Wikipedia Trail: from "Family" to "Social Structure"

Family
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"Family" is where my Wikipedia trail began. When most people think of family they think of a group of individuals that are biologically related. The actual definition of family is a bit more broad in nature. Family can refer to individuals that simply co-habitat. The concept of family has evolved over time as gender roles have become more fluid.

From "family" my Wikipedia trail led me to "socialization." Those who study the social sciences consider socialization to be the lifelong process of learning a cultures social norms, values, and beliefs. Parents are a key factor in socializing their children to behave in a way that society agrees is appropriate. When  individuals violate social norms they are said to be deviant. Deviance much like family, gender, and reality are all social constructs. They are culturally dependent and temporarily relevant.

From "socialization" my Wikipedia trail led me to "agency." Agency is an individuals capacity to act independently. In essence it is an individuals ability to act of their own free will without outside influences.

Some examples of  outside influences, referred to as "structures," are things such as social class, religion, gender, ethnicity, and customs. Social structure is the patterned social arrangements in society. These arrangements tend to influence the behavior of the individual within society.