Explore writing: Write a fundraising letter Shelter, a UK charity, is asking people to take pictures of themselves ‘sleeping in weird and wonderful places’ and to post them on social media as part of their #bedless campaign. How does the image convey its message? What do you think the charity fights for, apart from combatting homelessness? 29 a b Unconventional Families Unconventional families are the types of families that are unexpected in most social norms. Polygamous families for example are unconventional. They are comprised of one father, multiple mothers, and children. Polyandrous families are another example of unconventional families. They consist of one woman and multiple men forming a family. The other type is polyamory where more than two people are in a relationship with the informed consent of all the partners involved. You cannot say for sure which family setup is the best. Each family setup comes with its advantages and challenges. Families have evolved so much over time. People are more accepting of societal differences and cultural diversity. In the future it seems that they will evolve even more, given the changes that are happening with gender roles and gender fluidity. Read the article again and think about these questions. Compare your answers in class. 1 How does the situation in the USA compare with the situation in Austria? 2 Do you think the nuclear family is still the norm? Why? / Why not? 3 What other family structures do you know? What do you think might be the advantages and disadvantages for the different family members in the types of structures described in the article? Media task. Choose a different country and research family structures there. Try to find out: ■■ which types of family exist and how common they are ■■ how family structures are changing ■■ in what ways the situation is different from Austria Prepare a PowerPoint presentation about your findings. Speaking 27 a b 28 123 Language skills Extras Explore 9 The world we live in Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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