The concept of a single story is a harmful way to form an opinion. One of the examples of its dangers is the attitude towards changing families. Many people form their judgments based solely on their personal experience, unable to understand and tolerate different practices. This social issue breeds much discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. Personally, I believe society should be taught to be more tolerating.
The danger of a single story
By definition, social problems are common matters that concern and negatively affect the members of a community. Identifying, examining, and solving such issues should never be based on the perspective of a sole encounter of one person. The concept of a single story comes from the place of ignorance and narrow vision, portraying a one-sided, biased, or prejudiced view, which can never truly be enough to form an opinion on the matter. Despite that, our society is unable to move past this inequitable manner of addressing the other, the unknown. The basis of most social issues can be considered to come from a single story or experience: racism, xenophobia, homophobia, sexism, and bigotry. For example, while traveling abroad one may see many things they cannot comprehend; misunderstanding may breed disrespect, hatred, or fear, followed by the formation of an overall negative impression of a foreign culture. Such an experience is always insufficient to base one’s opinion on; there must always be room for thought and doubt, but none for stereotyping.
Addressing social problems is a complex task that requires great effort put into research. According to TED Talk with Chimamanda Adichie, even the people who have experienced the effects of a single story themselves may continue the cycle of misinterpretation and labeling (2009). As such, studying and finding a solution for any social injustice issues requires analyzing many various sources, opinions, and perspectives. With more representation and less stereotyping, our society can move past such an intolerant concept as a single story.
The Social Issue
In the journal from Week 6, I wrote about the issue of the changing structure of a family over the course of generations. The problem is a matter that many people of my age can relate to: the way we understand and support our families is frowned upon by our parents and relatives. This dilemma, similar to many other social issues, stems from misunderstanding. As people grow and time changes, so do values, principles, and standards. Some people are unable to or refuse to comprehend the fact that others can be different. In today’s society, older adults may disagree with the sheer existence of queer sexualities and same-sex relationships, whereas it is as clear as day for the younger generations.
Comparing modern families to the nuclear ones and the ones before that included non-immediate family members is often accompanied by disagreement and controversy. The decision to have and the way to raise children, the parental roles, the chores, the traditions, and the provision of income are the subjects that many are forced to defend. Despite all the discourse, the changes in these aspects of a family structure are not something that one can avoid or ignore as they are real, and they happen nonetheless.
Personal Viewpoint
The current social issue deeply resonates with me as I am a person who has a family and experience in supporting it. However, I understand that people might have different views on the matter. I always try to do my best and display my appreciation of others’ efforts, despite them varying from my own values. What I cannot stand is the disrespect and disregard for one’s family member’s identity. For example, I will not stand idly while my cousin’s life is disowned by her own mother. The refusal to understand the child’s way of being happy is something I will never comprehend.
My family is the most important thing in my life; there is nothing more I want than to ensure its safety and happiness. Due to this, the way I support my family always comes from the place of love. In the modern era, it is very easy to drift apart from even your own children. With appliances that can supplement reality, it is most important to set the boundary between the real world and relationship ties and the virtual ones. Because of that, I make sure to establish a connection between my children and me through conversations and quality time.
The Issue’s Background
The structure of a family and aspects of people’s lives related to it change over time. It has been a subject of much research and has been proven to be true by many social scientists. There is an abundance of reasons behind such a phenomenon. For instance, the noticeable decline in the average family size is a result of a higher quality of and access to education, as well as the economic state of a nation and the personal liberties of women (Lakritz, 2019). Nowadays, people are more knowledgeable about sex life and the risk factors related to it, reducing the rate of teen pregnancies. At the same time, education costs and the cost of living are rising, forcing many people to refuse the idea of having children they cannot support financially (Lakritz, 2019). Moreover, women more often choose to pursue a career before ever considering starting a family, increasing the average age of birth of the first child (Lakritz, 2019). All these factors did not impact people’s lives 40 years ago as much, creating a serious gap between generations’ values and family practices.
Furthermore, with the social and technological progress of our generation, families have obtained new qualities and determinations. In the modern era of the Internet and digital appliances, almost every family possesses at least one device (Lakritz, 2019). Due to this, the way of communication between family members has changed drastically. Such social progress as the legalization of same-sex marriages has diversified a family structure. Although still facing much criticism and discrimination, LGBTQ+ couples are more common to see, cultivating acceptance and tolerance in future generations.
Alternative Perspectives
Despite the fact that such changes are inevitable, a lot of people still try to oppose them. Such objection and intolerance of others’ lifestyles if often based on the concept of a single story. Hiding behind the pretext of their religious or political views, such people refuse to understand and accept others. For example, some people believe that same-sex marriages should not be allowed in society. Having not researched the topic, or not being familiar with what a queer family is, they form a strong opinion about all the negative effects such a relationship must have on children and people around them.
Another perspective some people might have related to changing families is the attribution of gender roles. Nowadays, more and more households stay away from the traditional division of labor between men and women. However, there are always those who oppose it. Usually, having no understanding of the burdens of being a stay-at-home parent, people consider the task effortless. They enforce the belief that, typically, women should be responsible for household chores, which completely disregards women’s ability to choose.
Solution and Policies
Supporting family stability and people’s choices on the matter of creating and sustaining a family should be arranged at the federal level. As stated above, fewer people are able to afford to have children due to the high costs of life and education, meaning that improving the economic stability of the nation is necessary. However, in the current state of the U.S., there are no policies that would ensure family stability on a sufficient and required level (Way, 2018). Despite that, acceptance of people’s choices regarding the family structure is promoted in such legislations as same-sex marriage.
Most people who advocate for traditional gender roles within a family do not realize the financial burdens of such a proposition. According to Way (2018), male-breadwinner, female-caregiver in a two-parent family is an economically unstable structure, that is impossible to return to in the U.S. Instead, the government should allocate its resources to support already existing modern forms of a family by spreading awareness and encouraging acceptance and diversity.
Conclusion
Changing family and the attitudes around it is a social issue that has its roots go down to the concept of a single story. The refusal to understand and tolerate the other is something that society needs to abolish. Personally, I believe that happiness and love should be the basis of a family, not religious or political beliefs. It is a fact now that family structure has changed, and there is no way back to its traditional form is undeniable. Due to this, the U.S. government should allocate its resources to better support already existing modern families and spread awareness and tolerance in order to rid the nation of discrimination and bigotry.
References
Lakritz, T. (2019). The and now: How American families have changed since the early 1900s. The Insider. Web.
TED. (2009). Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story | TED [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Way, M. M. (2018). In family economics and public policy, 1800s–present. Palgrave Macmillan.