PREFINALS Types of The Family The patriarchal family is also known as father centered or

The Important Role, and Function of the Family in Society Based on Birth father dominated family.
The family is a fundamental and universal institution that has existed  Family of Orientation: The family in which an individual is Based on the Nature of Relations
throughout human history. It serves numerous vital roles and functions born is his family of orientation his family of orientation  Conjugal Family: A conjugal family includes only the
are essential to developing and maintaining a healthy and stable society.  Family of Procreation: The family where an individual sets husband, wife and unmarried children who are not adults.
In this article, the importance of the family, its critical role in society, up after his/her marriage is his/her family of procreation. This is also referred to as nuclear family
and its overall contribution to the well-being of the larger community Based on Marriage
will be explored.  Monogamous Family: This family consists of one husband  Consanguine Family: A consanguine family consists of a
One of the family's most crucial functions is providing emotional and and wife, including children and is based on monogamous parent, his or her children and other relatives
physical support to its members. marriages. Based on the size or structure:
Family Members offer love, care, and help to one another, fostering  Polygynous Family: A family consisting of one husband,  Nuclear Family: A nuclear family is a small group
emotional security and stability. Within the family, individuals learn and more than one wife, and all the children born to all the consisting of a husband, a wife and children, natural or
essential life skills, such as problem-solving, communication, and wives or adopted by each of them. adopted.
interpersonal skills, that help them navigate their lives and relationships  Polyandrous Family: A family made up of one wife and  Joint Family: A joint family consists of three generations,
with others. more than one husband, and the children, either born or living together under the same roof, sharing the same kitchen
Another vital role of the family in society is transmitting cultural adopted with each one of them. and purse or economic expenses.
values and traditions. Families often pass down religious, moral, and Based on Residence 8 Common Family Structures in Modern-Day Society
ethical values and traditions from generation to generation. These  Family of Matrilocal Residence: When a couple stays in 1. Nuclear Family
shared values and traditions contribute to the overall cohesiveness a the wife's house, the family is known as family of matrilocal Nuclear families consist of two parents and at least one child. When you
stability of the larger community. residence. think of a traditional family structure-married parents and their children
The family also plays a vital role in the socialization and education of  Family of Patrilocal Residence: When a family stays in the (either biological or adopted) in a family home-that's a nuclear family.
children. house of husband, the family is known as family of patrilocal They're also called "elementary" families and tend to be among the most
Parents and caregivers serve as primary teachers and role models residence. common types-though numbers have started decreasing in recent years.
for their children, teaching them the skills and values necessary for life  Family of Changing Residence: When a family stays in the The core idea behind nuclear families is that parents raise kids together
in society. husband's house for some time, and moves to wife's house, under one roof.
Parents also provide opportunities for children to learn in a safe and stays there for a period, and then moves back to husband's Strengths:
nurturing environment, which is essential for the healthy development parents, or starts living in another place, the family is called  There are two parents set good examples for the kids.
of children. a family of changing residence.  Joint salaries tend to make life more financially stable.
The family's function extends further into society, as healthy families  Home life is often more consistent for kids.
are the foundational units of healthy communities. Strong families Weaknesses:
contribute to society's overall stability by producing responsible and  This family unit tends to share like-minded ideas and may
productive citizens who positively impact their communities. struggle to resolve conflicts with extended family members
Parents who raise their children with respect, responsibility, and who have differing opinions.
kindness help create a more compassionate and just society in  Living apart from extended relatives can weaken the family's
conclusion, the family is a vital institution that provides emotional support system.
support, transmits cultural values and traditions, educates children, and 2. Single-Parent Family
serves as the foundation for healthy and stable communities. Single-parent families involve one parent raising one or more children.
By recognizing the roles and functions of the family in society, we can The family unit often consists of a mother and her kids, a father and his
better appreciate the significance of nurturing and supporting the family kids, or a person and their kids, though they may also get support from
unit and promoting healthy family relationships extended family. Single-parent families have become increasingly
Characteristics of Family Based on Ancestry or Descent common due to rising divorce rates and more kids being born out of
 Universality: Malinowski writes the typical family a group  Matrilineal Family: When ancestry or descent is traced wedlock. As outdated gender roles decline, more people feel
consisting of mother, father and their progeny is found in all through the female line, or through the mother's side, the comfortable being parents while single!
communities, savage, barbarians and civilized. family is called matrilineal family. Strengths:
 Emotional basis: It is built upon sentiments of love,  Patrilineal Family: A family in which the authority is  . The parents and their kids often become especially close.
affection, sympathy, cooperation and friendship. carried down the male line, and descent is traced through the  Kids tend to learn responsibility from a young age.
 Limited size: The family is smaller in size. It is the smallest male line or the father's side, is called a patrilineal family.  Both parents and children tend to be very resilient.
social unit. Based on Authority Weaknesses:
 Formative influence: It shapes the personality and molds  Matriarchal Family: In these families, a woman is the head  It may be harder to make ends meet with only one income.
the character of its members. of the family, and authority is vested in her.  Childcare can be difficult for a parent to work full-time.
 Responsibility of the members: The members of the family The matriarchal family is known as mother centered or 3. Extended Family
have certain responsibilities, duties and obligations. mother dominated family. The mother or the woman is the Extended families consist of multiple extended relatives living together.
 Social regulation: The society takes precautions to head of the family. In an extended family, parents live with their kids and other relatives
safeguard this organization from any possible breakdown.  Patriarchal Family: In patriarchal families, the head of the (related by either blood or marriage) under one roof, such as aunts,
family is a male, and authority is vested with him. uncles, cousins, or grandparents. Next to nuclear families, this structure
is also considered fairly traditional. Families tend to do this so that they with children of their own-the result is a blended stepfamily. While it
can raise their kids together and support one another along the way. can be tough to transition into a stepfamily structure, some children
Strengths: come to see their stepparents as close relatives or even parents; as they
 These families emphasize values like respect, courtesy, and come together, stepfamilies must learn to work together and rely on one
caring for the elderly. another.
 The family has more social support among all the various Strengths:
relatives.  Children get to bond with their stepsiblings and stepparents.
 In an extended family, there are more people to help with  Kids get to have two (or more) parental figures to look up to.
chores.  This family type also relies on two incomes instead of one.
Weaknesses: Weaknesses:
 If living space is limited, lack of privacy can be problematic.  Parents and children may take time to adjust to their new
 Income can be tough to manage if the parents support several family dynamic.
different relatives.  Parents may have problems disciplining one another's
4. Same-Sex Family children.
Same-sex families simply have two parents of the same gender. A 7. Grandparent Family
same-sex family structure is like the nuclear family type. In grandparents’ families, grandparents care for kids instead of parents.
However, kids are raised by same-gender parents who are Though considered rare, research shows that grandparent families are
typically married or in a committed partnership, with children becoming more common. Grandparent families often form when parents
either adopted or biologically related to one parent. This family of children can't (or refuse to) take proper care of their kids and one or
structure become more common after same-sex marriage was more of the children's grandparents step up instead. In those cases,
legalized in the United States in 2015, and LGBT rights gained grandparents typically fulfill the role of parents in their grandchildren's
more social acceptance. lives.
Strengths: Strengths:
 There are two parents setting a good example for their kids.  This kind of family prevents kids from entering the foster
 Two salaries make it easier to afford childcare. care system.
 Despite concerns that same-sex families aren't healthy for  Kids have a stable life with two parental figures to look up
kids, research shows that kids of same-parents do as well (or to.
better than) kids from nuclear families in terms of their well-  Grandparents have the chance to form a deeper bond with
being, development, education, and more. their grandkids.
Weaknesses: Weaknesses:
 Much like nuclear families, excluding extended relatives can  Income may be an issue if the grandparents don't work full-
undermine the family support system. time jobs
5. Family Without Children  It may be tough for grandparents to care for kids as they get
Families without kids often consist of couples in committed older.
relationships. Simply put, some couples either can't have kids or choose 8. Polyamorous Family
not to have them-but that doesn't mean they aren't a family. In fact, Polyamorous families include two or more parents raising kids together.
families without children are rising in number as more and more This is a new family structure, often seen as unconventional. Polyamory
couples today decide they don't ever want to have kids. Rather, many refers to committed relationships between two or more partners who are
childless families tend to focus on caring for pets or helping to care for open to romantic connections with other people as well and in poly
their nieces and nephews. families, those partners raise kids together. For example, a family that
Strengths: practices polyamory could have three fathers and a mother or two
 Couples have more one-on-one time together. mothers and two fathers.
 Couples also have more disposable income without
childcare expenses. Strengths:
 They have the freedom to travel and pursue different  Bigger families often enjoy greater stability.
careers.  There's more income for childcare and living expenses.
Weaknesses:  There are more parents to share in the challenges and
 Infertility is an issue and the couple wants kids, being responsibilities of childcare.
childless can be painful. Weaknesses:
 Couples may feel a little isolated when other friends or  There may be legal challenges to figure out (many regions
family start having kids. have restrictions on listing parents for a child's birth
certificate).
 Kids with polyamorous parents may have to deal with other
6. Stepfamily people's judgment of them
Stepfamilies involve two separate families merging into one new unit.
When divorced or widowed parents remarry someone new-sometimes