Moving and Family Relations
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by: joe.moesier
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Word Count: 516
Every year thousands of Americans move from city to city, state to state and in some instances to countries abroad. Migration has become a common feature with every citizen chasing his or her version of the American Dream. Such a movement has its effects, some good and others not so good. On the downside, moving is at the price of the social well being of the traditional American family.
Two or three generations of family living together in the same house or the same city comprises the traditional American family. This concept of family is epitomized by rural America, but is fast losing relevance in cities where unitary families are a norm. Better economic prospects in states other than that of original residence are forcing the Americans to take a hard choice. More often than not they choose to move with its direct adverse effects on their immediate family. The elders of a family are the most affected when a decision to relocate is taken. The choice to move usually involves leaving behind the elders. The elders are thus faced with an empty nest which has a direct impact on their emotional health. Moving sometimes involves admitting the elders into old age homes. Such a move is difficult for some elders to cope with and they become depressed.
It is not that just the elders are affected. Children too feel the adverse effects of moving. The moral values and lessons of life passed on verbally by the grandparents are lost to them.
Moving to a new place consumes finances. Relocation involves a careful management of your budget as well as your various insurance policies. Your interstate moves would of course be less painful than say a move abroad, which requires a longer and more judicious financial plan. Even unitary families are greatly affected financially. It may well happen that the children plan to move away requiring the parents to chip in thus increasing the financial burden. Despite doing that, the children may not reciprocate on reaching their new place thus straining the family social relations.
Moving also affects the way families relate to each other and the society at large. The vacuum created by loss of family members requires to be filled. When suitable role models do not fill the space, siblings become vulnerable to the darker sides of human nature and at a later stage visits to the psychiatrist become a norm. Ever wondered why the psychiatrist has become such an important figure in daily lives of Americans? The answer possibly lies in the disarray caused by the breakdown in the American family social structure - a possible outcome of migration. The issue that needs to be addressed is whether we as Americans must reconsider our choices, or continue our quest for fulfilling the American dream at all cost.
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