The Family Then and Now

Things were never easy within the family. But at a time

when the family was oriented toward the production of goods,

which alone made the survival of its members possible there

was an obvious necessity and a rational base for their living 【M1】______

and working together. Dire necessity did not permit putting into

question the very existence of the family, despite of the great 【M2】______

emotional demands living together made to each of its 【M3】______

members.

Today the main economic activities of the family are in

the nature of consumption—how productive may be what some 【M4】______

of its members do in society. And from an early age on, each

member of the family could survive without its support—since

society at large is ready to provide support. Also, it is quite 【M5】______

easy to put the existence of the family into question. This

happens very frequent, not just as families separate or fail to be 【M6】______

formed, but also within families which in all outer appearance 【M7】______

are still intact. But once the family needs seriously to justify its

existence, it is no longer intact like a family in the old sense. 【M8】______

The modern family, deprived of its ancient and firm basis

in economic need, now tries to justify its existence through the 【M9】______

emotional ties within it. These always were present,

but they were a superstructure, good or bad, over the solid

foundation of necessity. With the foundation of necessity

moved, the emotions either tend to run rampant or to wither 【M10】______

away.

The more a family tries to justify itself by means of the

feelings existing within it, the stronger these are aroused, and

the more easily and severely do they get hurt.

【M1】