Same Sex Attraction

I learned a lot of interesting information this week during the class discussions.  We discussed the topic of same sex attraction.  Let me start by saying that I don't think it is wrong to have these feelings but it is wrong to act on them. I personally believe in the traditional marriage.  I believe everyone is entitled to their own agency and their own opinions and I still love them and wouldn't treat them differently. 

During this past week I have gained so much more of an understanding of those who have same sex attraction.  I didn't realize how much of a struggle and hardship it can be for some people. 

I found this class to be very interesting because I realized that there are more similarities between us than there are differences.  I haven't really thought about this before but my teacher talked about how same sex attraction most of the time is not about sex but more about intimacy, feeling a sense of belonging and being liked by others.  It made me realize that they are seeking the same type of intimacy and belonging as in a traditional relationship.

In the conclusion in class we walk talked about how to help those who are seeking help. We came up with the following things if someone is seeking help...

1.) Understanding them and not judging them for how they feel.

2.) Help them develop appropriate relationships with the same sex.

3.) Stop encouraging this behavior if they are seeking help.  

Culture

In Family Relations class this past week we talked a lot about culture and how they impact our family experiences.
Our cultures makes us who we are.  There are so many different cultures that make up this earth.  If we were to all have one culture I think it would be safe to say that the world would be very dull and boring.  It influences our behavior, our perceptions, and our traditions.
One of the cultures we explored in class on Thursday was the Latin American cultures specifically the Mexican culture.  Something that impresses me was how the people of Mexico are generally very close with not only their immediate family but their extended family as well.  Some may even live in the same house as their extended family.  Their families also spend more time with one another as they have many family parties, dinners and dances.
Cultures are great part of life however there are always going to be challenges no matter what.  One culture is not perfect, each comes with its own sets of pros and cons.  For instance in class we discussed an example of a common challenge that occurs in the Mexican culture.  Many of the people in Mexico have the desire to move to the United States in order to provide a better future for their family.  To come into America it would be about $4,000 for each individual  therefore in many cases a family will send the father first to find work and earn enough money to bring the rest of the family up.  This would be a hard trial through any family and any culture for a variety of reasons.  However if a family can stay strong and endure through their trials they can be brought closer together in the end.

Rubber bands...

This week one of the things I learned about was the rubber band experiment.  In this experiment three people place a single finger in the band creating a triangle.  If anyone of the volunteers moves and stretches away then the other two are closer together.  This experiment brought up an experience that occurs throughout many families.  Sometimes when a dad doesn't show mom attention and their relationship begins to weaken the mom cleaves to the child while the dad is off doing his own things.  I thought this was very interesting because as parents everyone wants to have a strong relationship with their children and sometimes many put out less effort into the marriage.  Sometimes this happens subconsciously or this may happen with the mom or child pulling further away.  While pondering this topic I was reminded that marriage is just as important as a strong family bond.  If the parents relationship is healthy and growing then it will only make things simpler for their family because they can work together as teammates rather than single players trying to keep everything together.  I know when I am both a wife and mother someday I want to do everything I can to continually strengthen both of these relationships.  In conclusion I learned that life is truly a balancing act.

The Family- The Past, Present and the Future

As we know everything changes over time whether it's fashion trends, music and movies, or even how we talk and communicate with each other.  Is there anything that should stay relatively the same as time passes on?  I would answer yes to this question and say that the family unit should stay the same.

Back in the 50's and 60's marriage and the family overall were more valued than in today's.  Today people were getting married, having kids and building strong family units.  Today people all over the world are not seeing a point to marriage or having a family of their own.  During family relations class this week, we discussed the comparisons of unplanned pregnancies from the year 1950 to the year 2000.  In the year of 1950 50% of couples found out they were pregnant, got married and kept their child, 49% of couples would put their baby up for adoption and 1 % of couples had an abortion.  In the year 2000 50% of couples still got married and kept their child, and 1% of couples were putting the child up for adoption leaving 49% of couples having an abortion.  I soon came to realize that we are in what is called by some as the "Me Generation".  Today couples are concerned with their own lives than they are about building a family of their own.  People are much more career driven than the past years.

In the 50's more woman were stay at home moms.  While today more women are wanting a career. I am not that wanting a career is a bad thing but should it be focus in our the focus of our lives?  Another reasons we might be considered the "Me Generation" is because we are so focused on ourselves and our careers that we  feel it may be too much work and effort to have a family.  Really challenging but are worth the effort.  What couples or a family go through can actually strengthen that relationship.  In times of trials we need to turn to others for support and these challenges could actually turn into rewarding experiences that bring us closer to our families and strengthen us.  One of the reasons why divorce rates may be going up is people don't put forth the effort to work through the challenging times.  People are putting off marriage and family later and later because they are focused on pursuing their careers.

Don't get me wrong relationships and families require time and work and at times can be really challenging but they are both worth it.  Some people don't realize that the trials a couple or a family goes through can strengthen that relationship ever so strongly.  That time of hardship requires us to lean on others and can turn out to be some of the most rewarding experiences we have.  Everyone is obviously not this way but this is part of the reason why divorce rates and the age of when people get married keep going up.

Why does it matter so what if there are fewer marriages and children?  Families matter for many reasons.  If we keep the social trend going, the family unit will continue to decline and could cause a decrease in population and possibly eventually lead to our extinction.  One important reason for families is that they enrich our lives and give us happiness and joy that we could not find anywhere else.  We learn from our family members and they learn from us.  It is because of all I have learned in being part of a family that I want a family of my own.  It will probably be the most challenging experience in my life but nothing would bring me greater joy.

Me and my family (I have a mom, dad, three brothers and a sister):