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Running head: FAMILY HISTORY PAPER 1

Family History Paper

Name

Institutional Affiliation

FAMILY HISTORY PAPER2

Final Paper

Knowledge learned this paper was vital to me. I learned about various norms and

practices in the society as well as the eras during which they occurred. I, therefore, recognized

many themes discussed in the course ad reflected them with situations in my family.

Generational variations are going to be captured in my interviews as well as cultural differences.

The participants were from a different cultural background with various demographic

orientations. I interviewed a mother in a nuclear family Lucille Bridge, a daughter Ruby and

husband Charles, and a son Jerry. Childhood information about the participants is discussed

separately. Economic and familial responsibilities of the participants are combined due to the

several similarities they share. The interview session was enjoyable and interactive because all

the participants felt free to give information during the interview. I, therefore, I learned a lot

from the discussion concerning responsibilities different. I further got insight on what the old

generation experienced during their childhood.

Lucille Bridges (born 1980)-Childhood and Poverty

Lucille is the mother to Ruby Bridges. She was born in 1930 in America. Her childhood

life was very different from her daughter's. She was born several years after the emergence of

Phase 4 childhoods. Many aspects of her early life are therefore coherent with this phase of

childhood. She obeyed the theory that was held for a long time in the past, which stated that

women were to remain at home, as men went to work as it was discussed in the class. Lucille did

not get the opportunity to get educated and being that she was a girl, nobody was ready to take

full responsibility for her education. As we learned that, in the Patriarchal era there was no love

for children. For instance, Lucille, when she was young, was not loved since sentiments of life

could not be entirely absorbed in the household production.

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Bridge’s poverty life was prompted by different factors such as her parents’ joblessness.

This behavior is atypical, as we know from the Week 9 handout that “those who are

economically insecure avoid marriage.” A common myth learned in class that poor people are

lazy and lack motivation was visible in Bridge’s life as revealed through the interview.

Ruby (born 1954) — Childhood, Work, and Family

The manner in which Ruby spoke of her childhood is much different from her mother.

Similar themes and events were however visible. Ruby says that her father divorced with her

mother a few years after her birth. The fatherly figure was, therefore, missing in her life. We

discussed in class the role of conflict in both working and parenting responsibilities.

Employees are regarded as greedy institutions.

The Week 10 handout highlights “sacrificing leisure” as an individual solution to not

having enough time to meet the demands of one’s responsibilities. Ruby explained that due to the

absence of her father, her elder brother assumed many roles of the father. During Mr. Dowd-

Arrow’s lecture, we learned that poverty directly links to educational opportunity. Ruby was

unable to learn in private schools due to her family’s level of income.

Ruby reported that she felt unlucky to have been placed in public school, indicating her

awareness of the systematic disadvantages and public school funding discrepancies identified in

Mr. Dowd-Arrow’s presentation. As explained by Mr. Dowd-Arrow, students who are provided

more resources score higher on tests like the ACT and SAT, which are inextricably linked to

college acceptance. Ruby was able to graduate from high school and attend the University of

Tennessee, an achievement she claims could not have happened without the help from her

mother.

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Roby and Charles (married 2000) - Love Scripts and Familial Roles

I separately interviewed Ruby and Charles. The separate interview of the two enabled me

to realize the similar ideas the two love partners had about their love and familiar

responsibilities. Love scripts and familial roles were combined during the interview to allow me

to acquire more information hence enabled me to come up with an elaborate report. Roby and

Charles revealed various features of their relationship, elements that are consistent with

Romantic Love.

When asked how they identified what a model relationship would look like, both partners

answered that they strived to do the exact opposite of patterns they recognized in their parents.

Roby and Charles value traditionalism since it is something that neither of them experienced

during childhood. Charles says that his marriage to Ruby was prompted by his desire for a

steady lifestyle. According to Charles, marriage ushers an individual into true adulthood-

elements of Romantic Love we discussed in the Handout from Week 5.

The couple’s love life is in agreement with the Week 5 handout from; beginning with

the development of personal identity, the discovery of a compatible partner, marriage, and

instead of living as two separate, independent people, they operate as a shared identity.

During the interview, Ruby revealed that they knew each other at the workplace in Dublin where

Ruby’s friend introduced them to each other. They began a mutual friendship, which developed

into love months later. It was a quick relationship as Charles recalled but proved to be strong

later. The two partners describe their experience of love with passive terms and phrases such

as “fall” and “head over heels,” yet another component of Romantic Love indicated in the

Week 5 handout. Ruby and Charles have been able to live as one unit thereby beating the

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contemporary Ego-Centric Love witnessed in the current society. The Ego-centric love

promotes the independence of partners in relationships.

Ruby and Charles both describe experiencing the feeling that “something is missing”

when apart from the other. They reported socializing as one, parenting as one, and making

financial decisions as one. I would speculate that this differentiation from the contemporary

norm stems from their shared backgrounds in which they witnessed other couples operate

independently within marriage and end in divorce.

Regarding the public life and space, Charles as the husband is the sole breadwinner for

the family. Charles started his own company with the belief that if one works hard, they will see

the fruit of their labor. This classic version of the American Dream came true for Charles; we

learned during the Poverty Lecture that Social Mobility is not achievable for everyone. In

fact, a person has the same chance of moving up or down the social ladder as they do of

staying exactly where they are. Ruby says that her husband is loving and caring. He provides

for all family needs. As discussed learned in Betwixt and Between, the expectations of the

female gender are slightly more flexible than those of the male gender. Femininity in males

is equated with being homosexual or weak.

When I enquired from Charles about the pressure associated with being the sole provider for his

family, he explained that while it is stressful, he feels that it is his obligation as the man of the

house, indicating his adherence to traditional male gender roles within the family. In the

Week 6 handout, we learn how oppressive this structure can be to men, suppressing any

nurturing talents which would be deemed feminine.

Jerry (born 2006) — Childhood and Gender Roles

FAMILY HISTORY PAPER6

The choice to interview this youngster was prompted by my prediction of significant experience

of childhood with his mother and sister. I enquired his opinion on gender roles as well as the

societal expectations from boys and girls.

My interview with Jerry begun by asking for his experience while growing up as a child. Unlike

his sister Ruby, Jerry says that he never struggled with poverty and understood that his family

does not lack the basic needs. Food, shelter, water, and clothes are often provided making him

convinced that the family does not struggle financially. He records that like his friends. He has

nice things. His ideas are in line with consumerism found in Phase 4 Childhood. Jerry is

happy with the valuable and beautiful items he owns. He refuels having a girlfriend with whom

they share the love. He explains that at times he gets stressed up because of the girlfriend. This

information corresponds with the gradual loss of childhood. McKenzie experienced the

“breakdown of distinctions” emphasized in the Phase 4 childhood section of the Week 3

handout. Jerry feels contented with what he has and is free to speak about his life. The ups and

downs he has had to endure over the years.

Asked about modern gender roles, Jerry says that he expects girls and boys to compete equally

in all sporting activities. He expects girls and boys alike to exhibit and express leadership

qualities. According to Jerry, girls, unlike boys, are supposed to be prettier, clean and responsible

for house chores. As learned in the "Betwixt and Between" reading, girls are expected to

maintain an air of femininity, while still being strong, but also do not reach the point of

being a "girly-girl."

Discussion and Conclusion

From the interviews and study conducted, I realized that members of a family embrace

many similar themes from both the Nuclear and Post-Nuclear Eras. Ruby and Charles

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experienced childhood during a socially transitional time, resulting in the blending of eras. I

found that aspects, which aligned with the Nuclear Era, might have been the result of low

socioeconomic status and geographic location in the south. Amy and Chris identified most with

the Romantic Love Script, demonstrating dependence on one another and a relationship based on

feelings, more so than intention. My theory is that this is due to a desire for traditionalism and

stableness within their relationship.

Concisely, there is much generational variance between Ruby, Charles, and Jerry. Many

concepts discussed in class relate to Bridge's family. However, some aspects do not. I faced

research limitations due to isolation other members of the Bridge family. The absence of the

grandparents was also a limitation since it is a generation, which would likely differ and provide

multitudes of new perspectives relating to the class. Nonetheless, I feel that I thoroughly

captured the concepts, which referred to my family in this assignment.

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