Family Structures, Functions and Household Types

Family Definitions and Typology

• Nuclear Family: Consists of parents and their children living together.
• Extended Family: Includes other relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
• Single-Parent Family: Only one parent is responsible for the children.
• Simultaneous or blended Family: One or both partners have children from previous relationships and form a new family.
• Bicultural or Multicultural Family: Composed of people from different cultures or nationalities.

Main Functions of the Family

• Biological: Reproduction and care of children.
• Affective: Provides love, security, and emotional support.
• Socializing: Teaches values and norms of coexistence.
• Economic: Managing resources and meeting basic needs.
• Educational: Transmission of knowledge and skills.

Household Definitions According to INEGI

• Family Household: Nuclear, extended, or composite.
• Non-Family Household: Single-person or co-resident.
• Reference Person: The household member recognized as responsible for the other members.

Stages of the Family Life Cycle

• Infatuation: Initial attraction, idealization of the partner.
• Marriage: Adjustment of expectations, roles, and dynamics of coexistence.
• Family with Young Children: Adapting to parenting, dividing responsibilities.
• Family with Adolescents: Greater independence for children, establishing flexible rules.
• Children Leaving Home: Readjustment of roles, restructuring the couple's relationship.
• Old Age: Health changes, support from children, redefining family identity.

Factors of Attraction and Mate Selection

• Idealization: Exaggerating the positive qualities of the partner.
• Fusion: Seeking to share everything with the partner, sometimes losing individuality.
• Expectations in Marriage: Security, stability, love, emotional support.
• Important Factors in Partner Selection: Compatibility of values, physical attraction, emotional stability, common interests.

Crisis in the Life Cycle

• Evolving or Standard Crisis: They are expected and occur naturally (birth of a child, adolescence, retirement).
• Paranormal or Emerging Crisis: Unexpected and can generate more stress (divorce, death of a family member, serious illness).

Differences

• Standard ones are predictable and allow anticipation of coping strategies.
• Paranormal require faster adjustments and can generate disorganization in the family.

Adaptation to Crisis

• Family Resources to Face Crisis: Communication, emotional support, flexibility.
• Objectives of Intervention in Crisis: Restore stability, improve communication, strengthen family ties.
• Family Coping: Strategies used by the family to manage stress.

Coping Strategies

• Cognitive: Restructuring the problem, positive thinking.
• Emotional: Expression of feelings, psychological support.
• Behavioral: Search for solutions, reorganization of roles.

Risk and Protection Factors in the Family

• Risk Factors: Elements that increase the likelihood of family problems (violence, addictions, economic problems, lack of communication).
• Protection Factors: Elements that strengthen the family and reduce the likelihood of crises (effective communication, mutual support, economic stability, solid values).

Examples

• Individual Risk Factors: Depression, impulsivity, low self-esteem.
• Individual Protection Factors: Emotional intelligence, resilience, social skills.
• Family Risk Factors: Constant conflicts, parental neglect.
• Family Protection Factors: Healthy affective relationships, emotional support, conflict resolution.