Running head: Family is Anybody 1

Family is Anybody

Destiny Corletto

Arizona State University

Family is Anybody 2

Abstract

The topic I will be doing for this argument of definition is family. Family is often defined

as a group that consist of parents and a child who live under the same roof. I on the other hand

believe otherwise. I don’t think that a family is defined as a group of people who are blood

related, or a mother, father and a kid living together in one house. Personally, I believe that

family is considered to be people who are constantly there for you and love you unconditionally

no matter who they are in your life. I believe everyone should be informed about the word family

and how it has many different meanings to it today.

Keywords: ​Family, blood-related, friends, and teammates

Family is Anybody 3

Family is Anybody

Family. “Family is a group of people (not necessarily blood related) whom you love,

trust, respect, support, and rely on through good, bad and hard times” (Sahagun, 2018). “Family

is a group of people that is very important to you..” (Corletto R, 2018). “Family is having each

other's back no matter what, even if you argue with them” (Roberts, 2018). I recently

interviewed many people about their personal definition of the word family and the above quotes

were their answers. The word family first came about in the fifteenth century and the meaning of

this word has changed drastically every since. Over 620 years ago, the definition that was told

was, “a group of individuals living under one roof that included blood relations and servants”

(Words, 1998). The quotes above are specifically for you, the reader of this essay. I would like

for you to compare these different definitions of the word family. People in this century have a

very significant different definition compared to the 15th century and that is due to our society

changing as well. Family is not strictly blood relations, it is much more than that. Family are

people who are willing to help us through our ups and downs. They are people who make us

smile and make us happy as much as they can. They are a group of people who are very

important to you. They can be friends, teams, LGBTQ parents, as well as single parents and their

kids.

The argument about whether friends are considered family is a debate that has been going

on for a while now. It has been claimed that friends should not be considered family because

people believe that a relationship with a friend can end at anytime and that is not what family

does. However, if a friendship is worth fighting for then that relationship will never end. Friends

always find a way to try and make you happy which is a huge sign that they are considered
Family is Anybody 4

family. An important fact that I recently learned while reading an article is that sometimes

friends are capable of making you a lot more happier and healthier than your own family. This

has actually been proven by studies done by Professor William Chopik. Chopik conducted a

study with over ​270,000 people in nearly 100 countries.​ Professor William Chopik’s study

illustrated that, “in a lot of ways, relationships with friends had a similar effect as those with

family - and in others, they surpassed them” (Chopik, 2017). The results of the survey show that

friendships are just as good as relationships with family. In another study done by Chopik, it was

found that having close friends results in a stronger impact on older people’s lives. The

friendships that elders have is one that you can never replace because it is a relationship that they

have chosen to have for that long of a time. Unlike family, friendships are a connection that you

are able to pick instead of being born into it. Friendship is such a powerful relationship that

friends deserve to be defined as family even though they aren’t blood related.

Teams are also very similar to friends, in the way that they can be considered family

because most of the time teams consist of your friends. A team is a group of people who look out

for each other and help one another grow. A team and their chemistry can be considered a very

caring family. This group of people is one huge support group on and off the field. The bond that

you make with your team is incredible. You have all been through each other's ups and downs

and are there for one another in a time of need. I myself have been on a team before and I can

say without a doubt that they were the best support system I have ever had. This example is a

really good reason as to why teams are family. A lot of people consider teams to be families. For

example, an article explained that if you were to watch a coach or athlete that has won a very

important title get interviewed you will, 90 percent of the time, hear them explaining how it was
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due to the team being a family (Leslie, 2016). It has been proven that a team which considers

themselves family do a lot better than other teams who do not have that special connection.

When defining family, single parents and their kids are always neglected. Based on past

definitions of the word family, single parents would not be considered one because people

believe that a family should only be a husband, wife and their children. However, that is not the

case at all. As stated in the beginning of this essay, a family is a group of people who will love

each other unconditionally and will always be important to one another. Single parents go

through a lot in order to keep their child. As a matter of fact, studies have shown that single

parents experience a lot more stress than married couples (Rani, 2006). So is this fair that these

parents do so much for their kids to not even be considered a normal family? No! Although this

parent does not have a spouse, he/she would do anything in order for their children to feel as if

they are loved every second of the day. The love between both the parents and the child will be

present and that is a huge factor in becoming a family.

Some people may argue that this type of family may ruin the lives of the kids. They say

that because they are not two parents, a mom and a dad, who live under the roof with the child,

they are ruining the kid's life. This ties in with the LGBTQ community and the families that they

have. Gay dads and lesbian moms have been a huge thing in our society lately, but some people

don’t appreciate it. People claim that a child needs their father/mother figure in order for the

child to grow up and have many different characteristics. Each parent gives their kids different

structures in their life which is the reason why they need both a mom and a dad. Thus leading to

people not supporting single parent and LGBTQ families. On the other hand, people could care
Family is Anybody 6

less about if the child is missing their child figure and more about if the love and support is clear

amongst the family.

The word family has been tossed around so much that there is not a concrete definition of

the word. The word started off as blood-related people living under the same roof. Then a couple

centuries went by and the definition turned into everybody that you are related to. The definition

started to digress over time into completely different definitions depending on your own

perspective. I believe that the word family has so much meaning to it. The family is often

defined as a group of people that consist of parents and a child who lives under the same roof. I

believe otherwise. I don’t think that a family is defined as a group of people who are

blood-related, or a mother, father and a kid living together in under the same roof. Personally, I

believe that family is considered to be people who are constantly there for you and love you

unconditionally no matter who they are in your life. They are the people who will always help

you strive for the better. The people who will support you through thick and thin. I think a

family can be a mom, dad, and children. They can be two dads/moms and their kids, a team,

friends, single parents, etc. The family is anybody who you believe is worthy.
Family is Anybody 7

References

Belkin, L. (2011, February 23). A 'Normal' Family. Retrieved March 12, 2018, from

https://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/a-normal-family/

Gordon, J. Are You a Family or Team? (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2018, from

http://www.jongordon.com/positive-tip-family-team.html

Leslie, Nathan. (2016, December 27). We Are F-A-M-I-L-Y - Values That Build

Winning Teams. Retrieved March 20, 2018, from

https://onemillionskates.com/we-are-f-a-m-i-l-y/

MacMillan, A. (2017, June 07). Friendship: Friends May Be More Important Than

Family. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from

http://time.com/4809325/friends-friendship-health-family/

Melcher, M What Adopted Means to a Child. (2015, July 10). Retrieved March 15, 2018,

from

https://www.adoption.net/a/parenting/blogs-parenting/what-adopted-means-to-a-child/23699/

When it Comes to Child Well-Being, Is One Parent the Same as Two? (n.d.). Retrieved

March 26, 2018, from

https://ifstudies.org/blog/when-it-comes-to-child-well-being-is-one-parent-the-same-as-two

Words, W. W. (1998, June 6). Family. Retrieved March 17, 2018, from

http://www.worldwidewords.org/topicalwords/tw-fam1.htm