Family Handout PDF

**FAMILY -- A Handout** **Family as a Basic Unit of the Societ[y]** **The family is a group of persons usually living together and composed of the head and other persons related to the head by blood, marriage or adoption.** - **"Social unit interacting with a larger society." Johnson,2000** -...

**FAMILY -- A Handout** **Family as a Basic Unit of the Societ[y]** **The family is a group of persons usually living together and composed of the head and other persons related to the head by blood, marriage or adoption.** - **"Social unit interacting with a larger society." Johnson,2000** - **"A family is characterized by people together because of marriage, adoption, or choice". Allen et al.,2000** - **"A family is two or more persons who joined together by bonds of sharing and sharing emotional closeness and who identify themselves as being part of the family. Friedman et al.2003** **[Types of Family]** A. ***IN TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP*** B. ***BASED ON DESCENT*** C. ***BASED ON RESIDENCE*** D. ***BASED ON AUTHORITY*** **A. In terms of Membership** **1. Nuclear - composed of a husband, wife, and their immediate children -- natural, adopted or both.** **Classification of Nuclear Family:** a. Family of Orientation - is the family that person creates through having and or adopting children. b. Family of Procreation - is the family that a person is born into and/or raised within **2. Extended - include married sibling and their families and/or grandparents.** **3. Dyad - consisting of only husband and wife, such as newly married couple and empty nester.** **4. Blended - one or both spouses bring a child or children from a previous marriage.** **5. Compound - where a man has more than one spouse.** **6. Cohabiting - a "live in" arrangement between an unmarried couple and children.** **7. Single-parent - death of spouse, separation or pregnancy outside of wedlock.** **8*. Gay* or *Lesbian -* same sex cohabiting couple in a sexual relationship.** **B. Based on Descent:** **1. Patrilineal descent - related through his father** **2. Matrilineal descent - related through his mother** **3. Bilateral descent - related through both parents** **C. Based on Residence:** 1. **Patrilocal residence - live with or near the groom's parents.** 2. **Matrilocal residence - live with or near the bride's parents.** 3. **Bilocal - staying with either the groom's parent or the bride's parent.** 4. **Neolocal - reside independently from the parents.** 5. **Avunlocal - resides with or near the maternal relatives.** E. **Based on Authority** 1. **Patriarchal Family - the authority is vested in the oldest male in the family.** 2. **Matriarchal Family - the authority is vested in the mother; or the mother's kin.** 3. **Equalitarian Family- equal authority both husband and the wife.** 4. **Matricentric Family - the father commutes and therefore is absent for the greater part of descent.** - **The Family as a Client** **The family meets individual needs through provision of basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, affection and education) and supports spouses or partners by meeting affective, sexual, and socioeconomic needs.** - **The Family as a System** **Each member of the system is to a certain extent, independent of other member, yet the members are in so many ways dependent on each other. Thus, the family is certainly more than just the sum of its members.** **[Functions of the Family]** **The family fulfills two (2) important purposes:** **1. The first is to meet the [society needs] of the family members through:** - **Procreation...**for reproductive function and child rearing. - **Socialization of family members...**is the process of learning how to become productive members of society. - **Status placement...**Society is characterized by a hierarchy of its members into social classes. - **Economic function...**[rural family] works as a team, in *farming*, *fishing*, or *cottage industrie*s while [urban family] productive member work separately to *earn wages* or *salarie*s. **2. The second, is to meet the [individual needs] of the family members.** - **Physical maintenance...**provides survival needs (foods, shelter and clothing) of its dependent members. - **Welfare and production...**supports spouses or partners by providing for companionship and meeting affective, sexual and socioeconomic needs. **Developmental Stages of the Family** **Stages and Task of the Family Life Cycle** **1. Marriage: joining of family** a. Formation of identity as a couple b. Inclusion of spouse in realignment of relationships with extended families c. Parenthood: making decisions **2. Families with young children** a. Integration of children into family unit b. Adjustment of task: child rearing, financial and household c. Accommodation of new parenting and grand parenting roles **3. Families with adolescents** a. Development of increasing autonomy for adolescent b. Midlife reexamination of marital and career issues c. Initial shift toward concern for the older generation **4. Families as a launching center** a. Establishment of independent identity for parents and grown children b. Renegotiation of marital relationship c. Readjustment of relationship to include in-laws and grandchildren d. Dealing with disabilities and death of older generation **5. Aging families** a. Maintaining couple and individual functioning while adapting to the aging process b. Support role of middle generation c. Support and autonomy of older generation d. Preparation for own death and dealing with the loss of spouse and/or siblings and other peers **[Family Health Tasks]** - **Recognizing interruption of health or development.** - **Seeking health care.** - **Managing health and non health crises.** - **Providing nursing care to sick, disabled, or dependent member of the family.** - **Maintaining a home environment conducive to good health and personal development.** - **Maintaining a reciprocal relationship with the community and its health institutions*.*** **[Characteristics of a Healthy Family]** - **Member interacts with each other.** - **Healthy families can establish priorities.** - **Healthy families affirm, support, and respect each other.** - **The members engage in flexible role relationships, share power, respond to change, support growth and autonomy of others, and engage in decision making that affects them.** - **The family teaches family and societal values and beliefs and shares a spiritual core.** - **Healthy families foster responsibility and value service to others.** - **Healthy families have a sense of play and humor and share leisure time.** - **Healthy families have the ability to cope with stress and crisis and grow from problems.** **"Families are the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter. Things may change us, but we start and end with the FAMILY".**