Observation of American family essays

Observation of American family essays My family has never been one to do things small. All family gatherings and special events are done in large scale. We dont live close to each other so its always a huge deal when we do come together. Family is one of the things that I treasure the most in life. I have grown up believing that family comes first, and that my family loves me more than life itself. I have grown up with the smiles of my aunts and uncles, I have grown alongside the love of my grandparents and the cleverness of my cousins. My family is my world, they have a had a great deal in how I have grown up. The last family gathering that I can remember was on mothers day. Ive always enjoyed mothers day, and never gave a thought into it, but this time I sat in the living room with a pen and a pad and wrote everything that happened around me. I never realized that principles of anthropology applied to my family gatherings, but they did. Observing my family on mothers day made me realize that my family has their own beliefs on marriage rules, rules of residence, and they distinguish themselves according to their social class. The grown ups always liked to sit in the living room and talk, so I began to listen. They discussed my cousin Jennifer, and her engagement. They all seemed disappointed in it. She is 23 and still in college getting her masters in broadcasting. She announced her engagement three months ago and everyone was talking about it. Everyone disapproves her fianc. He is a black man, who is a mechanic and never has attended college. My family hates him. Its an unspoken rule that we must marry in our own culture. It makes it easier for my family to add to the family if that person shares our believes and customs. They want someone who they can relate with, someone who can blend into the family. They also, for vain reasons, want attractive people to add to the family. The wor...