Family on Family: An Interview With Uncle Simon
The idea of the family as a social subsystem is a very useful one in the academic world and in sociological and therapeutic practice, but it is not necessarily one that individual laypeople ascribe to when they think about their own family (Lesser & Pope, 2007). Though certain aspects of most people's conceptions of the family unit can be seen to mirror larger social structures in some ways, most people's views are much more individual and personalized (Carter & McGoldrick, 1998). The following interview, conducted with the interviewees uncle, demonstrates the personalized yet somewhat standardized view of family that can and does ultimately emerge when people think about their family.
The interviewee, Simon, had not previously though very much about the definition of "family" or how this definition was and is influenced by other social trends,...
The inclusion of a much wider array of individuals and relationships in families is definitely something that has been noted by researchers and indeed anyone who pauses to reflect on the phenomenon, and is something that Simon views in a very positive light, so it is interesting that it is not something often thought of in a fully conscious manner (Lesser & Pope, 2007; Walsh, 2011). When it comes to the influences that have helped to change the conception of the family, Simon posits that a generally more inclusive attitude in society and a greater desire to connect and get along with others is the cause.
Defining specific roles within a family is something else that Simon feels has changed in…
