Liferhythm52 Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Hello FDR, First time poster here. I was debating with a friend recently about the definition of a family and I came up with the following because I don't believe in the typical definitions or even most anthropological definitions. I couldn't really find a good one in my brief online search, so I made one. It's kind of long, but please let me know your thoughts/ suggestions. Thanks in advance! "A family is a group of individuals who a) voluntarily collect, share and consume a pool of resources to fulfill the physiological and future needs of the group b) are together because they share similar values, mainly trust and honesty, and c) fulfill each others emotional needs." The need for a new definition was necessary because my friend was conflating the "family" with the "tribe". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AynRand Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 That might be the best definition I have ever heard for a family. I am going to start using that. I know that Stef would prefer involuntary response to virtue, but I like yours better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Interesting question. Allow me to play devil's advocate. "A family is a group of individuals who a) voluntarily collect, share and consume a pool of resources to fulfill the physiological and future needs of the group b) are together because they share similar values, mainly trust and honesty, and c) fulfill each others emotional needs." The need for a new definition was necessary because my friend was conflating the "family" with the "tribe". Is it possible for a group to have needs? And what are future needs? Couldn't you argue that a group of nazis meets this definition? That might be the best definition I have ever heard for a family. I am going to start using that. I know that Stef would prefer involuntary response to virtue, but I like yours better. I'm not sure Stef has said the family is an involuntary response to virtue. Love, yes. The family has so much propaganda crusted over it currently that it's hard to excavate a meaningful definition. Traditionally it was a way of delineating who is going to raise children. I would claim that's the main difference between family and tribe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandoRamone30 Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 If the concept of the group, does not diminish the man or woman that compose the concept , I don't see the problem. Any group could meet that definition not just Nazi. If you add in that family also share a closer set of DNA and that there is a parent child relationship. It would be very specific. It would also exclude groups that one might think should be include in a family definition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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