Figure 1.27. Understanding how structures like institutions and societal views limit families can help us to strive for equity.

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 bi-directional 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, as shown in Figure 1.27, 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.