opinion essay on extended families

Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended Family

Looking for advantages and disadvantages of Extended Family?

We have collected some solid points that will help you understand the pros and cons of Extended Family in detail.

But first, let’s understand the topic:

What is Extended Family?

An extended family is a big family group that includes not just parents and children, but also other relatives like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, all connected by blood or marriage.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Extended Family

The following are the advantages and disadvantages of Extended Family:

Advantages of Extended Family

• Shared responsibilities and chores – Everyone pitches in with housework and looking after kids, so no one person gets too stressed or tired.
• Emotional support network – When someone feels sad or has problems, there are many people to help and comfort them.
• Knowledge and wisdom sharing – Older family members teach the younger ones important life lessons and skills they’ve learned over the years.
• Stronger family bonds – Spending a lot of time together creates deep connections and trust among all family members.
• Economic resource pooling – Everyone puts their money together to take care of bills and other needs, which makes it easier for everyone.

Disadvantages of Extended Family

• Less privacy in home – Living with many relatives often means having less private time, as there are always people around. This can make it hard to do things alone or have personal conversations.
• Higher household expenses – When more people live under one roof, the costs for food, utilities, and other needs go up, which can strain the family’s budget.
• Potential for family conflicts – With many family members together, disagreements can happen more often, leading to arguments and stress within the household.
• Limited personal space – In a big family living together, finding a spot that’s just yours can be tough. Everyone shares most of the space, so you might not have much room for yourself.
• Shared responsibility pressure – When duties are divided among many, you might feel a lot of weight to do your part, which can be stressful, especially if you’re relied on for important tasks.
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Defining Extended Family as a Phenomenon Essay (Critical Writing)

An extended family can be defined as a group of more than two generations of relatives who live together or very lose to one another. Extended families can include grandparents, spouses of children, cousins, aunts, and uncles. It also includes step children and their kin in cases when there has been second or more marriages.

American families are associated with this diversity. The traditional family has undergone various changes with factors such as divorce, remarriage, early pregnancy and changes in social values that have led to these changes. The American families of an extended nature comprises of the traditional nuclear family with husband, wife and children; joint-custody families of divorced parents sharing child custody; cohabiting families where unmarried men and women may or may not be sharing responsibility of raising children. Others include: single-parent families, homo-sexual families headed by gays or lesbians, and grandparents parenting grandchildren, due to the illness, death or non-involvement of the parent.

The American family can be looked into different perspectives as: black or white, large or small, wealthy or poor, or somewhere in between, a mother-headed, father-headed, or childless family, first or second time around, happy or miserable. The first thing to remember about the American family is that it doesn’t exist but families do exist in all kinds of economic and marital situations, as all of us can see and witness. Often, families, may be formed in various ways but, it remains essential to recall that most families achieve same tasks like child up bring, provision, socializing members, and assigning duties amongst the members.

The extended family gives many adults with a strong family base providing an intimacy and love. Extended family offers maximum chances for the growth of a person through its relations amid various groups.

Membership in a family can be decided only by each member of that family. It is the role of early teachers to be aware of who constitutes a child’s family and not to define the child’s family for them. Hence teachers should not try to alter a family’s view about its member in that family. Some factors that make families different from one another include: Ethnicity, race, culture, economy and geographical origin. It is important that these differences are considered in order to increase understanding on the part of teachers.

Ethnicity refers to a concept of a group of people based on a combination of religion, race, and cultural history. It describes a similarity transmitted by the family over generations. It is more than race, religion or national geographic origin. Ethnicity entails unconscious and conscious processes that accomplish a psychological need for historical continuity and identity. Ethnicity is sustained through unique family customs, proverbs and stories, norms and taboos, celebrations, foods and religious ceremonies. Differences have been noted between the notions of self-concept and ethnic identity. Families frequently find it hard to instill ethnic pride in their children mostly amongst the pluralistic society.

Culture refers to the unique aspects of life and history of various ethnic groups. Cultural differences often indicate differences in views on the family and the community, differences in expectations of children, differences in child up brings and differences in the values placed on education. Teachers should note that culture is learned not biological as they cannot identify a family’s culture by how the family members look but each individual learns his culture’s rules through daily living. For instance, table manners, interpersonal interactions and ways of demonstrating respect. An individual’s characteristics are both cultural and individual while the unique personality traits are not culturally based. Cultural behaviors are based in groups thus culture is characteristic of groups. Individuals are entitled to different degrees within a culture. Some families and individuals place more emphasis on cultural traditions than do others. Therefore, some cultures may place greater emphasis on individuality or conformity than others.

Members of a family may be associated in certain cultural behavior but not capable of describing the rules. This is because young children begin to learn their culture in their own home environments thus, behaviors seem natural to them. Not only can they not tell you why they engage in these behaviors, but also likely they are not conscious of all of the behaviors they have learned from their culture. Teachers would find it convenient to consider not only race, but also ethnicity and culture. There are higher chances that knowledge of Socio-cultural factors can give greater comprehension to teachers than gen concerning physical differences. Thus, including understanding of racial differences is most useful in the context of cultural and ethnic differences as well. Sometimes teachers unintentionally emphasize differences among groups of people and the effect is an insult rather than respectful toward diversity.

In the contemporary United States, families have vastly different experiences related to income and other resources. The Children’s Defense Fund has reported that in 1998, 22.7 percent of children under age six in the United States lived in poverty. For various ethnic groups, this proportion is even higher. There is no mystery about how to help families off welfare and out of poverty. States must provide the education, training, and work experience that parents need to compete for jobs with decent wages. In most cases teacher understanding of diversity does not include differences by family income or the traditional term, social class. Yet, financial resources have a tremendous impact on families, their practices, and their values. Families with low income have to learn the meaning of meeting their children’s’ basic requirements. States also need to remove the obstacles that often prevent parents from leaving welfare for work, lack of health care, transportation and child care.

Teachers or schools to positively respond to the family’s diversity, their main goal for understanding is to provide an inclusive environment. In that each child and family can feel a sense of belonging, no matter what similarities or differences they have with others in the group. This is a goal difficult to achieve because of many societal factors. As teachers plan for their groups of children and as they set their classroom rules and policies, checking for inclusiveness must be part of the process. The important act is what teachers will do when they realize that their classrooms are not inclusive.

In conclusion, families are different in many ways. It is important that teachers and schools work to increase their understanding of differences in families and interact with these differences sensitively. Teachers should accept the differences in families in which each child comes from and create a feeling of belonging for the celebration of diversity in families. Family members who view themselves as very different from teachers and other school personnel are less likely to be involved in their children’s education. Teachers should create an environment that encourages various types of family involvement so that children benefits from home and school participation.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Essay about Family: What It Is and How to Nail It

Humans naturally seek belonging within families, finding comfort in knowing someone always cares. Yet, families can also stir up insecurities and mental health struggles.

Family dynamics continue to intrigue researchers across different fields. Every year, new studies explore how these relationships shape our minds and emotions.

In this article, our dissertation service will guide you through writing a family essay. You can also dive into our list of topics for inspiration and explore some standout examples to spark your creativity.

What is Family Essay

A family essay takes a close look at the bonds and experiences within families. It's a common academic assignment, especially in subjects like sociology, psychology, and literature.

So, what's involved exactly? Simply put, it's an exploration of what family signifies to you. You might reflect on cherished family memories or contemplate the portrayal of families in various media.

What sets a family essay apart is its personal touch. It allows you to express your own thoughts and experiences. Moreover, it's versatile – you can analyze family dynamics, reminisce about family customs, or explore other facets of familial life.

If you're feeling uncertain about how to write an essay about family, don't worry; you can explore different perspectives and select topics that resonate with various aspects of family life.

Tips For Writing An Essay On Family Topics

A family essay typically follows a free-form style, unless specified otherwise, and adheres to the classic 5-paragraph structure. As you jot down your thoughts, aim to infuse your essay with inspiration and the essence of creative writing, unless your family essay topics lean towards complexity or science.

Here are some easy-to-follow tips from our essay service experts:

• Focus on a Specific Aspect: Instead of a broad overview, delve into a specific angle that piques your interest, such as exploring how birth order influences sibling dynamics or examining the evolving role of grandparents in modern families.
• Share Personal Anecdotes: Start your family essay introduction with a personal touch by sharing stories from your own experiences. Whether it's about a favorite tradition, a special trip, or a tough time, these stories make your writing more interesting.
• Use Real-life Examples: Illustrate your points with concrete examples or anecdotes. Draw from sources like movies, books, historical events, or personal interviews to bring your ideas to life.
• Explore Cultural Diversity: Consider the diverse array of family structures across different cultures. Compare traditional values, extended family systems, or the unique hurdles faced by multicultural families.
• Take a Stance: Engage with contentious topics such as homeschooling, reproductive technologies, or governmental policies impacting families. Ensure your arguments are supported by solid evidence.
• Delve into Psychology: Explore the psychological underpinnings of family dynamics, touching on concepts like attachment theory, childhood trauma, or patterns of dysfunction within families.
• Emphasize Positivity: Share uplifting stories of families overcoming adversity or discuss strategies for nurturing strong, supportive family bonds.
• Offer Practical Solutions: Wrap up your essay by proposing actionable solutions to common family challenges, such as fostering better communication, achieving work-life balance, or advocating for family-friendly policies.

Family Essay Topics

When it comes to writing, essay topics about family are often considered easier because we're intimately familiar with our own families. The more you understand about your family dynamics, traditions, and experiences, the clearer your ideas become.

If you're feeling uninspired or unsure of where to start, don't worry! Below, we have compiled a list of good family essay topics to help get your creative juices flowing. Whether you're assigned this type of essay or simply want to explore the topic, these suggestions from our history essay writer are tailored to spark your imagination and prompt meaningful reflection on different aspects of family life.

So, take a moment to peruse the list. Choose the essay topics about family that resonate most with you. Then, dive in and start exploring your family's stories, traditions, and connections through your writing.

• Supporting Family Through Tough Times
• Staying Connected with Relatives
• Empathy and Compassion in Family Life
• Strengthening Bonds Through Family Gatherings
• Quality Time with Family: How Vital Is It?
• Navigating Family Relationships Across Generations
• Learning Kindness and Generosity in a Large Family
• Communication in Healthy Family Dynamics
• Forgiveness in Family Conflict Resolution
• Building Trust Among Extended Family
• Defining Family in Today's World
• Understanding Nuclear Family: Various Views and Cultural Differences
• Understanding Family Dynamics: Relationships Within the Family Unit
• What Defines a Family Member?
• Modernizing the Nuclear Family Concept
• Exploring Shared Beliefs Among Family Members
• Evolution of the Concept of Family Love Over Time
• Examining Family Expectations
• Modern Standards and the Idea of an Ideal Family
• Life Experiences and Perceptions of Family Life
• Genetics and Extended Family Connections
• Utilizing Family Trees for Ancestral Links
• The Role of Younger Siblings in Family Dynamics
• Tracing Family History Through Oral Tradition and Genealogy
• Tracing Family Values Through Your Family Tree
• Exploring Your Elder Sister's Legacy in the Family Tree
• Connecting Daily Habits to Family History
• Documenting and Preserving Your Family's Legacy
• Navigating Online Records and DNA Testing for Family History
• Tradition as a Tool for Family Resilience
• Involving Family in Daily Life to Maintain Traditions
• Creating New Traditions for a Small Family
• The Role of Traditions in Family Happiness
• Family Recipes and Bonding at House Parties
• Quality Time: The Secret Tradition for Family Happiness
• The Joy of Cousins Visiting for Christmas
• Including Family in Birthday Celebrations
• Balancing Traditions and Unconditional Love
• Building Family Bonds Through Traditions

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Family Essay Example

For a better grasp of the essay on family, our team of skilled writers has crafted a great example. It looks into the subject matter, allowing you to explore and understand the intricacies involved in creating compelling family essays. So, check out our meticulously crafted sample to discover how to craft essays that are not only well-written but also thought-provoking and impactful.

Final Outlook

In wrapping up, let's remember: a family essay gives students a chance to showcase their academic skills and creativity by sharing personal stories. However, it's important to stick to academic standards when writing about these topics. We hope our list of topics sparked your creativity and got you on your way to a reflective journey. And if you hit a rough patch, you can just ask us to ' do my essay for me ' for top-notch results!

Having Trouble with Your Essay on the Family?

Our expert writers are committed to providing you with the best service possible in no time!

FAQs on Writing an Essay about Family

Family essays seem like something school children could be assigned at elementary schools, but family is no less important than climate change for our society today, and therefore it is one of the most central research themes.

Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions on family-related topics. Before you conduct research, scroll through them and find out how to write an essay about your family.

How to Write an Essay About Your Family History?

How to write an essay about a family member, how to write an essay about family and roots, how to write an essay about the importance of family, related articles.

The Importance of Extended Family

When parents separate, children often need their extended families more than ever. The grandparents and the extended families on both sides of the family can be a resource for the parents and the children. Sometimes, because of strong feelings about a former partner, parents are tempted to exclude the former ‘in-laws’ from their lives and the lives of their children. Sometimes the extended family abandons a parent and their children or takes sides.

Maintaining positive relationships between children and their extended family members should be encouraged and continued. Failure to do so can result in another loss for the children. The benefits for the children in keeping these relationships are: Self-esteem Self-esteem is a measure of how much a child likes the person they see themselves as. We get our sense of self partly from how others, especially those closest to us, see us. During a separation or divorce, children may question who they are and whether or not they are lovable and valuable. They may blame themselves for the loss. Parents, grandparents and extended family members can reassure children that they are loveable. Some ways of giving children this message are:

continuing to include them in family events ;  

encouraging and facilitating communication between the child and their grandparents and other extended family members ;  

assuring the child that the separation has not changed anything about how you and other extended family members continue to love and value them.

Stability Parents are separated or divorced, not the children or grandparents or extended family. If the extended family members were important to the children before the separation, they will be important after too. Members of the extended family can provide stability and continuity in the children’s lives. For example, if the family always gathered at Grandma’s house for Sunday dinners, the children still can at times (even without one of the parents).

Cultural identity Extended family members, especially grandparents, can assist in passing on cultural teachings and traditions, including language. For example, grandparents can share stories, skills and teachings during their time with the grandchildren. This is also connected to the children’s healthy self-esteem.

Sense of belonging After separation, children will wonder where they belong. They will need assurance that they still belong in both families, whatever the cause of the separation and even if one of the parents is not currently in the picture.

Grandparents and other extended family members can help the parents by:

• respecting their role as decision makers regarding their children and not telling them what they should do ;  
• offering help without strings attached ;  
• asking them what they need and doing what you can to provide what is needed ;  
• listening to them without judgment or blame for either parent ;  
• respecting their grieving process. This means allowing them to be angry, sad, in denial and without pushing them to be ‘over it’ ;  
• not taking sides.

Why Extended Family Can Be So Important For Children

Dr. Phil explains why he believes it’s so important for children to have relationships with extended family, such as grandparents.

“I think extended family for children is very important. As a grandparent, I love having our grandchildren over,” Dr. Phil says. “I think it’s important for them to see that somebody loves us besides our parents. We can go with them and be loved and cherished, and then we come home, and that’s great. That helps them go, ‘Well, if we’re safe not with our parents — with our grandparents — then we’ll be safe with our teachers. It’s very important for that circle to grow.”

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Before You Go

Grandparents Play An Important Role In Families, AARP Study

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Some people think that it is best for extended families to live together Other people think that it is best for the nuclear family to live away from the extended family Which one do you prefer

Some people think that it is best for extended families to live together. Other people think that it is best for the nuclear family to live away from the extended family. Which one do you prefer?

Families are the most important parts of our society. If the families in a community are strong, it means this community is much more powerful. While some people think that the nuclear family living away from the extended family is the best, in my opinion, having extended families to live together is the best for some reasons such as helping each other and having a great time together as well as sharing the expenses.

First of all, if you live in an extended family, it means there are always some people who are willing to help you whenever you need. It is very beneficial, if you are in a bad situation. For instance, one of my friends lives with his grandfather. He had a terrible accident last week and his grandfather who has been retired looked after him all week. This experience thought me that, extendedP families to live together are good for everyone when they need help.

Moreover, living in an extended family provides an amazing opportunity to spend time together. To explain, everyone lives far away from each other in Turkey. Therefore, they can see each other only on holidays. For instance, I have not seen my grandmother who lives in Antalya since I was twenty years old. SinceI work too much, I do not have any opportunity to go to an other Pcity. If I lived with my extended family I would have a chance to spend more time with themP.

Furthermore, it is good extended families to live together for all of the house expensesP. If you live in a city, you must pay rent, gas and electricity bills as well as for credit cards… etc. It is really hard to pay them alone, but if you live with your extended family it means, you can share all the expenses. For instance, one of my friends lives with his uncle. Since they divide all the expenses he has an opportunity to live in a big house and to save his remain money.

In conclusion, living in an extended family brings a lot of advantages. Extended families can help each other and have an opportunity to see each other. If you live in a huge house and pay for only the part of all the expenses, it means you are the luckiest person in the world. Because of all these reasons, it is better to live in an extended families than in a nuclear family.

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Sentence: This experience

Sentence: This experience thought me that, extendedP families to live together are good for everyone when they need help. Error: extendedP Suggestion: extended

Sentence: If I lived with my extended family I would have a chance to spend more time with themP. Error: themP Suggestion: them

Sentence: Furthermore, it is good extended families to live together for all of the house expensesP. Error: expensesP Suggestion: expenses

flaws: No. of Different Words: 179 200

Attribute Value Ideal Score: 25 in 30 Category: Very Good Excellent No. of Grammatical Errors: 0 2 No. of Spelling Errors: 3 2 No. of Sentences: 22 15 No. of Words: 408 350 No. of Characters: 1763 1500 No. of Different Words: 179 200 Fourth Root of Number of Words: 4.494 4.7 Average Word Length: 4.321 4.6 Word Length SD: 2.325 2.4 No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 105 100 No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 76 80 No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 59 40 No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 20 20 Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0 Avg. Sentence Length: 18.545 21.0 Sentence Length SD: 10.268 7.5 Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.636 0.12 Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.329 0.35 Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.515 0.50 Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.133 0.07 Number of Paragraphs: 5 5

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Families: Forms of Family Diversity

Last updated 15 Sept 2022

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Some sociologists argue that there is no “normal” family, but instead a broad diversity of family and household forms in the UK today.

There are a number of reasons for this increased diversity, including:

• Secularisation (as religion has become less central to UK society, so people are more likely to consider alternatives to marriage and also there is a reduced stigma to divorce.)
• Legal changes (the legal changes mentioned in the previous section has made divorce easier, therefore leading to more family types)

Late modernist Anthony Giddens (1992) argues that greater gender equality has led to significant changes in the nature of family life. Relationships are now categorised by freedom – people are free to enter into relationships on their own terms rather than bound by tradition or family expectations.

A consequence of this is that people seek a pure relationship : if a relationship is not meeting their expectations then they are also at liberty to end it and seek one that is more fulfilling. Furthermore, relationships have become increasingly about the self : people’s self-identity is explored through relationships.

All of this combines to suggest that people are less likely to get married young and stay together for their whole lives and instead are likely to experience serial monogamy . That is, be part of several partnerships throughout their life course, rather than just one. While in previous eras it was not unusual for people to marry their “childhood sweetheart” it is now very unusual for people in a relationship at 18 to remain in the same relationship for life. While this represents greater choice and freedom , it is also characterised by instability .

Sociologists recognise a large number of diverse family forms in contemporary society.

Examples of diverse family forms

Traditional nuclear family.

This is the traditional family as described functionalists like Talcott Parsons and the New Right: a married couple with their own children (2 or 3 of them) where the husband goes out to work and the wife looks after most of the domestic duties, with clear segregated roles .

Symmetrical family

This family form was described by Wilmott & Young who argued that in the later 20 th century, families were becoming more symmetrical, with more joint roles. Women were increasingly going out to work and men were doing more of the housework.

Nuclear family with house husband or “new man”

Another family form that exists, especially in a postmodern society, is one where the female adult in the family is the “breadwinner” and the husband does most of the domestic work.

Extended family

Extended family refers to those family members who are outside the “nucleus”: aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, etc. Extended family households can be either:

• Vertical . Multiple generations living together (e.g. grandparents and great grandparents. The vertical description relates to how it would appear on a family tree.
• Horizontal . A household made up of aunts, uncles and cousins: the family extended horizontally across the same generation rather than vertically.

These household forms were uncommon in the 20 th century, but had arguably been a feature of pre-industrial and early industrial households. However, life expectancy would suggest that at the time it would have been more likely to be horizontal extended families, whereas today – with an ageing population – the likelihood of vertical extended families has increased.

Beanpole family

Again, looking at how a family looks on a family tree can present us with a beanpole family: a vertical extended family with no (or few) “branches”. This is a multi-generational extended family, or vertical extended family, but is characterised by each generation having few siblings. Again, as the fertility rate has reduced, this becomes a more common family form. In earlier generations, grandparents and great grandparents might be expected to have several siblings, as large families was the norm.

Matrifocal lone parent family

The most common lone-parent family is the matrifocal one: that is one where the lone parent is the mother of the child/children. There are several reasons for this, such as women giving birth (and therefore being the present parent if they are not in a relationship) and courts tending to prefer mothers in child custody cases, following divorces.

New Right sociologists, such as Charles Murray criticise lone parent families suggesting that the lack of a male role model can cause deviant behaviour and socialise children with deviant values, leading to the creation of an underclass .

Patrifocal lone parent family

A less common variation on the lone-parent family is the patrifocal one: a family headed by a single father.

Reconstituted family

A reconstituted family is where two nuclear families that have split up merge (or blend) to form a new family (i.e. with step-parents and step-brothers or sisters). Because of both increased divorce and the decrease in marriage, there are many more reconstituted or blended families in the UK today than there were 100 years ago.

Same sex couples

Of course, there are really a number of different same-sex family structures, not just one. Same-sex couple implies a couple living without children ( coupling describes this household structure for both heterosexual and homosexual couples) but there are also same-sex families where there are children (either naturally the children of one or other parent or adopted).

Living apart together

A living apart together family is where a couple choose not to cohabitate (or are not currently cohabitating). This accounts for approximately 10% of UK adults.

Grandparenting

This is a term for when children are brought up by their grandparents rather than their parents. There are a number of reasons why this situation might arise. It refers to a more formal, permanent or semi-permanent arrangement than just grandparents assisting with childcare.

This term refers to people living on their own. Again this is quite a common household type in contemporary Britain.

Flatmates/housemates

Some households are multiple occupancy. This might be in the form of flatmates or housemates such as university students, or it might be people who do not know each other prior to taking up residence (e.g. some migrant workers).

Empty nest family

This term refers to a household where there is a couple who had children but they have now left the family home. Because people are living longer, there are more empty nest households and they remain that way for longer.

Boomerang family

However, a growing trend has been for boomerang families where children who have left the family home have come back again! For example, this might occur with people graduating from university and then returning to the family home. The cost and scarcity of housing has made this more common.

Polygamy in the strict sense is illegal in the UK: you cannot be married to more than one person under UK law. However, there are people who live with more than one partner (not married) and also some people have other spouses in other countries (not recognised by UK law). In some cultures polygamy is seen as a better option than infidelity and is therefore encouraged.

• Reconstituted Family
• Extended Family
• Symmetrical Family
• Nuclear Family

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‘nuclear family is better than the extended family' - by ama kwaa armah for a school debate.

Mr. Chairman, Well-meaning Panel of Judges, Impartial Timekeeper, Teachers, Fellow Debaters ,Students ,Ladies and Gentlemen, I deem it an honour and great pleasure done me to stand on this platform before you all to declare my posture on the subject: Nuclear family is better than the extended family. 

Family, Mr. Chairman, is a group of people who are related by blood, marriage or adoption. Families can be classified into two main forms and both forms are practised in Ghana .

Mr. Chairman, in my opinion, the extended family is better than the nuclear family. Though the extended family sometimes gives rise to conflicts, interference in other people’s affairs as my opponents argued, it is the best family system that you can ever have and I am sure by the time I am done, you will all be left with no other option than to rally behind me.

Mr. Chairman, the extended family helps people to pull their resources together.  That is the extended family members allow the well-to-do in the family to pull their resources in the form of money or material things to assist the poor in the family. They use their resources to undertake economic and social activities such as outdooring ceremonies, educating the brilliant but needy members, and rehabilitating the family house. What is more lovely than love and care?

Mr. Chairman, the extended family system leads to continual existence of the family. It is practically impossible and never will be possible that an extended family will die out completely. This is because the family consists of many nuclear members who give birth to replenish and sustain the family. But the nuclear family becomes threatened with collapse or extinction if family members die in a motor accident or through other causes.

Mr. Chairman there is effective socialization among members and the community. The extended family serves as an effective means of inculcating norms , values , and beliefs in the family members. The older generation pass on information and skills to the new generation and the information is passed on to the next generation. In this case everybody, is a winner! .

Mr. Chairman, Esteemed Panel of Judges , Accurate Timekeeper, Teachers ,Fellow Debaters, Students , Ladies and Gentlemen , I rest my case!

Ama Kwaa Arma ( 2014 Batch)

An opinion essay

Learn how to write an opinion essay.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and tips and do the exercises.

Preparation

Matching_MjMxMDM=

Some people think that some types of criminals should not go to prison. Instead they should do unpaid work in the community. To what extent do you agree?

Owing to the great variety of crimes that can be punishable by prison, some people argue that not all criminals are the same and it would therefore be more appropriate to give certain criminals community service instead. I agree that in some cases, prison may not be the best solution and community service would probably have more benefits.

One justification given for prisons is to keep society safe by removing criminals from the outside world. So the first thing to consider is if someone who has broken the law is a danger to other people. In the case of violent crime, there is an argument to keep the perpetrator away from society. However, burglary or possession of drugs, for example, does not involve violence against other people so the criminal does not present a direct danger to anyone in the community. Keeping these types of criminals in prison is expensive for the taxpayer and does not appear to be an effective punishment as they often commit the same crime again when they come out of prison.

Personally, I also believe punishments should reform people so they do not reoffend. A further reason not to put these people in prison is that they may mix with more dangerous and violent criminals, potentially committing a worse crime when they are released. By keeping them in the community, helping others, they not only learn new skills, but they could also develop more empathy and care towards others. If this occurs, society can only benefit.

Critics of this more rehabilitative approach to crime believe that justice should be harsh in order to deter people from committing similar crimes and that community service could be less likely to have that effect. However, there is very little evidence to suggest that long prison sentences deter criminals.

In conclusion, putting criminals who are not a danger to society in prison is expensive and, in my opinion, ineffective, both as a deterrent and as a form of rehabilitation. Community service for non-violent crimes benefits both society and the offender. That said, it would be useful to have more data to work out whether community service or prison is more likely to stop someone reoffending. I strongly believe that decisions on how best to deal with criminals should be based on evidence of what actually works.

• Introduce your essay by restating the question in your own words.
• If the essay asks you to what extent do you agree?,  make your opinion clear throughout. You can either agree, partially agree or disagree with the statement, explaining and justifying your opinion.
• Introduction
• The first reason why you agree/disagree
• The second reason why you agree/disagree
• The third reason why you agree/disagree (if you have one)
• Use phrases to organise and link your ideas, e.g. Owing to … , One justification for … , The first thing to consider is … , A further reason … , In conclusion ... .
• If you do not have solid evidence for your ideas, use modal verbs such as might , may or could  (e.g. they could  develop more empathy and care ) or other tentative phrases (e.g. it does not appear to be an effective punishment ).
• Conclude by restating your opinion and summarising your two or three main arguments.

Do you agree that community service is better than prison for some crimes?

Language level

Good day Sir/Madam,

I would like to ask about the expression ‘So the first thing is to…’. In academic and formal writing, should I avoid using ‘thing’ or ‘so’ or is it still fine? Thanks a lot for taking your time to read this. Hope to hear from you.

Your sincerely, Kimmie

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Hi kimmie,

Thanks for your question. In academic and formal writing, there is a general preference for precision over vagueness, so generally speaking it's better to avoid this usage of  so  and  thing  and use more precise and academic terms when they are available (e.g. Therefore, the first factor/issue to consider is ... ).

However, if you search academic writing, you will find writers do use  thing  sometimes, especially in fixed phrases (e.g.  the first thing /   the same thing ) or technical terms ( e.g. the Internet of Things ). Some writers might also use more general terms first before moving onto more precise terms.

(Note: The essay on the page above is in a somewhat formal style but not very formal.)

I hope that helps.

LearnEnglish team

Hi Jonathan

This is immensely valuable for me. Thank you so much for your swift response. Hope you have a nice day.

In my country it is often debated whether community services are better than prison for certain crimes. I think it's pretty obvious that it should be an option for less important faults. However, sometimes it happens that a judge decides to grant this benefit to some type of powerful criminals who cause more significant damage to society than others who do not have the same possibility, such as financial criminals or corrupt government agents. In my opinion, these types of sentences can have a bad impact on people, since they see that these behaviors are not severely punished and are somehow protected by the law. In conclusion, I agree that certain types of crimes should avoid prison, but I believe that before implementing it, the society must agree on which crimes will be able to enjoy this possibility to ensure that justice is fair for all.

please approve for testing

Hello aaron,

We check all comments before publishing them, which is why it's taken some time for your comment to be published.

Normally we delete a comment like this -- and we deleted the other one you made -- but have let this one through so you can see that it works. 

We are a small team, so it can sometimes be several hours before comments are published -- just wanted to tell you for the future.

We look forward to hearing more from you!

All the best, Kirk LearnEnglish team

The subject of how criminals should be punished is complicated, there are a lot of different opinions defending their points of view. There are two main ideas the first is arresting all the offenders, and the second idea is separating those not dangerous to society, and sending them to work in the community. In my opinion, I agree with the second idea, because there are many expenses with the prisons and the prisoners, so if lessen the population in this environment the conditions and the quality could be better than if there were overpopulation, avoiding justice being done right. Furthermore, these people aren't violent and dangerous to others, so with bad company in the prison, they might become bad people too. In this case, it's an awful idea to mix a different kind of person. Therefore, it's an excellent suggestion to oblige these people to do work in society, but with supervision in the right way and strictly.

On account of the differences between several types of crimes, not all criminals should be sent to prison. It is suggested that giving certain offenders community service would be more appropriate than just jailing them.

Honestly, I completely agree that the right way to protect people from harm is to imprison criminals who conduct violent crimes that endanger human physical health. Nevertheless, this penalty may be ineffective with offenders who have administrative guilts or non-violent offenses. Since they often commit the same crime after getting out of prison, this is just a temporary punishment to ensure the security of citizens for a certain period. The nature of the problem is these crimes originate from greed and bad habits which lead to their deviant behaviors but have not yet resulted in such severe consequences that affect human life.

From my perspective, the government would rather reform these types of offenders than deter them as a kind of punishment. It is better to have an alternative that perceptively impacts these people’s awareness which is to make them do community service. Jailing these criminals just increases their hatred and develops antisocial personality. By keeping and controlling them in a community, besides learning new skills, they amend their bad manner as well as develop more empathy and care towards others.

Given these points, the application of punishment should be based on the nature of each specific crime. Prisons should only be used for perpetrators committing directly dangerous crimes to people's lives. Making non-violent criminals do community service is more of a practical way to optimize tax wasted for prisons as well as give them a chance to fix their wrong behaviors.

There are several types of crimes and for each of them, a different sentence is dictated. A paramount question to be considered is whether community servers are more accurate than prisons for some crimes.

To begin with, community servers would help and support criminals through specialized psychologists. Not only would community servers help and support them, but also it would give them jobs to help them give the society back a contribution in return.

In addition, prisons only contribute to worsening the situation owing to the fact that criminals will commit crimes again. The key to excellent behavior is learning. If they learn suitable habits, they will adapt to society and help it.

Furthermore, it is necessary to have empathy with criminals and not judge them because their hate increases when they are condemned in prison. A further reason for this is that hate feeds hate. Nevertheless, some criminals must be in jail due to their danger on the streets. It is difficult to know that a person who kills someone else, is going to change even if he/she receives help from psychologists.

In contrast, most of society believes that all criminals should be in prison. However, prisons must be all comfortable like a hotel in order to bring for the prisoners a place to recover themselves. The reason why they must live in appropriate conditions is due to his mental health. For instance, in Norway, prisons are like hotels because the government considers that criminals need a second chance to live in a community

To conclude, it would be suitable for all criminals to live in accurate prisons in order to recover themselves. Despite the cost that kind of prisons are supposed to take, they are worth paying for them. In my opinion, safety is priceless and is more important than the cost.

There are many things to consider in punishing criminals or law offender, Technically Speaking, Prison sentence varies entirely depending on a Country's legal system.

I partially agree in reinforcing community service to those non violent criminals, whereas harsh punishment for violent criminals who committed felonious crime. This perspective is reflected on my understandings in a community where social injustice is prevalent. In my country misdemeanor crime and felony crime offender are detained in the same prison cell, they only differ in the duration of prison sentence. This is where the serious societal issues of crime rate initially rooted, non violent offenders are mixed up with serious offenders, doing and smuggling drugs all a while in prison.

Further reasons to justify harsh punishment for felonious crime is it can act as deterent for potential criminals, while community service may reinforce less serious offender to reflect on their own actions and give back to the community. Moreover it may help them develop empathy towards others.

In my conclusions punishment should vary on the severity of the crime of the perpetrator, Criminals should be legally convicted and fairness in prosecution of Criminals must be reinforce.

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Do you like living in an extended family or a nuclear family? Explain the reasons for your choice

IELTS essay Do you like living in an extended family or a nuclear family? Explain the reasons for your choice

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• 5.5 band PROS AND CONS OF CO-EDUCATION Our society is becoming more and more developed. As a result, gender equality also improves and boys and girls can go to school equally. Therefore, co-education was born and gradually replace single-sex education. However, everything has two sides: advantages and disadvantages and co-education has n ...
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Gag Order Against Trump Is Expanded to Bar Attacks on Judge’s Family

Donald Trump had in recent days targeted the daughter of Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing his criminal trial in Manhattan, in blistering social media posts.

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By Jesse McKinley ,  Ben Protess and William K. Rashbaum

The New York judge overseeing Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial later this month expanded a gag order on Monday to bar the former president from attacking the judge’s family members, who in recent days have become the target of Mr. Trump’s abuse.

Justice Juan M. Merchan last week issued an order prohibiting Mr. Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, jurors and court staff, as well as their relatives. That order, however, did not cover Justice Merchan himself or the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, who brought the criminal case against the former president.

And although the ruling issued on Monday still does not apply to the judge or the district attorney, Justice Merchan, granting a request from Mr. Bragg’s office, amended the gag order so that it does now cover their families.

In his ruling, the judge cited recent attacks against his daughter, and rejected Mr. Trump’s argument that his statements were “core political speech.”

“This pattern of attacking family members of presiding jurists and attorneys assigned to his cases serves no legitimate purpose,” Justice Merchan wrote. “It merely injects fear in those assigned or called to participate in the proceedings, that not only they, but their family members as well, are ‘fair game’ for defendant’s vitriol.”

Mr. Bragg’s office had asked the judge to clarify that their relatives were included, calling such protection “amply warranted.” Noting Mr. Trump’s track record of issuing “threatening and alarming remarks,” Mr. Bragg’s office warned of “the harms that those family members have suffered.”

The personal connection to the gag order complicated Justice Merchan’s decision. Shortly after last week’s initial gag order, Mr. Trump issued a series of blistering attacks on Mr. Merchan and his daughter, Loren, a political consultant who has worked with Democratic candidates.

Specifically, Mr. Trump had accused Ms. Merchan — falsely — of having posted a photo of him behind bars on an account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Court officials said the account cited by Mr. Trump had been taken over last year by someone other than Ms. Merchan.

On Thursday, Mr. Trump intensified his attacks , identifying Justice Merchan’s daughter by name and accusing her of being “a Rabid Trump Hater, who has admitted to having conversations with her father about me, and yet he gagged me.” The former president then renewed his demands that the judge recuse himself from the case, calling Justice Merchan “totally compromised.”

And on Saturday, in an ominous escalation, Mr. Trump posted a news article to Truth Social that displayed two pictures of Ms. Merchan.

Then, on Tuesday morning, after Justice Merchan’s decision, Mr. Trump called him “corrupt” in a social media post demanding that he be recused and the case dismissed.

“Juan Merchan, GAGGED me so that I can not talk about the corruption and conflicts taking place in his courtroom with respect to a case that everyone, including the D.A., felt should never have been brought,” Mr. Trump wrote . “They can talk about me, but I can’t talk about them??? That sounds fair, doesn’t it?”

Mr. Trump, the first former American president to face criminal prosecution, is scheduled to go on trial on April 15. Mr. Bragg charged him with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to the reimbursement of a hush-money payment to hide a sexual encounter with a porn star, Stormy Daniels.

Mr. Trump, once again the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has denied the affair and the charges, which he claims are politically motivated. Mr. Trump and his campaign have also lashed out at the gag order, calling it “unconstitutional.” And his lawyers argued against expanding the gag order to include Justice Merchan and Mr. Bragg’s family, noting that the original order did not cover the judge or the district attorney.

Todd Blanche, one of Mr. Trump’s lawyers, declined to comment on Monday.

Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Mr. Trump’s campaign, called the judge’s amended gag order “unconstitutional,” because, he said, it prevents Mr. Trump from engaging in political speech, “which is entitled to the highest level of protection under the First Amendment.” He added, “The voters of America have a fundamental right to hear the uncensored voice of the leading candidate for the highest office in the land.”

Justice Merchan is just the latest judge to impose a gag order on the former president. A federal appeals court upheld a gag order in Mr. Trump’s federal criminal case in Washington, where he is accused of plotting to overturn the 2020 election.

And in his civil fraud case in New York, Mr. Trump was ordered not to comment on court staff members after he attacked the judge’s principal law clerk. The judge, Arthur F. Engoron, imposed $15,000 in fines on the former president when he ran afoul of that order.

If Mr. Trump violates the order, the judge could impose fines, and in extraordinary circumstances, throw him behind bars.

In a court filing on Monday, Mr. Bragg’s office asked the judge to warn Mr. Trump that he will be punished if he ignores the order, using stark language that underscored the state’s concern about the former president’s words.

“Defendant’s dangerous, violent and reprehensible rhetoric fundamentally threatens the integrity of these proceedings and is intended to intimidate witnesses and trial participants alike — including this court,” Mr. Bragg’s office wrote.

In his five-page ruling, Justice Merchan noted that Mr. Trump had a right “to speak to the American voters freely and to defend himself publicly.” But he sought to balance those rights with the impact of Mr. Trump’s statements on the trial.

“It is no longer just a mere possibility or a reasonable likelihood that there exists a threat to the integrity of the judicial proceedings,” the judge wrote. “The threat is very real.”

Kate Christobek contributed reporting.

Jesse McKinley is a Times reporter covering upstate New York, courts and politics. More about Jesse McKinley

Ben Protess is an investigative reporter at The Times, writing about public corruption. He has been covering the various criminal investigations into former President Trump and his allies. More about Ben Protess

William K. Rashbaum is a senior writer on the Metro desk, where he covers political and municipal corruption, courts, terrorism and law enforcement. He was a part of the team awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News. More about William K. Rashbaum

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Case

The manhattan district attorney has filed charges against former president donald trump over a hush-money payment to a porn star on the eve of the 2016 election..

Taking the Case to Trial: Trump is all but certain to become the first former U.S. president to stand trial on criminal charges after a judge denied his effort to delay the proceeding and confirmed it will begin on April 15 .

Implications for Trump: As the case goes to trial, the former president’s inner circle sees a silver lining in the timing. But Trump wouldn’t be able to pardon himself  should he become president again as he could if found guilty in the federal cases against him.

Michael Cohen: Trump’s former fixer was not an essential witness in the former president’s civil fraud trial in New York  that concluded in January. But he will be when he takes the stand in the hush-money case .

Stormy Daniels: The chain of events flowing from a 2006 encounter that the adult film star said she had with Trump has led to the brink of a historic trial. Here's a look inside the hush-money payout .