The Family as a Form of Association
From Internet: Knowledge and Community
Hoyle Hodges
Internet: Knowledge and Community
Response for 2 March 2011
The Family as a Form of Association
Families at their best are forms of association in which children are first nurtured, and then educated for and initiated into activities of an adult world in which their parents participatory activities provide them both with resources and models. (Macintyre, Dependent Rational Animals, pg 133) The author states that families only have a good quality of life if individual family members have good relationships with institutions and associations, even going so far as to assert that family happiness depends on a good relationship with trade union branches. I cannot disagree more, family quality of life is not and never has been dependent acknowledged or otherwise on outside institutions. Families are more often hurt by outside influences rather than helped. The author does acknowledge that families can flourish in highly unfavorable conditions (Macintyre, Dependent Rational Animals pg 134) but this acknowledgement is caveat with the idea that families can and do flourish in highly unfavorably conditions but only because the parents actively seek to recreate the social life and “opportunities” that are missing. By making the isolation that was once a very common experience of our pioneer forefathers somehow into something bad and to be avoided the author shows his lack of understanding of family dynamics. Plenty of families are living in isolation across Alaska and other western states and do not need nor miss the “opportunities” of a more complex social life. I whole heartedly disagree with the statement that “generally and characteristically the common good of a family can only be achieved in the course of achieving the common goods of the local community of which it is a part. (Macintyre, Dependent Rational Animals pg 134.
