Politics and the Family

Hope, dreams and aspirations are constructs that drive individuals and communities to be successful. Yet, the opposite of these, lack of hope, dreams and aspirations can drive an individual and community into a destruction of itself. A good example of this is in the book "Amazing Grace" by Jonathan Kozol. Furthermore, this discussion will also evolve around the ideas of Edward Banfield on "class distinction."
The idea of the family has always been an important value in many civilizations if not all. No matter what factors relate to individuals, the family has always been viewed as the primary social structure of society. Inherited with in these family values comes morals and ethics that relate to communities. This idea has existed as far back as the Colonial times in American history. The colonial times were inevitably some of the most stable times of the family structure. This is almost a direct result of the value system back then. Back in the Colonial times, the family was the primary provider of such things as healthcare, education, religion and finance. The late 18th and early 19th century came, and the old colonial values are basically weakened and almost forgotten. The Victorian family came as a result of the changing times. The industrial revolution evolved, shaping society to what it is today. Enterprise was created and new ways of thinking were established. Individualism became a right exercised by individuals and many people expressed their individual right as a person. This change was initially good so far as it allowed our nation and other nations to expand economically as a whole and generated many more jobs and financial opportunities. …