The family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The family - Essay Example This traditional notion of the family is not only being challenged by new social realities but by anthropologists such as Jane Collier, Michelle Z. Rosaldo and Sylvia Yanagisako, the authors of â€Å"Is there a family?† who quite persuasively argue that the family is not â€Å"†¦a universal human institution.† They argue, â€Å"†¦the family is not as a concrete institution designed to fulfill universal human needs, but as an ideological construct associated with the modern state† (Collier 1). As controversial as this argument may sound, one finds support from Diane Ackerman’s, â€Å"A Natural History of Love† and in Sara Ruddick’s â€Å"Thinking about the Father.† Scientific and anthropological perspectives concerning the family concept invalidate earlier understandings. It establishes that the family is not a universal phenomenon and that even when it does exist in its traditional form it reflects the human desire for familiar patterns which is derived from the biological instincts. The most generalized concept of family, as the nuclear family which consists of a father, a mother, and children, still exists overwhelmingly in human society, however, new perspectives on the concept of the family is gathering strength. Social anthropologist, Bronislaw Malinowski is responsible for the popular traditional concept of the family as a universal phenomenon. He states, â€Å"The human infant needs parental protection for a much longer period than does the young of even the highest anthropoid apes. The father and mother have to look after the children for a long period, and in turn, derive certain benefits from the care and trouble taken† (Collier 2). According to his argument, the family fulfilled the universal need and so it is a universal institution. The universal function of a family is to nurture children. As he noted, the family unit was preserved and protected by the commitment of its members to one another, by the well-defined roles

Judaism and the Jews in New York Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Judaism and the Jews in New York - Term Paper Example American Jews are American citizens having Jewish faith and Jewish ethnicity and whose origin also is from other countries. A wide range of Jewish cultural traditions and a full spectrum of Jewish religious observance are apparent in the Jewish community of America. The Jews of America live overwhelmingly in the suburbs of the largest American cities. The American Jews by every measure constitute to be one of the highest socio economic groups of the United states and they share almost all the characteristics of the upper middle class urban Americans. Depending on demographic studies and religious definitions, the United States is home to the world’s second largest Jewish community. This paper in particular intends to describe Jews in New York and their religion ‘Judaism’. Who is a Jew? The Jews represent a group of people having some unique characteristics rather than a distinct race or ethnic group. Although the Jews originally came from the Middle East, many a n umber of races and people have joined together in Jewish communities over the centuries, especially after Jews were forced out of Palestine in the second century A.D. In America, they engaged in marriages with Christians and formed a mixed community. It is evidently, a common Jewish heritage that passed down from generation to generation that binds the group together. And for the Jews in New York also, the binding element is their religion. Although most often, Judaism is used as a term referring to the Jewish religion, sometimes it is used to refer to all Jews. In other words, one does not have to be religious to be Jewish. In general, one is Jewish if one is born of a Jewish mother or converted to Judaism. Unlike Christians, they are still waiting for the arrival of a Savior who would integrate all the Jews who have been scattered and gone astray. Advent of Jews to America There is no unanimous opinion among the historians as to when the first Jews came to America. Although many b elieve that Jews reached America in the ancient period either when they were attacked by aliens or when they faced persecution from the Christians, no solid evidences are available to prove this argument. As Adler and Huhner point out, still it is believed that the first Jews came to North America in 1654 and settled in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam which was later renamed as New York. Most of those who came were refugees from Recife, a Dutch colony in Brazil. It was when the Portuguese attacked the colony the Jews left Recife and headed to Holland. But as they ran out of money they were forced to settle at the Dutch colony of North America (Adler and Huhner). The newly came people were granted permission to inhabit in the American soil and to practice their religion and customs and this marked the beginning of a new community and religion in the land of America. The migrant Jews assimilated into the culture of Native Americans in all aspects of life. In other words, they had to imbibe the basic characteristics of the American community as forming distinctiveness was not possible challenging the customs of the natives. All together, the modern Jewish culture in America embodies an international culture of secular communities of Jewish people and the indigenous practices of the natives. Jews continued migrating to America on realizing it was a secure place for them. During the middle decades of the 19th century, there were considerable