Which term refers to family unity, loyalty, and respect?

• A. Familism
• B. Racism
• C. Gender
• D. Sexism

Answer: (A)

Familism centers on the belief that family is primary in a person’s life, shaping priorities, loyalties, and behavior. It emphasizes family unity and interdependence, loyalty to kin, and showing respect for elders and the family’s overall well-being. In counseling, recognizing familism helps explain why clients may defer personal goals to support the family, comply with collective expectations, or feel tension when individual desires clash with family obligations. The other terms describe social constructs unrelated to family bonds: racism involves race-based discrimination; gender refers to social roles and categories; sexism is bias or discrimination based on gender. So the term that best captures family unity, loyalty, and respect is familism.