Family Variations and Implications to Children Essay

Family Variations and Implications to Children - Essay Example In contemporary communities such as in the U.K, racial variations, economic factors and family structures portray great influences on behaviors that are adopted by children in different backgrounds, which are also affected by social and economic status of families. Therefore, economic, social, and cultural background of a family has a great impact on the behaviors and the upbringing of a child in the community. Children from single parenting portray different characteristics from children with two parents, with the gender of the child being a factor in determining how the family structure and relationships affects children in particular families. Wright & Chrysalis (2007, 16) argue that the rapidly changing family dynamics result in varying characteristics and behaviors in children, indicating that the structure of a family has a direct impact on the upbringing of a child. Therefore, children adopt behaviors and characteristics that mirror the family cultural and economic backgrounds , and family structures in the society. In this report, the various effects of family structures and their effects on children influenced by the social, economic, and cultural factors will be investigated. Berthoud (2) further notes that in black families, the issue of extended family is more profound, and may include grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, among others. Generally, research in most U.K families portray most traditional family structures are more stable compared to the current marriage structures, which include single parenting and cohabitation forms of marriages (Mooney, Oliver & Smith 2009, 3). Children in stable marriages portray healthy and stable development psychologically, mentally and are in most cases protected from vices experienced by children in the other two forms of marriages (Mooney, Oliver & Smith 2009, 3). Such children are likely to be morally responsible according stable upbringing, or the favorable atmosphere in these families; they have to learn th eir cultural orientations and the expected code of behaviors in the society. These family structures lead to enhanced bonding among the family members that protect children from the effects and influence of cohabitation and single parenting marriages. Hollist & McBroom (2006) in a research study indicated that children from single parent households report poor academic performance, psychological, and social behaviors, which may include early school dropout, risky sexual behaviors, drug abuse, and juvenile delinquency, among others. However, when economic considerations are taken in place, families with two parents and in higher income bracket were found to fair the same with parents with single parenting (Berthoud, 2). This implies that family income in families makes a huge different in portraying variations in children upbringing. However, similar studies on variation of children brought up in different households and their academic performance portrayed no significant difference. Curtis (2007) argues that in U.K, children from low income families are half as likely to attain good grades in their GCSEs, compared to their counterparts in high income families. Curtis further elaborates that these children are more vulnerable in the community, and their probability to leave these schools with better qualifications compared to their counterparts in well off families, with this gap between children in the two social groups widening over time. Curtis further