Lesson 5 — Activity 3: Family, Identity, and Differences

Family in many ways shapes people's lives: it shapes who they are, how they act, and their values, and it has a great impact on their identity. Your identity is the only thing you have to show the world who you really are.

But, where does your identity come from? Usually, the family environment plays a large role in shaping the identity of children as they grow into teens and then become adults. The way family members relate to one another and operate together as a social group can shape a child's self-esteem, socialization, and cultural identity. What and how you believe, what your values are, etc. are all things that can shape our identity.

There are many different types of families. We now have stepfamilies; single-parent families; families headed by two unmarried partners, either of the opposite sex or the same sex; families with mixed race, religion, and ethnicity; adoptive families; foster families; and families where children are raised by their grandparents or other relatives.

Courtesy of Pixabay

Here are some of the different types of family structures:

Nuclear Family — The nuclear family is the traditional type of family structure. This family consists of two parents and children.

Single-Parent Family — The single-parent family consists of one parent raising one or more children on their own. Often, a single-parent family is a mother with her children, although there are single fathers as well.

Extended Family — The extended family consists of two or more adults who are related, either by blood or marriage, living in the same home. Many extended families include cousins, aunts or uncles, and grandparents living together.

Stepfamily — The stepfamily involves two separate families merging into one new unit. It consists of a new husband and wife and their children from previous marriages or relationships.

Courtesy of Getty

Courtesy of Getty

Courtesy of Getty

Your family may look very different than your friend's family. Therefore, it is important to be sensitive to other people's backgrounds and to recognize and acknowledge that there are a number of possible family scenarios.

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to what is the best type of family structure. No matter what type of family you have, they have played a large role in shaping your identity.

Click on the link below to watch a short video showing the many different kinds of family structures. While you watch, think about your family structure and how it is the same and different than those in the video. Think about how your family has played a role in shaping your identity.