The Challenges in Researching the Family

What do you think a family should look like? This is such an interesting question because it seems very simple, yet the answers to this question can vary greatly. For example, I was raised to believe that a family is an essential unit that should consist of a married mother and father and their children. However, someone else may argue that a family should be made up of two parents--either both the same gender or different genders--that raise children. Yet another person may argue that a family does not require both parents at all, but rather only needs to consist of a single mother or a single father and children. To expand on this even more, I also believe that the father is primarily expected to be the provider of the family, while the mother usually should care for and nurture the children. I am aware that sometimes circumstances do not allow for what I believe to be the "ideal family", but many would argue that all my beliefs on family in general are outdated, or even offensive. However, my point here is not to start an argument on what a family should or should not be, but rather to show that people's views on the family can be very different. This leads to the next question: why are there so many different views on what a family should be?

Every family is different; there is no doubt about that. They can be influenced by anything from culture to circumstances. However, the difference in beliefs of what the family structure should be can also be partially attributed to how difficult it is for social scientists to research families. This is due to the fact that most families tend to be closed off and would rather project an illusion of perfection to the outside world, rather than of revealing any internal struggles within the family (Skogrand, Appendix B: Family Science & Research Methods). It is difficult to discern what the best form of a family should be if researchers have very few sources to base their ideas off of. Not only is it difficult to research the family, but some research posted by social scientists can sometimes be biased and misleading. For example, the American Psychological Association (APA) stated that ‘‘Not a single study has found children of lesbian or gay parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents.’’ This is widely accepted statement. However, with a closer examination of this in an article by Loren Marks called "Same-sex parenting and children’s outcomes: A closer examination of the American psychological association’s brief on lesbian and gay parenting", Marks found that most of the research was biased and unfounded. Many of the studies taken into account by the APA did not even use a comparison group between homosexual and heterosexual couples. The fact that even widely accepted research is sometimes misleading can definitely be concerning. However, this study does not represent all family research.

Despite the existence of poorly executed research and misleading documents, there is still credible research out there if you look for it. There are several kinds of credible studies that can fit and help all types of families. Even though there is no study with instructions on how to create the "perfect family", there is a lot of research that can be helpful. For example, setting aside time at least once a week to spend time with your family strengthens bonds and relationships between family members. This is pretty basic advice, but quality time is so important in strengthening a family, even though it is sometimes overlooked. Every family has its own standards, goals, and circumstances, and there are strategies and tips that can help enhance the quality in every family. Hopefully social scientists can further delve into the research of families in the future and cause family research to become more widespread and readily available to everyone, allowing all families to flourish, no matter their situations.

Thank you for reading!