Family Problems

The family is the most basic and ancient of all institutions, and it remains the fundamental social unit in every society. Yet there are many people today who predict the end of the family system as we know it. The family, it is contended, is breaking down, the victim of moral decay, sexual permissiveness, changing gender roles, or irresistible social forces. Such predictions are heard in all industrialized societies, but the statistics suggest that the family system of the world’s leading postindustrial society, the United States, is under the most pressure. The great majority of both American men and women begin sexual activity before marriage. One in every five American births is to an unmarried mother, usually a teenager. One in every four pregnancies ends in abortion. The number of unmarried couples living together has tripled in less than two decades. Americans are staying single longer than ever and more than one adult in five now lives alone. About half of American marriages are expected to end in divorce. New alternatives to traditional marriage, such as the single-parent household, are becoming steadily more common.

What exactly is a family? Our ideas on the subject may tend to be ethnocentric, for they are often based on the middle-class “ideal” family so relentlessly portrayed in TV commercials, one that consists of a husband, a wife, and their dependent children. This particular family pattern, however, is far from typical. A more accurate conception of the family must take account of the many different family forms that have existed or still exist both in America and in other cultures.

What characteristics, then, are common to all family forms? First, the family consists of a group of people who are in some way related to one another. Second, its members live together for long periods. Third, the adults in the group assume responsibility for any offspring. And forth, the members of the family form an economic unit – often for producing goods and services (as when all members share agricultural tasks) and always for consuming goods and services (such as food or housing). We may say, then, that the family is a relatively permanent group of people related by ancestry, marriage, or adoption, who live together, from an economic unit, and take care of their young. If this definition seems a little cumbersome, it is only because it has to include such a great variety of family forms.

Ex.5. Practice reading the word-combinations.

The most basic and ancient, fundamental social unit, victim of moral decay, irresistible social forces, industrialized societies, the statistics suggest, leading postindustrial society, men and women, to an unmarried mother, single-parent household, to be ethnocentric, relentlessly portrayed, dependent children, producing goods and services, relatively permanent group of people, cumbersome.

Ex.6. Read and translate the following words. Pay attention to the suffixes of:

Verbs:-ate;

Nouns: - ent, -er(-or), -ing, -ion(-tion,-sion), -ist, -ness, -ian;

Adjectives:-al,-ic,-er,-est,-able,-ive,-less,-ing;

Adverbs: -ly

name – nameless, namely

study – student, studentship, studious

academy - academic, academician

mother – motherless

comfort – comfortable, comforter, comfortless

pension – pensionable, pensioner

busy – business, businessman

manage – management, managerial

work – worker, working

visit – visitor, visitable

attract – attraction, attractive

young – younger, youngest

type – typist

marry – marriage, married

happy – happiness, happily

economy – economical, economist

teach – teacher, teaching

relate – relative, relation, relationship

discuss – discussion

differ – difference, different, differentiate

relentlessly – relentless, relentlessly

relate – relative, relatively

produce – productive, producing, production, productivity

Ex.7. Substitute the underlined words:

1. I am a first-year student.

2. I study at the Far Eastern Institute of Management.

3. I am going to be a manager.

4. Our family has a comfortable flat on the second floor.

5. My grandparents are not very young.

6. The adults in the group assume responsibility for any offspring.

7. Such predictions are heard in all industrialized societies.

8. American men and women begin sexual activity before marriage.

9. The number of unmarried couples living together has tripled in less than two decades.

10. New alternatives to traditional marriage are becoming steadily more common.

Prompts: a second- year student; the Pacific State University; a teacher; the ground floor; old; their children; the world; after getting married; twenty years; every-day matter.

Ex.8. Give three forms of the verbs

Be, do, go, have, get, begin, find, take, send, fall, become, think, come, see, sit.

Ex.9. Answer the questions:

1. What is the fundamental social unit in every society?

2. Who predicts the end of the family?

3. What does the statistics suggest?

4. What country is under the most pressure?

5. Why do the great majority of both American men and women begin sexual activity before marriage?

6. How many American marriages are expected to end?

7. What is a family?

8. What characteristics are common to all family forms?

9. What does family consist of?

10. What is the role of family in education of children?

Ex.10. Insert prepositions:

1. The family is the most basic and ancient …. all institutions.

2. Such predictions are heard …. all industrialized societies.

3. The great majority …. both American men and women begin sexual activity … marriage.

4. One … every five American births is … an unmarried mother.

5. Our ideas are often based … the middle-class “ideal” family so relentlessly portrayed … TV commercials.

6. Americans are staying single longer than ever and more than one adult … five now lives alone.

7. The United States are …. the most pressure.

8. About half … American marriages are expected to end … divorce.

9. A more accurate conception of the family must take account … the many different family forms.

10. We may say, then, that the family is a relatively permanent group … people related … ancestry, marriage, or adoption, who live together, from an economic unit, and take care … their young.

Ex.11. Translate into English:

1. Существует много людей, которые предсказывают конец семьи как системы, которую мы знаем.

2. Такие предсказания слышны во всех развитых странах.

3. Большинство американцев, и мужчины, и женщины, начинают сексуальную активность до брака.

4. Один из пяти американских новорожденных рождается у незамужней матери, в большинстве случаев, у подростков.

5. Половина американских браков заканчиваются разводом.

6. Новая альтернатива традиционной семье, семья из одного родителя, становится наиболее распространённой.

7. Наше представление о семье может быть этноцентрическим, потому что оно основывается на представлении среднего класса об «идеальной» семье, которое упорно изображается по коммерческому ТВ, где семья состоит из мужа, жены и их детей, зависимых от семьи.

8. Более точная концепция семьи должна принимать во внимание различные формы семьи, существующие в Америке и в других странах.

9. Первое, семья – это группа людей, которые так или иначе являются родственниками друг другу.

10. Мы можем сказать, что семья – это родственная, постоянная группа людей, связанных общими предками, браком, усыновлением, которые живут вместе, формируют экономическую единицу, заботятся о своем молодом поколении.

Ex.12. Make up sentence using the following words and word-combinations:

1. Full name, patronymic;

2. A first-year student;

3. To have a large family;

4. Ancestry;

5. Adults, children, offspring;

6. Pressure, to take account of;

7. Assume responsibility, divorce;

8. Pregnancy, to take care of;

9. Gender roles;

10. To discuss family problems.

Ex.13. Retell the text according to the outline, add your own ideas:

1. There are many people who predict the end of the family.

2. The great majority of Americans begin sexual activity before marriage.

3. Divorce.

4. Single –parent household.

5. What is “ideal” family?

6. All family forms.

7. What is a family?

Ex. 14. Study and remember the following phrases:

1. Nice to meet you! - Рад встрече с тобой (вами)!

2. I haven't seen you for ages. - Я не видел тебя вечность.

3. That's right (that's wrong). - Правильно (неправильно).

4. Really! - Разве? Вот как!

5. As far as I know … - Насколько мне известно…

6. Fancy that - представь себе!

7. sure – конечно

8. certainly - несомненно, конечно

9. by the way – кстати

10. true - правда, точно

11. not bad – неплохо

12. That goes without saying. - Само собой разумеется.

13. I wish you good luck. - Желаю удачи.

14. See you later. - Увидимся позднее.

15. My best regards to ... . - Передайте привет ... .

16. So long. - До скорого свидания, пока.

17. to my mind - по-моему

Ex. 15. Read, translate and reproduce the dialogue.

A.: Hi, Alice! Nice to meet you again! I haven't seen you for ages. They say you have got a new flat?

В.: That's quite right, we've got a new comfortable 4-room flat in a new block of flats not far from here. It takes me 15 minutes to get to the Academy.

A.: Really?! Congratulations! As far as I know you are five in the family. Do you all live together?

В.: Fancy that! The remarkable thing is that we practically never quarrel. Come and see us.

A.: With great pleasure! I think you are lucky to have a large and happy family.

В.: Sure I am. I love my family dearly.

A.: I know your father is a businessman, isn't he?

В.: True, my father is the chief manager of the joint venture, he is very busy. And my mother works as an economist.

A.: And your grandmother? Is she still working?

В.: Oh, no! She is 65 already; she has an old-age pension. But my granny is in very good health. She does most of the cooking and takes care of all of us. Of course, we all help her. And how are things with you?

A.: Not bad, thank you. I am a student of the Medical Institute now and I must say I am very happy.

В.: Oh, really? As for my brother Nick he is a student too. He studies at Technical University.

A.: Glad to have met you, Alice! And now I must be going. I have a lecture in history at 9 o'clock. Shall we meet again?

В.: That goes without saying! Call me at 212-476. I wish you good luck! See you later!

A.: My best regards to everybody in the family. So long!

Ex. 16. Complete the dialogue.

A.: Good evening! How is your family?

В.: ... .

A.: Not bad, thank you. To be exact ... .

В.: As far as I know your son ... .

A.: You are quite right, he ... .

В.: I see. And what about your husband? Does he work now?

A.: Oh, certainly! He ... .

В.: То my mind ... .

A.: I am of the same opinion. … .

В.: Thank you. Our talk was a real pleasure for me. Good bye!

A.: … .

Ex. 17. Reproduce the dialogue. Work in pairs