Chosen families are groups of people who come together to form a social structure that can provide emotional support, practical help, and even spiritual guidance when traditional forms of family do not exist or cannot be accessed. This concept has been explored extensively within queer theory and literature but is increasingly being applied to broader society. In this article, I will argue that chosen families have much to offer the world and could potentially serve as an example for how we construct moral care communities.
What are Chosen Families?
The notion of chosen families emerged out of a need among LGBTQ+ individuals to create their own support systems outside of conventional nuclear family structures. These networks were created because many people felt excluded from biological families due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. They sought out people they had met through work, school, hobbies, or other social activities and decided to form deep bonds with them based on mutual respect and affection. The term "chosen family" was coined to describe these nontraditional relationships and has since become associated with alternative modes of connection in general.
Benefits of Chosen Family Networks
One of the main benefits of choosing a family is that it allows individuals to feel connected and supported without relying solely on blood relations. Members of chosen families often share similar interests or values and thus tend to bond more deeply than those related by DNA alone.
Members may have access to resources that would otherwise be unavailable if they tried to depend on traditional family structures.
Some might share financial resources while others might provide emotional support during difficult times.
Can Chosen Families Become Universal Models for Moral Care Communities?
While chosen families started as a concept specifically designed to meet the needs of marginalized groups, they can certainly serve as models for broader society. By expanding our understanding of what constitutes a family unit, we open ourselves up to new ways of caring for one another within communities. We can learn how to better understand each other's unique strengths and weaknesses, appreciate diversity of all kinds, and build stronger ties between individuals who may not necessarily fit into traditional molds.
Examples of Applications in Practice
We have seen examples of this happening already.
Many people now live alone and rely heavily on social networks rather than biological relatives when facing health issues or other crises. Many hospitals are also incorporating "chosen family" language in their policies to accommodate these diverse relationships. In addition, there are organizations like Big Brother/Big Sister programs where volunteers mentor children from disadvantaged backgrounds without being related by blood. These types of initiatives demonstrate that chosen families can work well outside of queer circles and offer valuable services to society at large.
Why It Matters
Choosing our own families offers us an opportunity to reimagine how we think about caregiving and responsibility towards one another beyond strict definitions of kinship ties. This opens up possibilities for creating more inclusive communities that prioritize compassion over genetic connection and recognize everyone's inherent worth regardless of background. Chosen families provide support structures based on mutual respect, shared values, trust, and commitment - qualities necessary for any successful moral care community.
Can the queer notion of “chosen family” become a universal model for moral care communities?
The concept of chosen family is not limited to the LGBTQ+ community but has also been adopted by other groups such as immigrants who are away from their families and those who have lost touch with their biological relatives due to distance, conflict, or estrangement. This suggests that it can be a model for moral care communities where people seek support, acceptance, and companionship outside of traditional family structures.