Chapter 13 discusses several issues pertaining to family life and how these issues affect a family environment. According to the text, family is a social institution that unites individuals in cooperative groups that care for members, regulate sexual relations, and oversee the bearing and rising of children. This chapter enlighten me on how momentous a family is. After reading this chapter about family problems and some of the surrounding issues, there was one issue that really made me think; especially after learning the definition of family. This issue is the gay and lesbian family issue. There was one question that is often discussed when people discuss family, and that is whether gay/lesbians can be considered a family. I would have to agree with the argument that gay/lesbians can be classified as a family; the definition does not specify a specific sexual orientation. I think that the gays/lesbians should have the same right as any other person. .
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A number of people do not think that gay/lesbians should be able to adopt or provide foster care for children. However, I strongly disagree with this statement because the need fro homes for homeless children are on the rise. se. When a child is the child protective service system, children are only looking for someone to love, feed, and shelter them. A child is not concerned with their parents are doing behind their bedroom doors. Children want to be loved, clothes are their back when they go to school, and food. A gay/lesbian can have a family because the definition is about loving each other and uniting as one. If someone of the same sex happens to love and care for someone of the same sex and they have children either from a previous relationship or through adoption they can have a family. A gay/lesbian can supply the same needs that a heterosexual couple does. A gay/lesbian can have a nuclear family, which are one or two parents and their children.