I dont do drawings, I do words, here is a practice run, something I done in class, in 2010, in preparation for my English GCSE exams, merely some musings, but also some of my truths.
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The historic traditional British family: father, mother and 2.4 children. In times past a son would most likely of followed his Father into whichever trade or profession his father worked in.
Daughters would probably work in a factory or shop for a short time before getting married, bearing children and carrying out domestic duties in the roles of mother and housewife.
She would be a kept woman, the husband being head of house, making the important decisions and being the only bread winner. There was no contraception pill and divorce was hardly an option.
In 2010 the above is the exception, not the rule, the welfare and nanny state have for some decades slowly but surely helped redefine the description and role of "Family".
The welfare state is the bread winner, the nanny state offers solutions and demands compliance with its rules and regulations.
Granny and Grandad are often sidelined, an emergency service to be called when all else has failed. Young men often find themselves surplus to requirements once the seed is sown and the child born.
Coming from a childhood background of adoption and foster care i have confusing and contrasting views of Family. On the one hand all I wanted was to be loved by the families that held my duty of care, on the other hand I feel sorry for those who grasp and identify their whole existence and reason for being through their family.
A middle ground must be found, one that sits between the historical traditional family model and the modern varieties. Within today's community there are many types of family units, including the well publicised single parent ones with an often absent or non existent father.
Then there is the example of a family that appears to tick all the right boxes; the children herded safely from front door to car door, off to school and back, the front door slammed shut, garden fences installed to great height, keeping everyone away and out of the zone.The children appear safe but are not street wise or integrated with their peers.
Future career and work choices selected by loving parents who want the best for their children, yet the children rebel and want to do something else, the daughter ends up pregnant, the son discovering drugs and alcohol at a young age.
As i said earlier i have confused views on family, I would have liked a father in my life, I would have preferred to have known my mother before i was 31 years old. I wanted a family to love, I needed to be hugged. I had books, I had the stars at night, I had my fantasy world, yet i had no one.
I am hardened from my life's experience of family, I analyse and break down all the facts.
I see the cosy family units, I note the ownership of children by well meaning caring parents.
I have friends who come from privileged backgrounds, these friends have had Mummy's money, the house purchased, the dog bought to attempt to wean the son off of drugs.
The child pregnant at 16, a home, an income, it's all provided - until of course it's taken away.
The boys on the street corner, they have no work, some have no ambition, most are good guys.
Our newly elected bright young Prime Minister wants us to be "All in it together". He wants us to "Do the right thing".
The task then is to integrate families with each other into communities that are functional, not dysfunctional.
This is a job for people to do, it's not a task that Government could conquer alone.
The Governments job is to pursue policies that will create fairness and equality, across all of society.
Dysfunctional families exist across all classes, wealth merely hides the dysfunction.
