The Nature of Families (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

The Nature of Families

• A family is a group of people who are related by blood, marriage or adoption

• Family life has changed over the years and there are many types of families in modern Britain

  • A nuclear family is a couple and their children

  • A single parent family is one parent with their own child or children, for example as a result of death, divorce, or the end of a relationship between the parents

  • A stepfamily is a family formed on the remarriage of a divorced or widowed person that includes a child or children

  • An extended family is where other relatives such as grandparents are included within the family. Extended families living together is very common in many non-Western cultures

  • A same-sex family is one where same-sex parents raise children together

• Although there are many types of family group in modern Britain, the family is considered the main building block of society

  • It creates stability for its members

  • It is considered the best environment to bring up children and meet their needs

Christianity & the Nature of Families

Christian Teaching About the Nature of Families

• Family life is of central importance to Christians

• Jesus commanded that all Christians should love one another (John 13:34), and love is at the heart of all relationships, including families

  • It is within a family that a child learns to love

• It is also within a family that a child learns about Christian traditions, teachings and values

• The Catholic Church explains that there are many lessons about values and worship to be learned within the family

• In Biblical times people often lived in extended families so that both the very young and old could be looked after

  • The older generations passed on the traditions and teachings of the religion to the next generation

Islam & the Nature of Families

Muslim Teaching About the Nature of Families

• Muslims see extended families as central to God’s plan for humanity

• Families are vital to shape the moral values and character of children

• Traditionally men and women take on different roles within the family

  • Men are expected to work and to provide for their wife and children, and take responsibility for major decisions

  • Women have an important role in looking after the home, raising children and making decisions about the household

    • A Muslim mother commands great respect and obedience from her children

• Muslims should care for all members of the family, especially the elderly

  • They should be treated with kindness and respect to repay the care they showed for the younger generations

Christianity & The Role of Parents & Children

The Role of Parents in Christian Families

• Christian parents have a duty to love and care for their children

• They should raise the children within the Christian faith

• They should teach their children Christian values: love, loyalty, respect for life, compassion, generosity

• Parents want their children to be able to think for themselves and be true to themselves, while also being tolerant of other people’s views

The Role of Children in Christian Families

• Christian children should respect and obey their parents, especially when they are elderly and need support.

  • This was commanded in the Ten Commandments

• It is considered a denial of the faith not to look after children or elderly parents properly

Islam & The Role of Parents & Children 

The Role of Parents in Muslim Families

• Children are a great blessing from God

• Muslim parents have a duty to love and care for their children

• They are taught to provide a stable environment for them to grow up in

• They should raise them within the faith of Islam

• They should teach their children how to live a good Muslim life

  • This includes how to pray, how to keep halal food laws, and how to follow Muslim values

• Some Muslims send their children to faith schools or the madrassah (mosque school) to make sure they get a good religious education

The Role of Children in Muslim Families

• Muslim children are expected to respect and obey their parents

• This includes taking care of them when they are elderly and become ill or infirm