What is a found family? A found family is a family of people who are chosen by choice (chosen family) and not blood.
Found families are a great support to those who’ve lost their blood families, are in an abusive home, or just want a different kind of family.
The story: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man Tells No Tales has the best example of what a found family is.
Dead Man Tells No Tales follows Captain Jack Sparrow as he searches for his long time friend and partner Will Turner, who was betrothed to Elizabeth Swan.
Why is found family trope so good?
While family is a common theme in fiction, why is “found family” so popular? One reason is that it’s often used as a literary device to show how characters develop.
A character who is isolated might need to learn lessons about trust and sacrifice; a character who has lost everything might struggle with grief, trauma, and abandonment before they find their way.
The found family trope mirrors these concerns by showing how people can help each other through difficult times – or not.
By bringing together characters with different backgrounds and experiences, the plot can chart the ways that they learn from each other and grow together in unexpected ways.
Why is found family so important?
The found family concept is important because it emphasizes how we don’t have to be limited to the family into which we were born. This can be especially important for people who feel like they haven’t received the love, support, and comfort they need from their birth families.
Found families can help fill in gaps that are missing in our lives, whether because of a strained relationship with our birth family or due to a complete absence of a birth family.
If a person’s biological parents are deceased or if they grew up without parents (for example, adopted children), forming a found family is an excellent way to find people who fulfill some of the same roles as biological siblings and/or biological parents would.
What is meant by chosen family?
The terms “found family” and “chosen family” are often used interchangeably. When we talk about someone having a found family, it means they’ve formed a community of people you love, who care for you and support you – just like members of your biological family do.
Found families can take many shapes and forms. You may choose to spend more time with friends than with your birth family, or maybe all your closest friends are spread out around the world and are difficult to spend time with in person.
Perhaps even some of the people in your birth family don’t live near you or get along well with other members of your bloodline, which causes tension when you’re spending time together.
For some people, this is why they form found families – chosen groups of people who make them feel safe and happy.
Found families don’t have to be entirely separate from things that already exist in our lives. Found families can grow from existing relationships.
For example, someone like me could be part of their high school friends’ found family but not necessarily part of their college friend group’s found family (though there is definitely overlap between those two circles).
We can belong to more than one found family at any given time!
A found family – Non-Biologically related, form a familial bond with each other.
A found family is a concept in which a group of people, who are not biologically related, form a familial bond with each other. While many families are formed in this way, this concept often occurs as the central theme in fiction.
The term was coined by the writer John Warren Wells in the 1960s and popularized by its use in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966–1969). It has since become common in science fiction and fantasy works.
Found families are most commonly found in the foster care system, Among those experiencing homelessness.
Found families are most commonly found in the foster care system, among those experiencing homelessness.
The foster care system is an example of a found family for many involved. This community dynamic can emerge from unstable familial situations at home and in an effort to provide healthy alternatives for children who need homes.
When youth enter the foster care system, they often end up finding homes with strangers and become part of a loving new family that includes other foster children and their guardians.
This is especially true when these new families are made up of people who have also experienced rejection from their biological relatives due to their identity. These shared experiences can help facilitate connections between them.
There is a saying among homeless advocates: “when you are homeless you are alone; but when you become part of the homeless community, you are never alone.”
It’s not uncommon for people experiencing homelessness to join forces with others like them in order to survive together on the streets and in shelters.
In some cases homeless individuals may even split up tasks like panhandling so that they can be more efficient while supporting one another simultaneously.
Because of the familial bonds formed between members of a found family, they often share some similarities to blood families, such as parental roles and sibling rivalry.
Even though the members of a found family may not be related by blood, they often find themselves filling the same roles as traditional families.
Found family can also mean that one or more person in the group has taken on a parental role, and because of this they are expected to act as a parent would.
This can be observed within groups of friends or colleagues, and is typically led by an older sibling figure or “cool” member who provides guidance and wisdom.
Other people may take on different roles, such as younger siblings (seeking attention)or even enemies (conflicts between them).
The idea of found family can be seen far back into history
For example, some cite Jesus Christ as an example of someone who chose his own family. There have been found families known to exist among Greek slaves and even among Roman gladiators.
The idea of family coming together out of love, choice or circumstance is far from a modern one. Some cite Jesus Christ as the first example of someone who chose his own family from all those around him.
Greek slaves, Roman gladiators and Medieval mercenaries all shared intimate bonds that gave rise to their own versions of found families. Found families have been with us for as long as humanity has existed, but what exactly is it?
Found families as a replacement for those whose birth families were lost or those who grew distant from their birth family
Sometimes, a found family can become larger than one’s birth family. In this way, it can function as a replacement for those whose birth families were lost or those who grew distant from their birth family due to abuse or neglect.
For example, if your parents died in a car accident when you were young and you grew up in the foster care system, you may find that your closest friends are your new family as an adult.
The same applies if you walked away from your abusive parents at a young age and spent time homeless on the street with other teenagers.
The concept of found family is explored in many media forms
Found family is a concept explored in many different media. In the Harry Potter series, for instance, Harry has been raised by his aunt and uncle and is a total outsider at Hogwarts until he meets Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, who become his friends and ensure that he’ll never be alone again.
The Sandlot also features characters who come from broken backgrounds but create their own families with their fellow misfits.
Another great example is Rent; the main characters are all struggling to make ends meet in various ways (some of them being ill), but they pull together as a group to reconnect with people they used to know and support each other through the worst times.
The concept of found family isn’t just limited to traditional media forms – it’s present in video games as well!
Arin Hanson, cohost of Game Grumps, explains that it’s a central theme in Journey: “The whole game is about being alone, but you have this other person helping you without words.”
Found family can be a source of comfort during times when one’s birth family is absent or unsupportive
A found family is a group of people who have come together and formed an emotional bond that is strong enough to resemble a family.
There are many reasons someone might need to create such a family, especially in times when one’s birth family (or chosen biological relations) isn’t able to provide the required comfort and support.
For instance: A person comes out as transgender at work, but they haven’t told their parents yet. They’re nervous about how their parents will react.
They decide not to tell them until after they’ve had some time to adjust to living life openly as the gender they identify with – they know there’ll be questions and awkward conversations, so for now it feels easier just to keep it from them.
Knowing that their own loved ones aren’t aware of this huge change in their life makes them feel alone, but eventually they start making friends with other transgender people who understand what it’s like because they’ve been through it themselves.
Together, these friends are able to give each other emotional support during this transition period, which lasts until the newly transitioned person is ready to tell their parents.
Found families can help fill in gaps when struggling with one’s biological family or having none at all
If your birth family isn’t able to fill your emotional needs, you can make up for it with a found family. Consider the case of Sam, who has grown up in an orphanage.
Though Sam’s foster parents and well-meaning public school teachers have tried their best to provide love and encouragement, for him those efforts are never enough. A found family could replace Sam’s broken biological family – they could be there for him when he needs them most and become his primary source of support.
Similarly, you might have a healthy relationship with your birth parents but still need a found family as an alternative source of support during times when they aren’t there or when they don’t give you the comfort you need.
Found families can help keep us from feeling isolated in our struggles – just like it would if we had a real biological family by our side.
Conclusion
In reality, every family is made up of found family members, meaning friends and relatives that decide to spend their time with each other, supporting and relying on each other.
As the name suggests, however, found families are created through unconventional means.
Whether that means a mixer meetup or a secret agent plan gone awry, found families are unique and fulfilling in their own ways.
