The idea of family....
Comfort? Love? Tradition?
Control.
"Raising" little individuals.
Shaping, molding, conditioning an Other.
Either on one's own or in tandem, constructing an atmosphere which formulates culture on its own scale. As atmosphere always seem to do.
Authoritarian position by chronology.
Exercising legislative and behavioral control through reward and punishment.
Validating your own tactics against the backdrop of other methodologies, finding fault as a vehicle of self empowerment.
Great points (and post), but isn't this becoming less true every year? Children have more autonomy and rights. Women have more social and financial freedoms. Men are expected to do more domestically and impose their wills less.
ReplyDeleteHere's a thought: the rising divorce rate is a sign of improving times, as women are no longer slaves, and couples no longer tied to young, poor decisions. The breakdown of the traditional family can be seen as a good thing.