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How do you define family, and how have you come into that understanding? In other words, what does family mean to you--and why?  What makes for a family? What relationship, if any, is there between marriage and family today?

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A family, in my opinion, is a collection of individuals who support one another, have strong emotional ties, and frequently reside together or have close relationships. The definition of family can vary greatly based on social, cultural, and individual factors. It can be biological or chosen. I consider family to be sacred and limited, meaning that not everyone can become my family. I do not consider it to be biological. Family, to me, is about shared experiences, care, and connection. In many cultures, family also includes people who aren't blood related but are nevertheless regarded important to a person's life; for instance, my mother's friend may be regarded as family due to their close relationship.

Marriage and family have a very different relationship now than they did in the past. Marriage was traditionally considered an institution for creating families, more of a social and economic agreement between families than a romantic or emotional tie between people. Nowadays, though, marriage is viewed more as an emotional bond than merely a social and financial agreement. Marriage may not always be the defining element in creating familial bonds, and many people think families can function without it. Compared to earlier times, the idea of family is now more flexible and varied.

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I define Family as a group of people who share with each other and love each other. A group of people who adventures together. I say this because when it comes to birthdays or parties I always unite with my family and we always bring food and laugh when having conversations. Family are the people who are there with you to support you when you feel lonely.

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Family, to me, is a group of people connected by emotional bonds, care, and mutual support, regardless of biological ties. It can include not only parents and children but also friends, mentors, and chosen communities who provide love and stability. While marriage was once central to forming a family, today people often build families without it, as relationships are defined more by support and shared experiences. Ultimately, family is about the connections that provide safety, love, and care, not the legal or biological status of the relationships.

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I define family as the people who I keep close to me no matter what and the people I love unconditionally. I’ve come down to this understanding of family because it’s something that’s been taught to me since I was born. I’ve always heard,” Family comes first” so it’s always been the same. I only include my close family in the word family because I don’t think friends or people I know are part of my “family”, they don’t hold the same weight in my heart as my close family does. I don’t think there is a relationship between marriage and family because you’re not married to your spouse’s family, so you shouldn’t be obligated to force a “family” bond with their family. They could hold a special place in your heart, but shouldn’t be the same as your close family.

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I define family as the people who love and respect you, nurture you, and guide you because they want your well-being. Whether they are blood-related or not. Wherever you feel safe and comfortable can be considered family, where people are selfless and considerate of you as a human being.

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I define family as a group of people surrounded with love, mutual support, and shared responsibility, not necessarily by biological connections, but by emotional ties. Family can include relatives, close friends, or even chosen families. This understanding has evolved through personal experiences. Today, marriage is often seen as one way to solidify a family. The relationship between marriage and family has become more flexible, as societal norms shift to accommodate different family structures, acknowledging that love and commitment, rather than marriage alone, are what truly make a family.

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I define family not just by blood but by those around me who support and build me up. Home is not just a place, but it can also be people. A selection of your favorite people, who bring support and community like family would over time. During my last two years of high school, I met some amazing people who built such a welcoming environment, always full of laughs, listening, and togetherness. A group of people who are different, yet so similar at the same time. A mutual level of understanding of each other. To many, family means being connected by blood or by household, but to me, it means community, no matter where it takes place. A “true” family to me pushes each other to grow and develop in a safe environment that said "family" helped them create. A place that pushes towards communication, listening, and understanding of one another. That makes for a family in my book. Marriage is one of the first steps in building a family; two people born in different lives come together. A person, another soul, who feels like home and creates one together through understanding, trust, and bond. Marriage is seen as the solidification of a family. It is relayed that home is where the heart is. I find that to be true. Home isn’t always four walls and a roof; it can be the heartbeat of another person. Both choosing to turn that and expand that into family, providing the very thing they gave each other, which was understanding, a safe environment, support, and togetherness. My criteria for what family is to me and for those who are involved in marriage is what they have set a base to be.

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I define family as a group of people who shows signs of love, responsibility and support to each other even during the most troubling times in their lives. They can also guide you to success by giving you healthy advice. Family is not only blood-related, but they are people that you can see as parental, sibling or relative figures and can show the same level of treatment like a biological family does. Being supportive, understanding and always available at all times are things that makes up a family. Marriage is an idea that most couples decide to go for because they want to build a family one day together, but not all couples get married or have children and shouldn’t get pressured into doing something that they don’t want to do from their own families’ expectations of life after marriage. Family should respect and support each other’s decision making despite having disagreements as they are supposed to be people who cares, loves and protects you most importantly being selfless.

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Family, to me, means a group of people bound by love, trust, and mutual support, regardless of biological ties. It’s a space for growth, understanding, and shared experiences. A family can be formed by blood, marriage, or chosen connections, as long as there is commitment and care for one another. In other words, family is more than just taking care of you and giving you the necessaries to live. There’s an emotional aspect to it. Today, marriage and family are closely connected but not always essential to each other. While marriage often forms a foundation for traditional families, modern families increasingly exist without marriage, reflecting diverse cultural, social, and personal choices.

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Family is usually defined as the people you’re biologically related to, even marriage is considered family because you are married into another family. Adoptions, households, and through birth. However those aren’t the only way to define family, family can be considered as people who aren’t biologically related to you as well like your friends. Family comes with many aspects and characteristics such as respect, emotional support, commitment, quality time, and appreciation. There are many other characteristics of family yet it depends on what you categorize within what family is defined as. These examples are what I consider family to be, growing up I had many family members who weren’t actually biologically related to me. My uncle and aunt aren't really my uncle or aunty but they took care of me as a child and they were the family's best friend that grew up with them as kids. I feel if they have the qualities that people consider to be family then they are considered to be family because you can be related to someone yet they aren’t lying up to the expectations. Marriage and family today share the relationship of children when marrying you usually decide to expand your family and when having a child that means now you really are family biologically from the child.

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I define family as people who are related to each other (whether biologically or socially) and connected by bonds and love that bring them together. Family can be difficult however as no one can be truly perfect, and neither can a family, although sticking by and supporting each other is what matters most. No one has to be of blood to be a part of a family whether it can be adopting a child, having a partner or friends, everyone and everything is connected in a family.

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I can define family to being people, you consider a family. Being born within a family, doesn't always mean that those people are your family. Family to me means the people who care, respect, and show love towards you. I am grateful that the family I was born into, I one hundred percent feel and call them my family. They treat me with so much love and always are there for in every moment in my life. My relationship with them is strong and pure. We are one big group, that everyone in it, is very important to us and we love each other deeply. In today's time, marriage and family often times. Have a loving relationship, that adds to being apart of groups. It's common too create one based off of love and care.

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I define family as mostly a small group of people that are responsible, caring, loving, connected in a physical manner like living together most of the time, supportive of each other etc. Everyone views family differently and I feel that it is a subjective and complicated topic. Biological or non biological parents or people make up a family. Some people are raised by adoptive parents (mostly 2 people that are parents), relatives, and orphanages. The people in the orphanages may not get the same type of love and feeling of 'family' as those that live with their parents or guardians. I have come into this understanding through my family, religion, culture, and society. My knowledge about family has evolved recently because of technology and social media. Family for me though consists of parents, grandparents, and siblings who I can feel comfortable around and treat different than I treat others. The relationship between marriage and family is that after marriage, you create your own family. This is the general belief concerning family and marriage. People can create a family without marriage but it won't be the same. They will not really have a legal relationship and therefore will lose the "benefits" it provides. This topic is really broad and varies from person to person. It is truly different for everyone but there is still a set idea and norm to it.

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I define family as people who support each other, love each other, respect you, love you, etc. I have come to that understanding by knowing what being in a family is like. What family means to me is people who support me no matter what, people who are there for me when I'm having a bad day or I just need someone to talk to, people who respect me, love me, etc. To me, not only biological family is my family but also people that are close to me I see them, and they see me as family. I feel like now, the relationship in marriage and family is very different. Now, parents that are divorced co-parent back then, if the parents got divorced, either the kids went with the mother or father. If the parents don't get along, then the kids are the ones that get affected because they want to see their parents happy and at peace and not fight all the time.

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Family are the people who have loved us unconditionally since day one and will support is no matter what. This is the type of family I wished I did have but this is something that I will have to do on my own when I am able to have my own family. Family are the people you can run home to if anything happens and you know they will be there with arms open waiting for you. Getting married just means having another title in the name. If the couple had already loved each other beforehand then nothing should change and they have already considered each other family and could always add to the family whenever they wanted. Marriage is something that the young generation, Gen Z, is not striving for. Nowadays it's just a bunch of women with baby daddies, but there is no ring, not a house in their name and sometimes relying on the government for help, (not a bad thing). People are afraid of commitment because it means they are stuck with one person and they can't go out and be with others.

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For me family is about love, support, and experiences. I said the because family is something you cares about and you go through good times and hard times. for me family are people that I'm close to, my parents, siblings, grandparents, and also some of my friends because family to me is someone who's there for me and always support me when I need them no matter what. Family is about love, care and connections I share with them. For me marriage and family are two different things even thought I said family is someone who care, love and support you. Marriage is relationship between two people who choose to comment to each other, and it's often for benefit or emotionally. It can also be a foundation of a new family, but it depends on what circumstances, some people get married just for papers, or money, but at the end it's all about creating a bond.

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In my perspective, a family is a group of individuals who provide each other with unwavering mutual support, share deep emotional connections, and often live together or maintain close-knit relationships regardless of physical distance. The notion of family can vary widely depending on various social, cultural, and personal factors, making it a complex and multifaceted concept. Families can be formed through biological relationships, such as parents, siblings, and extended relatives, but they can also be established through chosen relationships, often referred to as “chosen family.” This reflects the importance of emotional bonds and shared experiences over mere genetic connections. For me, family is a sacred and exclusive institution, where not everyone qualifies to hold that title. It transcends traditional definitions rooted purely in blood relations. At its core, family revolves around shared experiences, genuine care, and meaningful connections that nurture individuals and foster a sense of belonging. In many cultures around the world, the definition of family expands to include individuals who may not be related by blood yet play a significant role in someone’s life. For instance, a close friend of my mother, who has been a constant source of support and companionship, may be regarded as family due to the strength of their bond and the emotional ties they share. This broader understanding of family reflects the diverse and rich ways in which people connect with one another, illustrating that love and loyalty often define what it truly means to be family.

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Family in my opinion is what you make it. There are friends who I consider family, and then there are people who are blood related to me I do not consider my family. Family are the people closest to you, those who give you support and those you share the deepest emotional bond with. Today, the only family recognized by the U.S. government is the standard nuclear family - a husband, a wife, and some children. This standard sets the pace that in order to have family, you have to be blood related from a married couple. I personally feel like this standard does not have to be the end goal for everyone. There are diverse and personal meaning to family and it cannot be one box fits all. A good family is a family that makes the individual feel loved, safe, and supported - and that can be anyone not just blood related individuals.

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I define family by being able to forgive and maybe forget certain things and even if there are times that were hard and dark they seem to not be brought up as much or at all and that is left is the good memories where it is all laughs and calmness. I say this because it is okay to mess up and its comforting to know that there are people out there wether they are related to you by blood or not that care and want the best for you and that will not harm you intentionally for their own personal gain. Family and marriage go hand in hand because a marriage comes with family not only the one you are creating but if you have one that can consist of anyone that made sure that you are standing alive and well and content.

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Family to me is the people that around me that is defined by trust and connection. This could be through our friendships, or by blood as people who mean something to me are people that I value in my life. For someone to be considered family for me they must be someone that actively is a part of my life, and has made themselves "worthy" enough to become one of my true friends. This could be done if we have gained a bond strong enough with each other that defies traditional idea of family being only meant for biological connections. The relationship between family and marriage is that typically when people get married they are ready to commit to finally starting a family of their own together. This is mostly done by having a child together as it signifies each persons willingness to commit to raising a family together. Although it is mostly common for people to get married before having kids, it is also very common for people to get married without having kids marriage is mostly seen as the next step to your relationship with one another.

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Family is a group of individuals who are linked by blood or emotionally. It's a supporting and nurturing environment that can include friends, mentors, parents, or any relative. After watching "Moonlight" and seeing the hardships the main character went through, he always saw the woman who took him in whenever his mother kicked him out as family. It all depends on who is there for you, who cares, and who is willing to support you at your lowest. Family can be anyone and not limited to the social norm of parents and kids.