In the last 20 to 30 years, the composition of American households has shifted. Families nowadays are diverse and culturally rich, and may include two parents, same-sex parents, only one parent, grandparents, and other relatives. Every family is vital to Social Security, whether it is a single parent, a blended family, varied, small or large.
Social Security benefits cover the majority of a household's income when someone in the household works and earns money. The amount of benefit you receive depends on your work history, how long you live after your full retirement age, and how much you pay into the system. Your monthly check will be based on an average of your past wages over your working life.
When someone retires at full retirement age, they stop working and start receiving their benefits. If they had been paying into the system for several decades, then they can draw out their entire account balance as a lump sum payment or a series of payments over time. Otherwise, they can take their full monthly benefit as long as they live. Even if they die before reaching full retirement age, their beneficiaries will still get a portion of their account based on their own personal earnings history.
Social Security was created in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a social safety net for workers who could not be depended upon during times of unemployment or illness. Since then, its scope has grown to include all Americans, regardless of income or wealth. Today, it provides security in old age, disability, death, and unemployment.
The family is the first socializing agent. Mothers and dads, siblings and grandparents, as well as extended family members, all teach their children what they need to know. The family provides a secure base from which children explore their world.
The school is the second socializing agent. Teachers help students learn how to get along with others, be responsible for their actions, and deal with the consequences of these actions. They also provide a safe place where students can express themselves, ask questions, make mistakes, and try new things.
Social media are the third socializing agent. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other online platforms allow people to connect with each other and share information and ideas. However, users must be careful not to post content that could put them in danger or violate someone else's privacy.
Technology is the fourth socializing agent. Computers, smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices allow children to play games, use applications (apps), watch videos, and listen to music on-line. But like social media, they can also distract students from their studies or lead them into dangerous situations if used improperly.
Media coverage is the fifth socializing agent. News programs such as CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, and FOX inform viewers about current events in the world and around town.
As a socialization agent, the family teaches a person the skills and practices required for participation in society activities. A family loves and cares for its members. This promotes the child's social, emotional, and physical development. The parent is the most important individual in a child's growth. When parents fail to provide love and support, they send a message that socialization is not important. Sometimes other family members, such as siblings or grandparents, play a role in helping raise children. They may do this by taking care of them while their parents work, or by playing with them or teaching them things.
The family provides food, shelter, protection, and education. It also gives moral guidance and helps develop a sense of identity. In ancient times, families lived together always ready to help each other. Today, many families are made up of two parents who are not married to each other. Some single parents sometimes feel they cannot afford to spend time socializing with their children because they are working long hours at a job they enjoy. But this should not be so! Parents must remember that the more they interact with their children, the better they will understand them and be able to guide them toward becoming independent and successful people.
Socialization occurs when an individual interacts with others outside of the family unit. This could be friends from school, sports teams, or any other group. Socialization also refers to the process by which individuals learn what it means to be part of a society.
When we think of an extended family nowadays, we can think of a single parent or dual parent home with biological or stepparents, as well as a family that includes children and relatives. The grandparents are the most common of these relations. Other individuals that may be included are uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, and nephews.
In earlier times, an extended family was one where all of the siblings were living together. A household would usually contain parents and their children along with any other relatives who were living there at the time. Sometimes other relatives would also move into the house to help care for the children while their parents went out to work.
Parents would have several siblings who were not living with them because they had their own families by now, but they would still be considered part of the family unit because they were biologically related. Siblings who grew up apart from each other go to different schools, get involved in different activities, and have separate friends tend to forget about their family connection over time. However, when they need help paying for college or have child-rearing issues they will turn to their blood relatives for support.
Extended families still exist today but they are less common than single parent homes because people don't always live with their family.