Family Norms

Family Norms

This is a guide to the norms of an American family; if you are not from America and plan to live here you will find this information useful. Family to most Americans is one of the most cherished aspects of America. All families are different; but as a part of the American society they share certain norms.

A typical American family is the nuclear family; this consists of the mother father and children. The nuclear family is the most common type of family. A polygamous family includes more than one spouse. This type of family is considered wrongful in American society and in most states it is illegal. The extended family includes the mother, father, children, and other relatives like grandparents, aunts or uncles. This type of family is also common in America, but not as common as the nuclear family.

Whom do Americans consider their relatives? An American family considers anyone from their bloodline to be their relatives. When two people become married they inherit the relatives on both sides of the family, referred to as the in-laws.

Whom do Americans marry? America is almost completely open on the idea of whom they can marry. One of the most wrongful marriages are those that are incestuous. The marriage of close kin is a huge taboo in America. This is illegal and will get you a free ticket to jail. Another type of marriage that is taboo to America is same-sex marriages. Two people of the same-sex can not be legally married in almost all of U.S.

Who has the authority in American families? It used to be that only the male of the family had the most authority; but that has slowly been changing. With increasingly good money making jobs opening up for women; the authority of some families have shifted toward women because they are now the bread winner of the family. Making the most money usually determines who will have the most authority in American