THE CHANGING FAMILY MEAL EXPERIENCE
Value of Sociology
The society has several biases and assumptions around the family trend. There is an assumption that single parent families (especially mothers and their children) are more likely to lead a life of poverty in comparison to other family set-ups regardless of whether the single parent is fully employed or not. One personal bias that I have observed is how people assume that single parents who spend most of their time working tend to focus more on themselves while forgetting their children (Banschick, 2013). For instance, they are assumed to wear better clothes than their children and not care about how their children experience.
On the other hand, use of sociological theories and perspectives such as conflict theory (which focuses on how conflicts are likely to occur as a result of power, status, and resources are unevenly distributed between groups) can mitigate biases. Through this theory, it is evident that creating time for dinner helps in establishing positive growth in children regardless of their family set-up. For example, families that take dinner together throughout the week are likely to bond better than those that take two days a week. Lastly, the theories help in creating a balance between work life and family ensuring that the two do not conflict.
Evidence-Based Response
Parents have addressed the negative impact of the family meal experience trend by ensuring that they provide maximum time for dinner meals. This enables the family to share on the days’ experiences and lessons. If not dinner, members have ensured that they at least share one meal a day. Thus, they can bond in different avenues and help in noticing areas that need improvement.
From my research, establishing a work-life balance is crucial in ensuring that the family gets full attention. Creating a work-life balance ensures that people perform best in their jobs yet participating fully in family affairs. A research by CASA indicates that families that spend time together enables children to perform better in schools and parents to work while not worrying about the issues their children may be going through (Banschick, 2013). Consequently, parents can monitor their children’s growth.