In this text, we will discuss the ways in which social institutions and processes continue to reinforce the inequities created within the original formation of the United States. We will focus on the federal government and the tension that exists between federal powers and state’s rights, which often leads to inequities among American families. We will examine other social institutions such as school systems, health care/insurance structures, the economy, businesses, and places of worship. We will look at the bidirectional nature of people and institutions: the ways that individuals and families organize to create social movements that influence existing practices and structures and the ways those practices and structures influence people.

By examining the existing structures that limit families, we strive to be a part of the change that will transform our institutions, societal views, and processes in a way that increases and supports equity for all families (figure 1.28).

Licenses and Attributions for Looking Ahead: Social Structures and Kinship

Open Content, Original

“Looking Ahead” by Elizabeth B. Pearce. License: CC BY 4.0.

Open Content, Shared Previously

Figure 1.28. “LGBTQ Employment Rights” by Victoria Pickering. License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.