From Endangered Family Towards own Family – Experiences and Expectations of Social Orphans

In the contemporary world family still constitutes a superior value, but on the other hand, is subject to influences of many destabilizing factors that may disturb its appropriate functioning. “A child gets to know the world, own self, the others and life objectives directly experiencing such aspects of life within own family, as a family brings up through the presence of its members remaining with each other in a relation of love and kindness” (Kukułowicz, 2004). One of the basic functions of the family is socialisation that means “transmitting knowledge regarding the surrounding world, cultural heritage and preparation to fulfil adult social roles addressed to the offspring. The primary socialisation takes place within the family circle, where an individual becomes a member of the society by internalisation and generalisation of the most overall meanings thanks to the mediation of those taking care of such individual” (Kawula, 2007). The children brought up in an orphanage are subject to a specific socialisation, located in the borderland of the functioning in an institution and the family of origin. The process of becoming independent reflects such type of socialisation.