Demonstrative Cause and Effect Properties in Short Writing

Emani Booker              

Professor Myzskowski

English 1101

18 October 2022

What Causes a Family to Have Close Relationships?

The “survival of the fittest” is a slogan used to characterize individuals who inherit imperialistic traits critical to supporting their abilities and capabilities to thrive in any environment. Those traits may include a tenacious attitude towards consistency and imperfection, an indefatigable awareness of environmental surroundings, and an unfathomable amount of fortitude through adversity. Through deep expressions of comradery for the contributions of all humane efforts made to the development of the flourishing society we live in, we pay tribute to those who made dire sacrifices in the heap of war, turmoil, and desolation by acknowledging the significance of family. However, through retrospective decorum, true beneficence rests within strengthening the health of family relationships that directly results in an individual’s output to society. “As they say, if we are going to get anything done in this world, we must begin with knowing ourselves” (Wijkstrom). Being knowledgeable of the fact that strong relationships have tremendous individual influence, the idea of family fastens firmly in the functionality of our society with a certain perspective in mind; families must be responsible for producing self-sufficient individuals as a contribution to society. Because of those traits that distinguishes a well-established individual from a person misguided and/or miseducated could be partially due to derivations of family relationships and how well the upbringing of the respective individuals through family structuring. Families that maintain healthy bonding and structure demonstrate persistence being actively involved within each other’s affairs, are communicative of their family related matters and concerns, and commit to the moral and disciplinary interrelationships between their members as backbone support for their collective contribution to society.

Further examining the inherited traits of the strongest individuals who participated in the making of our society and how they were able to achieve such, consider the types of bonding relationships those individuals had within their family roles during those times? What could have been the relational impact of financial hardship on a low-income family especially during the times of the Great Depression where men who only had certain characteristics could take a job position for support? How did this impact the results of family contribution to society individually and collectively?  Warping to present-day, it may serve well to mention that families that can afford to enjoy outings, can plan and participate in activities such as birthdays and special occasional events, and can afford to live comfortably increases the chances of those persons conforming to healthy social interaction and heightening their senses of individuality amongst others creating growth for the working classes. The latter results include: “increased individual lifespan, reduced risk for developing a variety of physical diseases and psychological problems, and happiness being more likely to become successful in society” (Melanie 1). In contrast, families forced into hardships with less financial cushioning and limited resources are prone to dissatisfaction in their everyday dealings with others, marital discrepancies resulting in divorces, forced settlement in crime induced environments due to desperation, and lowered life expectancy for the children of lower income families. However, despite the obstacles children encounter due to unhealthy family relationships: hope resides in the idea that spending time with others, even if not closely related, to share thoughts, feelings, and identities aids in those individuals bonding as a cohesive unit rather than just a random group of people” (Gladding). There are many ways to strengthen family relationships as we are all products of the many families that sought after ways to cope through diabolical circumstances, and “the more families can demonstrate functioning in the worst of affairs, the more skillful they are using strategies such as negotiating, seeking advice, using humor, and expressing emotion to deal with tough transitions” (Gladding).

The key components of healthy relationships between spouses and their children also play a vital role in societal contribution. As Samuel Gladding, author of A Guide to Having a Healthy Family quotes, “The most vital factor underlying a well-functional family is the strength of the marital unit” (qtd. in Gladding). In brief acknowledgement, education is one primary source enabling many individuals to enhance their knowledge, skill, and capabilities of whichever designated fields of work or study they desire. Therefore, it is imperative that children, vulnerable to the effects of marriage whether healthy or unhealthy, set off nourished in a suitable environment for the most ideal results for perpetuated learning. Many young students who act out in school may be stressed due to unhealthy marital relationships and other factors overlooked extracting from their true potential. They tend to not speak out on their behalf especially after witnessing an argument or altercation between parents which in turn might cause behavioral issues and aggression amongst other students. Hence the detrimental complications of numerous parasites that attack healthy marriage; divorcing, single parent relations with children, absence of financial resources, and living poorly in crime induced neighborhoods can affect students heavily and can be unnoticed. For our young students to develop artistical, entrepreneurial mindsets and become true contributors to society, the relationships of those with healthy marriages must remain consistent and cognizant of how easily their children can be affected by marital parasites.

How important can it be expressing how you feel towards your loved ones or how crucial can communication become especially when dealing with family related issues such as teen pregnancy.  How effective can communication be in the most uncomfortable situations, especially dealing with family dearest to us. “Communication is a vital and hopeful conduit which instills our human potential with hope” (Wijkstrom 28). When families are healthy and well-functioning, members attend to the messages from one another and pick up on the subtle and obvious deviations of the norm. The radio was the first means of communication and therefore, families gathered, consulted, and entertained each other formally. The use of written letters to distant family members also strengthened the bond and communication between those individuals. Nowadays, the television with its amazing high-definition picture and 1000 channel catalog, somewhat changes the topic of discussion amongst family members taking away from the crucialness of effective communication. All in all, needless to say, families that remain fully functional do their best to utilize opportunities to share with one another and seek to work out any differences in discussion and rather be vocal than passive.

            It seems inconsistent to relate the individual struggles of those who survived the worst moments of our history to healthy family relations and coping strategies. However, one main analysis prevails in that those individuals had family support and the effects of the relationships between those members were strengthened because of the inevitable situations they encountered. The blueprint for establishing healthy family relationships can be learned from our familial predecessors: participation amongst members in the form of shared gatherings, readily communicative of minor differences, and the upholding of moral and ethical principles demonstrated by each member especially amongst married spouses. Worthwhile and non-negotiable is the efforts to maintain healthy family relationships for positive individual contribution to the ever-growing society we live in today as tribute to those who sacrificed for our country.

Works Cited

Gladding Samuel. A Guide to Having a Healthy Family. Springer Publishing Company, 2015. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=edscra&AN=edscra.23130122&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Melanie Joy. Getting Relationships Right : How to Build Resilience and Thrive in Life, Love, and Work. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2020. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=nlebk&AN=2254407&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Stephanie Wijkstrom. Creating Relationship Wellness : An Introduction to the Techniques of Mindfulness for Healthy Relationships. Universal Publishers, 2021. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=nlebk&AN=3153714&site=eds-live&scope=site.