Unit Two ⧞ Family Forms and Functions

1. Unit Two⧞Family Forms and Functions

2. What is a “family”? • The term “family” has a variety of meanings. • Families differ in terms of economic, cultural, and social aspects, and come in all shapes, sizes, and forms. • What every family has in common is that the people who call it a family are making clear that those people are important in some way to the person calling them “family”.

3. Who makes a family? • The traditional family consists of a father, mother, and children; this is the family shown on television as the standard family. • However, the 21st century showcases a variety of family units, some very different from the standard of the 1950s. • Today, children are often raised in single parent homes, by grandparents, or by LGBTQ parents. • Some families opt to have no children, or cannot have children due to some medical or emotional barrier. • The idea that parents and children make a family is a basic definition; as such, in order to accurately acknowledge other family structures, a broader definition is necessary.

4. A Working Definition of Family • The dictionary defines family in several ways. One definition is “a fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children.” • While this definition is a good starting point, there are several modern family structures that are excluded by this definition, such as childless couples, or other variations of the family unit. • Another definition is “Two or more people who share goals and values, have long-term commitments to one another, and usually reside in the same dwelling.” • This definition encompasses the vast majority of modern family units, and is a more accurate definition of a modern family structure.

5. Types of Families: Nuclear Family • A family unit that includes two parents of opposite genders and their biological or adopted children living in the same residence. 

6. Types of Families: Same Sex Family • A family unit that includes two parents of the same gender and their biological or adopted children living in the same residence.  • LGBTQ individuals raising one or more children can become parents through various means, including current or former relationships, co-parenting, adoption, donor insemination, or surrogacy.

7. Types of Families: Interracial Family • A family unit that includes two parents of different ethnicities and their biological or adopted children living in the same residence.

8. Types of Families: Single Parent Family • A family unit that includes one parent raising one or more children on his or her own. • Often, a single parent family is a mother with her children. In fact, one in four children is born to a single mother. • It’s important to note that there are single fathers, as well.

9. Types of Families: Blended Family • A family unit that includes a couple and their children from this and all previous relationships. • Often referred to as a “stepfamily” – when two separate families merge into one new unit.

10. Types of Families: Extended Family • A family unit that includes two or more adults who are related, either by blood or marriage, living in the same home. • This family includes many relatives living together and working toward common goals, such as raising the children and keeping up with the household duties. • Many extended families include cousins, aunts or uncles, and grandparents living together.

11. Types of Families: Grandparent Family • A family unit in which one or more grandparents are raising their grandchildren. • In some cases, aunts, uncles, or cousins may fill this role, too. • One in fourteen children is raised by his or her grandparents, and the parents are not present in the child’s life. This could be due to parents’ death, addiction, abandonment, or being unfit parents.

12. Types of Families: Foster/Adoptive Family • A foster family is a family unit in which foster parents – individuals NOT related biologically – provide a child or children with a safe place to live and grow.  • Foster parents take children into their homes and take care of them for as long as is needed. • An adoptive family is a family unit in which adoptive parents assume the parenting of a child or children who is not related through biological means. • Through adoption, the parents assume all rights and responsibilities for the care and protection of their adoptive children.

13. Types of Families: Childless Family • While most people think of family as including children, there are couples who either cannot, or choose not, to have children. • The childless family is sometimes the “forgotten family”, as it does not meet the traditional standards set by society. • Childless families consist of two partners living and working together. • Many childless families take on the responsibility of pet ownership or have extensive contact with their nieces and nephews as a substitute for having their own children.

14. The Family Cycle There are four seasons in the life of a family: • SpringIndividuals meet and form couple relationships. • SummerCouples determine if they want to have children, and begin to grow their families. • FallChildren leave home, and parents enter the middle years of their lives, often supporting their children from afar. • WinterParents retire, and, as they age, their children will offer care and support for them, as their parents did when they were young children.

15. Summer Season: Functions of the Family • During the formative years of a family (ie., when children are being born, growing, and developing), families must provide a number of supports to ensure that children are raised in a safe, healthy environment. • The ways in which a family fulfills its functions will depend on • family structure • culture • work situations • communication skills

16. First Function: Physical Development • A family provides for its physical needs by . . . • securing housing • preparing healthy food • providing clothing • guarding health and safety

17. Second Function: Emotional Development • A family provides for its emotional needs by . . . • being affectionate with one other • giving sincere compliments • showing up at family events • listening without judging • giving supportive advice

18. Third Function: Intellectual Development • A family provides for its intellectual needs by . . . • making reading a habit • encouraging curiosity and discovery • helping with homework • partnering with school • seeking learning experiences

19. Fourth Function: Social Development • A family provides for its social needs by . . . • being friendly • practicing manners • cooperating with others • respecting differences

20. Fifth Function: Moral Development • A family provides for its moral needs by . . . • teaching right from wrong • following the rules • sharing values • acting on beliefs