Although they did cohabitate with one another it was not enough for my father to desire …show more content…
The interactions were symbolic in the sense that he was essentially only doing what he felt necessary. Symbolic interaction theory analyzes how individuals interact with each other (Strong & Cohen 2014). It uses symbols & language to interpret what one person was attempting to convey to the other. The theory tries to find a “meaning” within the interaction itself and can be used to find meaning in almost all circumstances, even if it is not initially obvious. On the other hand my mother and her interactions all symbolized love and compassion. Instead of expressing the dissatisfaction with the fact that she invests vast amounts of resources into maintaining the family while receiving very little or nothing in return, she displays genuinely positive emotions and is very optimistic. The children are like leeches, they can either suck the joy out of a situation or suck out the hostility. The interactions that occur between the young adults are mainly selfish and symbolize a lack of maturity and a need for practical life experience. According to the text, “Sociologist Karrie Ann Snyder identified three categories of parents: Structured planning parents, Child-centered parents, Time-available parents (Strong & Cohen 2014).” The first two consist of parents who see themselves as not spending enough time with their kids and who feel the need to set aside some “quality” time specifically for them. The …show more content…
It also describes, “. . . what the family does for society, what functional requirements family members perform for the family, and what needs the family meets for its individual members” (Strong & Cohen 2014). My mother is a water specialist for AlkaVida and provides alkaline enhanced water to those in need or those who simply desire a healthier alternative to nutrient deprived bottled or filtered water. My father is owner of his own mechanic company and provides a service by diagnosing and repairing vehicles whose owners seek assistance. Their oldest children work in entry level part-time jobs contributing the very minimum to society by carrying out assignments of those who have a greater influence than them. Functional requirements that family members perform for the family include my mother who is head of the household and the largest contributor of resources including financial resources and time. The father’s tasks include being supportive of the kid’s goals and ambitions and providing love to them. He supports his kids by financially equipping them and teaching them life skills such as managing a credit card and learning to drive. The role of the children is to maintain positive relations with both parents and to not be a nuisance while progressively enriching their own life in order to eventually begin their own family and ultimately become