"Changing American Families"

In her essay, "Changing American Families", Judy Root Aulette explores the different characteristics of families between social class, ethnicity and gender.

I really enjoyed this article and thought it was fascinating to see the relationship in families between different groups. I particularly thought the "upper-class" family was intriguing, maybe because I don't belong to that group and, therefore, enjoyed taking a peek into what life might be like for them. The marriage relationship, according to one woman in Aulette's essay, was "...first and foremost [a] marriage within one's class". I cannot imagine marrying for status alone, but to some, I guess it is better than marrying an "anybody". I found it interesting that upper-class mothers spend so much time and energy orchestrating social events and activities for their children, primarily to help them meet others of their own class and standing. Probably the most fascinating aspect of the upper-class was the inheritance idea. Teaching their children that "wealth belongs to all generations of a family rather than to individuals" helps foster responsibility in spending money wisely. I liked how they taught their children to live off of interest alone and leave the capital in the estate. Also, passing inheritance to grandchildren instead of children eased the tax burden on the estate.

Growing up in a middle-class family, I have to disagree with some of the points of Aulette's argument. Maybe she was right in a general sense of middle-class America, but as for my family, it was a little different. First, we were always taught that family came first, and if we were ever in financial trouble, we go to family first. I remember my parents loaning my aunt a car and babysitting her children so she could go to work and improve her family situation. Also, our family ties were very tight with our extended family, and they are still considered some of my closest friends. I agree that geographical mobility is a big issue for most middle-class families, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you can't still maintain good relationships with your family. I think she was probably right in that we pass resources primarily to our children, and not to all of our extended family.

I did think it was interesting that there was such a difference between middle-class black families and white families. It seems that the middle-class black family, according to Aulette, valued, not just the nuclear family, but the extended family as well. Also, "individual fulfillment is seen as self-centered activity and therefore is less valued", which stifles creativity and innovation. There is less risk-taking among middle-class blacks.

I enjoyed reading about the working class, "poor" classes of society, and different ethnic communities. It is interesting that there is a major theme of "it takes a village to raise children" among most of these communities, no matter the ethnicity. It seems that they, generally speaking, take care of each other and treat each other as blood relatives.

It was good to get a look at how different classes of families relate with each other and with others. However, I think that it is important to note that generalities are just that--general. Each family has their own way of relating with each other that may or may not fit into any of these norms.