Family Relationships

      I look at the world today and I see so many stereotypes that we put on others. I also see stereotypes that others put on me. I’ve always tried to avoid these stereotypes and go against what is expected of me. I chose a major that not a lot of women are found in. I love hanging out with guys as much as I can and always try to be “one of the boys”, doing activities they like to do. A term that may be used for this is ‘tomboy’. It’s pretty common among girls and is a socially acceptable, and even encouraged, behavior. Now, I’d like to turn the perspective a little bit. What if there was a boy that wanted to hang out with girls, paint nails, and play with dolls? How did your perception change? What was your initial thought of this boy? There is also a term commonly used for this: ‘sissy’. This brings to attention the fact that our perceptions of men and women are different.     When I think about it, I can think of quite a few things that are socially unaccept...

      Every family has a culture. There’s fun family traditions, like baking cinnamon rolls on Christmas Eve. There’s things that are taught within each family, and also different things that are important to them. I’ve been pondering lately on how will I establish my family culture in the future. I think it’s important to decide what you’d like your family to be like beforehand, so you’re intentionally choosing your culture.      When it comes to creating a family culture, I believe one of the most important things to start out with is boundaries. When a couple starts dating, it is vital that they set boundaries with each other. Essentially, they are teaching each other how they want to be treated. They are opening the lines of communication to be able to overcome their differences. Without boundaries, it would be hard to know what the other likes, and what upsets them. Let’s say there’s a couple that has just started dating. One of them did something that...

     For the past week, I’ve been thinking a lot about information. I can easily go on the internet and find any piece of information to prove a point that I’m trying to make. Let’s say my friend and I get in an argument over whether the dress was white and gold, or black and blue. I could easily find people arguing both sides. Or maybe we can’t agree on whether coal-rolling trucks are better than fuel-efficient cars. I can find sources that argue in favor of both sides. Looking at this from a perspective of legitimate research, where on earth am I supposed to find a reliable, accurate source??      One thing I have tried to develop is a radar for bias. We tend to show bias towards things that are more pleasing to us. Whenever I detect bias in something I’m reading/listening to, I purposely question it to look for accuracy. I look for statements that don’t have research backing them, things that claim something extreme, or even things that are commonly stat...

Hey everyone! My name is Cassie, and I'm currently taking a college course called "Family Relations". I've heard a lot of great things about this class, so I thought I'd share what I learn along the way. I'll be posting weekly, and I'd like to encourage healthy discussion and kind interactions in the comments. Thank you, and I hope this is as helpful to you as it is to me!<3