certain day of each year. The depth of traditions effect on our lives may be best seen when they are lacking. The negative consequences when tradition and stability are lacking are readily apparent. An inherent difficulty lies in determining exactly what has effects, how the effects manifest themselves and how deep the effects on human development are. None the less, some general conclusions can be reached
In this paper, the state of the modern family will briefly be discussed. Then, American family structures and traditions will be compared with others along with the dynamic forces that affect them all. The forces that prevent stability and their consequences will be examined. Through all of this the role of tradition in family life will be highlighted.
Families in the 21st century
The state of the modern family differs among cultures but is a dynamic process in all. In the United States family stability was critical in the early decades of the new nation. Affluence and free time were rare and survival was not a given. As a result families organized themselves into fairly rigid role structures. Multi-generational families living together were much more common in the 18th and 19th centuries than they are today, thereby providing a rich opportunity for traditions to be passed down.
As America industrialized and wealth became more widespread family structure gradually changed. A transition between a rural and an urban culture was developing rapidly. For the first time, the United States had a large middle class. In the 1950s the nuclear family became the gold standard for ensuring proper child development. These were essentially independent economic units in and of themselves. Even then, there were many exceptions to this type of family structure. Nonetheless, the rapidly expanding media culture helped make the nuclear family the ideal in the minds of most Americans.
In the decades since, similar cultural forces have, arguably, helped to dismantle family structure and tradition all together. Tradition within families still exists, but the true meaning of them is increasingly lost. In many cases tradition has become highly commercialized. The results are traditions that are observed in a more rote manner, divorced from true meaning. Meanwhile, divorce, poverty, drugs, violence and a number of other socio-cultural factors have made the two parent family much less common. Combined, these effects have decreased the overall levels of stability and connection within our culture.
Illegal drugs have been a menace to American family stability. They have relegated many to a life of poverty, or worse. Thousands of children have been put in foster care because of drug-addicted parents. Many children have one or more parents incarcerated for drug offences. Even in more affluent nuclear families, drugs, media and peer influences seem tailored to erode the traditions of family and replace them with self-centered traditions.
Some parts of the world farther away from these influences are still at risk of losing
tradition and family stability. In Africa and in rural parts of South America there are ancient
practices of several generations of families living together and purposefully being taught the traditions that will help them successfully negotiate the outside world. In recent years globalization has begun to alter those traditions. In Senegal, Guatemala and in rural India young people are leaving their families in hopes of finding a better job in the industrialized cities. In the process their way of life, and that of their children, changes dramatically.
Stability is a critical aspect of healthy child development. A great deal of research shows that a two parent household is more often than not healthier for children than other arrangements. Unfortunately, the tradition of involved fatherhood in America is diminishing. Jane and Chet Lancaster have assessed the importance of fathers from an anthropological perspective In the course of evolution, the keystone in the foundation of the human family was the capturing of male energy into the nurturance of the young (Blankenhorn, 1995).
So no matter what your financial status is, what your culture, your ethnicity, your educational level, no matter if you are two parents, one parent or a divorced parent, a family member parent, a step parent, an adopted parent, a foster parent, or have any other configuration at home, the greatest gift you can give your child is a secure attachment. (Nelson, 2008)
Divorces and single or no-parent families are at an all time high. In some cases grandmothers are raising several sets of grandchildren on their own. Divorce creates an environment of instability even when the father or step father is actively involved in the life of the child. After a 25 year study of the children of divorced parents Wallerstein and Lewis concluded that The father-child relationship in a divorced family is thus negotiated month-by-month, year after year formed by countless interactions until the son or daughter grows up (Wallerstein and Lewis, 2000). The same could be said of relationships between incarcerated children and their parents. The children are never left unscathed.
Lois Murphy developed the damage model (Fig. 1) in her studies of children from broken homes. The model, in a simple way, shows how children can progress from unstable, tradition-less homes into a difficult adulthood. It should be noted that the model is not necessarily a predictor as it is a descriptor of potential risks.
Arguably, there is a greater risk today than ever before that childrens lives will be described by the Damage Model. Families in the United States and around the world are undergoing transition. Ironically, as technology has interconnected the world families are becoming less connected. New ways of fostering stability and belonging will have to be found or the societal consequences will be dire.
The type of family structure can be an important element of well-being, but not as important as the overall sense of stability children feel. The variety of stable family types around the world provides hope that family breakdown here can be overcome. In cases where families are broken tradition can be an important tool for remaining care givers.
A Comparison of Traditions
Traditions have always been a means of connection for human beings. In some cultures they are simple touchstones, or reminders, of the importance of family communication and co-operation. For others, they are extremely important and revered rituals that have importance unto themselves. They also may serve as teaching moments for the older generation to pass on information to the young. Whatever the case, traditions provide a sense of continuity and connectedness that is fundamentally important for the well-being of all people.
Naming is an important tradition in many cultures. Beyond just paying respects to ancestors or relatives, naming says a lot about the family itself, the familys expectations for the youngster and the depth of a familys religious faith. This is why in some cultures there is much less variation in the types of names than we are used to in the Western world.
Traditions can have dual religious and cultural purposes. The bar mitzvah in the Jewish faith is one such example. It has ties to the religious faith but also serves as a milestone for a young person moving toward adulthood and a bridge between all who have experienced that rite before. Christian baptism is more strictly religion and faith-oriented, but also can serve the purpose of increasing feelings of connectedness and well-being.
Palestinian Christians celebrate Good Friday, Easter and other traditional Christian holidays. These are important family bonding events. There is no social safety net in Palestine.
Christians are an oppressed minority within a society that itself is oppressed by outside forces. These everyday realities make family all the more important. Tradition is used to strengthen these ties.
In predominantly Hindu countries the duty to the family is primary. This includes the celebration of traditions such as arranged marriage and private refinement rituals. Domestic life is regarded as the most important aspect of humanity. The dedication to family is such that Hindi women often expected to live their entire lives within the boundaries of the family and extended family compound. On its face, it offends our Western sense of individuality but the Hindu people have clearly recognized both the importance of family and the importance of tradition and stability within that family.
The African World Festival has become a tradition for many African-American families. The festival celebrates generational connections. It allows African-American families to understand their heritage better through storytelling and music. Festival observances can be particularly important for groups who have been enslaved or excluded from society in the past.
Many cultures celebrate birthdays yearly. The degree of importance attached to these celebrations varies. In some cultures birthday gift giving is critical to the giftees future prosperity and standing in the community. Some African cultures do not celebrate birthdays annually in favor of a single important ceremony to mark the beginning of adulthood or entry in to a tribe.
There are certain traditions such as marriage birthdays and graduations, which the vast majority of people celebrate in one way or another. There are other traditions that are particular to small groups or even individual families or persons. Kaiser et al. From The University of Illinois make an interesting analogy about the effect of traditions
Family rituals and traditions are special ways of doing things that we repeat over and over again. When you use a muscle in your body over and over again in a certain way, it makes the muscle stronger. Likewise, sharing repeated experiences in a certain way strengthens the family.
In recent years, many developmental psychologists and family counselors have recognized the tie between tradition and well-being. Families are increasingly being encouraged to develop their own traditions. With everyone involved in both the creation and the periodic recognition of the ritual, this process can strengthen family ties in a time when many forces are threatening to pull them apart.
A tradition as simple as eating dinner together as a family can have long-term positive effects on the entire family. Studies sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics have found that frequent sharing of meals increases stability and belonging, results in healthier eating, decreases depression and increases positive motivation (Kaiser et al., 2005).
Values are the ties that hold society together. In the absence of them the survival of humanity would be in doubt. For thousands of years, cultures have used traditions to teach and reinforce the values that are critical for our survival.
What do these traditions have in common The observances and practices can vary widely. All share common purposes however. They are all intended to increase the sense of belonging, security and responsibility. Values are communicated and reinforced that help us deal with an inherently insecure world. The type of family structure can be important, but not as important as the overall sense of stability children feel. The variety of stable family types around the world provides hope that family breakdown here can be overcome. In cases where families are broken tradition can be an important tool for remaining care givers.
Perhaps the best way to evaluate the effect of tradition on human development is to assess what happens when it is lacking. The lack of tradition and security are associated with a number of social ills. Several of these will be discussed here.
When Tradition and Stability are lacking
Traditions serve as landmarks in the sea of life. They enhance stability, and vice-versa. These can be unique traditions established within a family or they can be ones shared with the community, country or world. In any case, they establish meaningful guideposts that increase the sense of belonging and self-esteem of children and adults alike.
Some traditions, in contrast, can be negative. These usually occur in homes where a sense of stability is lacking. For example, a youngster may grow up with a tradition of visiting a parent in prison. Feelings of misplaced self-blame and resentment may eventually result in that youngster being in jail himself. Negative traditions beget even more instability.
The statistics are grim. According to Bernstein As many as half of the male children whose parents have been incarcerated will wind up behind bars themselves (Bernstein, 2005). Thereby, a negative developmental cycle is perpetuated. The true victims are the children of those who are imprisoned. In addition to the lack of security the removal of a parent creates, many kids suffer life-long psychological consequences that often begin in a way similar to the following
What was Christine to think as she rode away in the police car on that day
when everything ended Only what children are already inclined to think when misfortune strikes the family - that she was to blame. (Bernstein, 2005).
The use of the phrase everything ended in this example is compelling. Looking at it from an analysts perspective, the child is likely to be thinking in general terms about the lack of security and the peril her father may face. Mixed within those thoughts one would also expect to see remembrances of holidays like Christmas, along with other special family traditions. These are the guideposts of life.
The presence of positive traditions is often indicative of a sense of belonging. A sense of belonging is often predictive of a well-adjusted and productive adulthood. These adults, in turn have greater odds of raising well-adjusted children. This is not a fail-safe equation by any means. Things can go wrong at any stage. The presence of strong traditions, however, can help accentuate the natural resiliency all human beings have.
The presence of stability and tradition in childhood are also typical of many well-adjusted successful adults. Even more noticeable is the lack of these characteristics in the youth of people who are not confident, well-adjusted adults. The record number of people in prison, problems associated with drugs, diminished expectations of behavior and the thousands of children in foster care are all illustrative of that point.
As of 2006 more than 500, 000 children in the United States resided in foster homes. About half of these children were in foster care for less than a year before being returned to their parents or to close relatives. For a similar percentage reunification with the parents is not a stated case goal. The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) reported that 303,000 children entered foster care and 289.000 exited during FY 2006 (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2009).
Foster care can be a revolving door for many children who exit and reenter multiple times. Even within the system children are often moved between a variety of different homes in a relatively short period of time. Needless to say a sense of stability and belonging can be hard to come by for these kids. Many overcome these difficulties to become well-adjusted and productive adults. Unfortunately, many do not.
Foster children who have not had the benefit of stable families or the guideposts of tradition face many obstacles. In findings similar to many other studies of its type, an RTI International study found that In general, these young adults were faring more poorly than young adults nationally for nearly all indicators of well-being (2008). A child may go through the foster care system with several sets of caring and attentive parents. As well-meaning as those parents may be, there is still a fundamental lack of stability that will affect the child throughout his or her life.
The sheer numbers of children in foster care or in single parent and no-parent homes is indicative of the breakdown of tradition and families in the United States. There are social consequences that can be seen in the number of kids who feel alienated and who succumb to drugs, crime and a host of other risky behaviors.
Analysis and Conclusion
Tradition has served a valuable role in human development for thousands of years. In ancient times they were developed to cope with a seemingly chaotic world. They serve the same purpose today. The world is certainly no less chaotic. Traditions are still an effective way to communicate values, expectations and the tools of life to younger generations. In return, the younger generation receives an increased sense of belonging and security. In any form of teaching it is critical to make expectations clear cut. Traditions tend to do this in a way everyone can understand and appreciate.
In America, family traditions are part of our shared national heritage no matter what ethnic or religious group one belongs to. Tradition is becoming harder to hold on to, though. This is especially true of traditions that involve multiple generations of a family. The cultural emphasis on individuality has not only taken us away from our neighbors, but also our extended families. Economic and social factors have also torn families apart, taking away the traditions that can help promote stability. The effects of this lack of stability can be seen by examining the children in foster care or the children of prison inmates.
Traditions role has not been completely lost. Many families of various types have begun to create their own family traditions. As long as these traditions are infused with meaning for everyone involved, they can potentially have the positive benefits of the old traditions.
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