Family Myth

A family is a system of people who are connected by blood, marriage, adoption, or shared commitment to maintain a mutual relationship. The family system is the primary context of individual development. No matter the structure or the amount of time individuals spend with their families, families are one of the most powerful influences on an individual’s development. A family’s socialization of children begins before a child is born and is influenced by the ways in which each partner views family. As partners negotiate their roles in the family, they influence the socialization of their children. Socialization of family members is influenced by “family myths.” Each family has beliefs about itself, and the stories about itself that the family constructs, which includes its beliefs, are ...