FAMILY POLICY MATTERS

Family Policy Matters

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Family Policy Matters

Introduction

The family policy begins at home with small decision such as at what time they are going to eat food. Sociologists are unable to provide a proper definition of family policy and this is not really a matter of joke. Family scholars have not being agreed on a single definition of family policy, yet they have agreed to begin with examining what will be included and excluded from the premise of this field.

There are two basic types of family policies namely explicit and implicit policies. Explicit policies are those policies that are intended to accomplish specific goals about the family. On the other hand, implicit policies are those policies that are not primarily or specifically designed to have an effect on families; however, posses indirect effects on them.

The explicit is a sub field of social policy which focuses on family business. A family policy refers to a policy that originated from subsequent four functions of families which are creation of families, childbearing, economic support and care-giving. Apparently, families also give member with emotional support and love; however, such facet matter only to social policies when they are in alignment with these four major functions (Bogenschneider, 2006).

A companion implicit term, a family perspective in policy making acknowledges the family considerations can play on broad range of policy issues. A family perspective in policy making analysis the consequences of any program or policy regardless whether it is explicit or implicit impacted on well-being of families. The well-being of families means family's stability, relationships, and ability to carry out their responsibilities.

For instance, family policy will include issues encompass under these core functions, issues may include child care, divorce, family violence, juvenile crime, child support, and long term family policy. Provisions of tax that craft a child care tax credit and decrease marriage penalties are considered as family policy. However, health policy, poverty, self-abuse, housing, and unemployment are not classified as family policy because they are not aimed to specifically at families.

Discussion

During last 50-60 years, the traditional American family has undergone socio-cultural changes resulted in transformation for all ethnic groups, races and ages. This change includes the number of households that are formed by married people, mothers' economic role, marriage importance in accounting for total births, the number of adults who marry, the number of children that are conceived, and the number of non-family households. The trend of marriages is declined at a faster pace in both whites and blacks; thereby, the population of unmarried adults increased. Furthermore, two-parent households' proportion is also on decline, even in family household with children; therefore, trend of single parent with children is on increase (Hernandez, 2005).

Declining morbidity and mortality, Social Security development and other benefits of retirement, all meant that older individuals possibly will economically live alone and were usually in good health and lived longer in early years. This brought a cultural change, particularly in values during the early century appears ...