Evolution of the family and its dwindling influence.
Philip Blumstein and Pepper Schwartz movingly described the protagonist as, “a basic unit of society. It is the unit of reproduction, the wellspring of the family, and most often the precinct of love, romance and sexuality”. Evolution is not exclusive for humanity; it also extends beyond the waning foundation of society, the family. Back to the times of our two-footed, wide-jawed, and protruding forehead exterior, the need to feel affection, warmth, and comfort existed in a petite degree. We bonded for survival and alliance. As soon as stones, bronzes, and irons were discovered, the rules drastically changed. Necessity calls for the family to settle together in big groups for the sole purpose of production; this is the time the extended family came into existence. This moment in time is the golden age for the family. Here, love and fondness ruled out. Many strong pillars and unions were forged. Remember the infamous Genghis Khan? Well, his majesty's place in the historical pedestal is due to the fact that the sufferings of his family during the great wars and raids shoved him into the fringes of greatness. How about the splendid Taj Mahal in India or the grand hanging gardens of the Babylon? These elegant works of arts were inspired by couples who hoped for a thriving family unit but unfortunately separated by death.
In the continent of Europe, successful and well-known revolutions were staged, such as the Enlightenment, Scientific Revolution, and the most omnipresent of all, the Industrial Revolution. The latter event evoked the burgeoning of factories that demanded heavy labor. The family here suffered the most. They were compelled to move to the big cities to earn a meager amount of money. From a family consisted of several members to a family comprised of a few evolved in a massive scale. This remarkable adjustment in families' lifestyle was carried over to the modern period until the postmodern era.
Nowadays, many heated discussions about the importance of the family and its required limit of influence on individuals are occurring within everyday and academic conversations. The epoch of technology overload shifted or shall I say thrashed away the perpetual value of the family. Social scientists and other scholars engaged their time in determining the current structure of the family for the purpose of discerning the factors for its dwindling stronghold. If you are great believer that learning our needed primary knowledge can take place outside our homes, or you strongly agree that humanity can flourish without the family, well I would like to command you to read the first line of this article.
