Family, Marriage, and Gender Roles At the core of American identities and American dreams lies a family. Throughout time, families serve as a connection between the individual and the outside world. The individual's identity, his or her dreams, in large part depend on the family of origin or a family of choice. The individual is shaped through beliefs, values, and assumptions that the family holds about the world and that are based on family member's experiences and collective memory. The family itself, in turn derives its values from the social, cultural, political, and philosophical assumptions and beliefs of