The Concept of Family
Definition of Family
• The concept of family or the role of the family remains to be defined by universal agreement.
• Various disciplines have developed their own definition of family. Each is based on that field.
• Sociological viewpoint – enduring social form in which a person is incorporated
• Biologic viewpoint – genetic transmission unit
• Psychologic viewpoint – matrix of personality development and the most intimate emotional unit of society
A few examples of the differing definitions of family illustrate the many perspective form which people view the family.
United Nations:
• A group of people related by blood, marriages or adoption, which live together in one household.
Parsons and Bales:
• That social unity whose primary tasks are socialization of children and the stabilization of adult personalities
Ramsey and Lewis:
• A small social system made up of individuals related to each other, biologically or by reason of strong affections and loyalty, that comprises a permanent household (or cluster of households) and persists over decades. Members enter through birth, marriage or adoption and leave by death; roles of members change over time and through the history of the group.
• Common to all definitions of family are that families comprise more than one person, with at least one adult, and that these persons are related to one another by blood or social contract.
Characteristics of Family
• The family is a basic unit found in some form in all societies. It is special kind of small group which has unique characteristics different from other social system.
• The family has inherent strength because of inherited and developmental commonalities, affectional ties, and social expectations that it should operate in certain ways.
• 1. Family membership implies a lifelong involvement.
• Membership in the family unit is virtually permanent. Members are not expelled because of decrease ability to function or because of change in priorities of the family as an organization. One can never totally deny one’s parent, siblings or children.
• 2. Family relationships are primarily affectional in nature.
• Families place a higher value on caring, loving and affection than other social groups. The emotional structure of the family tends to be very strong, and family membership constitutes a fundamental part of each individual’s identity.
• 3. Family endures through time.
• Families are primary groups which endure over relatively long period of time. It is each member’s shared identification of himself as part of a family which binds that unit together rather than any specific tie such as blood, marriage or residence.
• Despite built in problems and conflicts in the family, there are bonds of affection, a sense of responsibility, and sense of belonging that continuously draw the family together.
• 4. Family members have shared attributes
• Some physical and psychological attributes are genetically influenced, so family members often have similar attributes. Living in the same home, sharing social activities, having similar schooling, and experiencing the same successes and failures give family members a common background in which they can comfortably develop.
Basic Areas of Family Function
1. Biologic
a. Child rearing/caring
b. Nutrition
c. Health maintenance
d. Recreation
e. Reproduction
- Economic
- Provision of adequate financial resources
- Resource allocation
- Ensure financial security of members
- Educational
- Teach, skills, attitudes relating to other function
4. Psychologic/Affection
a. Promote the natural development of personalities
b. Offer optimum psychological protection
c. Promotes ability to form relationship with people in the family circle
5. Socio-cultural
a. Socialization of children promotion of status and legitimacy
Types of Families
1. Nuclear Family
Persons and Bales, 1955:
• The members of the nuclear family, consisting of parents and their still dependent children, ordinarily occupying a separate dwelling not shared with members of the family of origin/orientation of their spouse.
• The household is in the typical case economically independent, subsiding in the first instance from the occupational earnings of the husband/father.
2. Nuclear Family Dyad
Childless husband and wife or to “empty nesters” whose children have grown and left home.
3. Extended Family
Three generations or more living in a household either unilaterally or bilaterally extended.
4. Kin Network Family
Nuclear households or unmarried members living in close geographical proximity and operating within a reciprocal system of exchange of goods and services.
5. Single Parent Family
This is consist of only one parent with one or more children, an arrangement resulting from divorce, separation, abandonment, death, adoption, never-married parent, or one parent is working away from the family (OFW’s)
6. Blended Family
Remarried men and women, living in common household with children from previous marriages. The new family also may produce offspring of its own. The media commonly refers to this form of family as “yours, mine, and ours”
7. Communal/Corporate Family
Groupings of individuals which are formed for specific ideological societal purposes. Considered as an alternative lifestyle for people who feel alienated from the predominantly economically oriented society.
Types of Communal Family:
a. Monogamous – household of more than one monogamous couple with children, sharing common facilities, resources, and appliances; socialization of the child is a group activity
b. Group marriage – household of adults and offspring known as one family, where all individuals are married to each other and all are parents to the children; usually develops a status system with leaders believed to have charisma
c. Highly formalized structures
Ex: Amish Community in Lancaster County Pennsylvania
d. Loosely knit groups
Ex: Sta. Cruz mountains near Boulder Creek in California
8. Institutional Family
Children in orphanages, residential schools, or correctional institutions
Family Social Class Patterns
Upper Class
• much more closely knit, greater concern for maintaining family name and prestige
Middle Class
• believes in hard work, initiative, independence, responsibility economic security and self-improvement through education
Lower Class
• sees life as a continuous struggle for survival, resigned to a life of frustration and defect
Characteristics of Filipino Family
1. closely knit
2. bilaterally extended
3. strong family orientation
4. authority is based on seniority/age
5. externally patriarchal, internally matriarchal
6. high value on education of children
7. predominantly Catholic (80% of population)
8. child-centered
9. average number is 5 (NEDA statistics)
10. environmental stresses: economic, political industrialization/urbanization, health problems
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