The Effects of Social Class and Culture Diversity in Family Units

    Varying social classes in our society is an influential factor in individual and group development because of each class's distinct environment. Some of the strongest factors are the varying acceptable behavior, priorities, and engagement in activities and hobbies in which the lower, middle, and upper classes are involved.

    The environment each class is capable of offering affects family members over time as they grow up. A documentary directed by Louis Alvarez and Andy Kolker, “People Like Us: Social Class in America” explored the many ways social classes can impact education, job prospects, and personal relationships by interviewing a diverse range of people within the United States. In contrast to the families of a business owner, a working-class factory worker, and a schoolteacher, Tammy Crabtree and her family demonstrated a distinctive grooming, manner, living maintenance, and even a speech pattern compared to the other families. Years later, when part two of Tammy’s story was released, her early family environment unfortunately proved to have major, life-changing, consequences for her sons.

    In family units where the parents do not have outside support, or the children lack respect for them as well as education, or do not have a previous family model to rely on, are unavoidably more likely to distance themselves from the family members. Though it is hard to firmly argue that a different social class prevents the said events, the families of lower classes most certainly have a higher of encountering them.

    Another factor affecting family units is cultural diversity. Family cultures are commonly not easily identifiable until they are in contrast with other ones. The clash of different cultures can change things within a family system for the better or worse. After studying “The Costs of Getting Ahead: Mexican Family System Changes After Immigration” by Martica L. Bacallao and Paul R. Smokowski, showcases clear evidence that acculturation happens faster in children than in adults. Increasing tension within the family happens as children begin to adopt new cultures. This process most commonly occurs after families move to a different state or even a different country.

    As discussed in my previous post, one’s development is dependent on its four basic environmental elements, so when extreme changes happen in one’s microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macro systems we can expect conflicts between family members, at least until they are able to adapt to the new circumstances and environment. Culture affects a family just as much as families affect cultureThusus a single country can have a wide variety of cultures from city to city and from one state to another.

    Familism, which encompasses behaviors, attitudes, and family structure, can slow down the process of acculturation and lift some of the tension it creates. However, the family structure must remain the same as it was, otherwise, there will be a power struggle when the circumstances and environment change. For example, if the father who had a leading role in the family structure works too much, or moves elsewhere to prepare the groundwork for the family to move in later, will not be present enough for the family as they need him to be. As a result, the oldest son might feel a responsibility to fill that spot, or someone else like the mother and even the other children.

    In conclusion, social classes and cultural diversities greatly affect the development of the members of every family unit. While there are indeed far too many factors to take into account in those two categories alone, not getting caught up in outside social behavior and cultural systems will be the strongest key to avoiding tension and conflict within the family unit.