One of the terms we often see in the media is “family values.” In Chapter 13, page 353 of the textbook, Friedman et al. define family values as “a system of ideas, attitudes, and beliefs about the worth of an entity or concept that consciously and unconsciously bind together the members of a family in a common culture (Parad & Caplan, 1965).”

Clearly, the true meaning of “family values” is complex. However, one thing is clear: family values serve as general guides to behavior and they shape the family’s patterns of behavior related to health care. Beginning on page 355, there is a detailed discussion of American Core Values. One of these values (see page 363) relates to quality of life and maintaining health. Friedman et al. indicate that maintaining health is becoming a major value within the American culture along with people actively participating in their healthcare decisions rather than passively receiving healthcare intervention.

1. a) From your professional and/or personal experiences, give one example of a person or family whose health-related behaviors appeared to have been driven by this American Core Value, and identify the social class, culture/ethnicity, and age range of the primary person(s) involved.
2. b) From your professional and /or personal experiences, give one example of a person or family whose health-related behaviors appeared to have been driven by an alternative value in which healthcare intervention was passively received. Identify the social class, culture/ethnicity, and age range of the primary person(s) involved.