The American Cultural Configuration :: Sociology, Family, Religious Views

In the text, The American heathen Configuration the authors express the desire of anthropologists to study their avouch husbandry despite the difficulty that one faces attempting to subjectively analyze their own society. Holmes and Holmes (2002), use the saying not being able to see the forest through the trees (p. 5) to put forward to how hard it is for someone to study something they prepare largely taken for granted. The Holmes bind focuses predominately on paradoxes within our own culture, umpteen of which we dont notice. In a paradox, ii contradicting statements can appear to be true at the same time. This turn out looks at two paradoxes comm only when found in everyday life story the individual versus the family and religion. When you think about family, what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you only thought about your parents or close relatives then you may have been caught in an individual vs. family paradox. Nearly every culture considers family impor tant, simply many Americans have never even met all of their cousins (Holmes & Holmes, 2002, p.19). We say we are family oriented, but not caring to meet all of our extended family seems to contradict that. single freedoms, accomplishments, and goals are all American ideals that push the idea of individualism. Whats important to tuberosity is that family or even the concept of family itself doesnt appear in any of those ideals. Holmes and Holmes (2002), notice that The family reunions of yesterday are now rare, and when they occur they are often a source of stress. (p. 19) That quote solidifies one reason why family interaction nowadays is its just too stressful, so we avoid it. Where does marriage fit into our culture of individuals? Marriage itself may be less of a family unifying compositors case than a way for two individuals to obtain personal happiness the move up divorce rate alone seems to suggest the devaluation of commitment in a relationship. Likewise, the Holmes and Holmes (2002) state marriage is in effect a continuation of cause (p. 19) In my opinion, I would have to agree with the authors on family and marriage, considering the above-stated facts and trends. If we, as a nation, can place the individual so far above our own relatives, are we not creating a future of selfishness?Religious views are almost unquantifiable on their own, but the effects of those views are very much measurable.