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War/Political Violence

Definition Of Family, War/political Violence, Impact Of War/political Violence On FamiliesConclusion

Families are widely recognized as the "most basic institution within any society, because it is within [families] that citizens are born, sheltered, and begin their socialization" (Ambert 2001, p. 4). The importance and centrality of family is accepted across cultures. Families both influence and are influenced by the wider societies in which they exist. Violent societal-level conflicts affect societies at all levels, especially at the most basic: the family.

Families are the building blocks of societies. They perform important functions in providing and nurturing a culture's citizens. It is evident that families in war zones experience a great deal of stress. This inhibits their ability to meet the expectations of families as outlined by the definition of "family." War and political violence have a devastating effect on the family.

Bibliography

Ambert, A. (2001). Families in the New Millennium. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Bryce, J.; Walker, N.; Ghorayeb, F.; and Kanj, M. (1989). "Life Experiences, Response Styles and Mental Health Among Mothers and Children in Beirut, Lebanon." Social Science and Medicine 28:685–695.

Cairns, E. (1996). Children and Political Violence. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers.

Eshleman, J. R. (1997). The Family, 8th edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Garbarino, J.; Kostelny, K.; and Dubrow, N. (1991). No Place To Be a Child: Growing Up in a War Zone. Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath.

Ogburn, W. (1938). "The Changing Family," in The Family, ed. J. R. Eshleman. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Olson, D. H., and DeFrain, J. (1997). Marriage and The Family: Diversity and Strengths, 2nd edition. Mountainview, CA: Mayfield.

Punamaki, R. (1987). Childhood Under Conflict: The Attitudes and Emotional Life of Israeli and Palestinian Children. Tampere: Tampere Research Institute, Research Reports.

United Nations. (1996). Impact of Armed Conflict on Children. New York: Author. [Document A/51.306 and Add.1].

Wessells, M. G. (1998). "The Changing Nature of Armed Conflict and Its Implications for Children: The Graca Machel/UN Study." Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology 4:321–334.

KAREN S. MYERS-BOWMAN

Additional topics

Marriage and Family EncyclopediaFamily Social Issues