Types of Family

 There are many types of family. They change overtime as a

consequence of BIRTH, DEATH, MIGRATION, SEPARATION and
GROWTH OF FAMILY MEMBERS
A. Structure
NUCLEAR- a father, a mother with child/children living together but
apart from both sets of parents and other relatives.
 EXTENDED- composed of two or more nuclear families
economically and socially related to each other. Multigenerational,
including married brothers and sisters, and the families.
 SINGLE PARENT-divorced or separated, unmarried or widowed male
or female with at least one child.
 BLENDED/RECONSTITUTED-a combination of two families with
children from both families and sometimes children of the newly
married couple. It is also a remarriage with children from previous
marriage.
 COMPOUND-one man/woman with several spouses
 COMMUNAL-more than one monogamous couple sharing resources
 COHABITING/LIVE-IN-unmarried couple living together
 DYAD—husband and wife or other couple living alone without
children
 GAY/LESBIAN-homosexual couple living together with or without
children
 NO-KIN- a group of at least two people sharing a relationship and
exchange support who have no legal or blood tie to each other
 FOSTER- substitute family for children whose parents are unable to
care for them
FUNCTIONAL TYPE:

 FAMILY OF PROCREATION- refers to the family you yourself

created.
 FAMILY OF ORIENTATION-refers to the family where you came
from.
B. Decisions in the family (Authority)
  PATRIARCHAL – full authority on the father or any male member of
the family e.g. eldest son, grandfather
 MATRIARCHAL – full authority of the mother or any female member
of the family, e.g. eldest sister, grandmother
 EGALITARIAN- husband and wife exercise a more or less amount of
authority, father and mother decides
 DEMOCRATIC – everybody is involve in decision making
 AUTHOCRATIC-
 LAISSEZ-FAIRE- “full autonomy”
 MATRICENTRIC- the mother decides/takes charge in absence of the
father (e.g. father is working overseas)
 PATRICENTIC- the father decides/ takes charge in absence of the
mother
C. Decent (cultural norms, which affiliate a person with a particular
group of kinsman for certain social purposes)
 PATRILINEAL – Affiliates a person with a group of relatives who are
related to him though his father
 BILATERAL- both parents
 MATRILINEAL – related through mother
D. Residence
 PATRILOCAL – family resides / stays with / near domicile of the
parents of the husband
 MATRILOCAL – live near the domicile of the parents of the wife
Ackerman States that the Function of Family are:
1. Insuring the physical survival of the species
2. Transmitting the culture, thereby insuring man’s humanness
 Physical functions of the family are met through parents
providing food, clothing and shelter, protection against
danger provision for bodily repairs after fatigue or illness,
and through reproduction
 Affect ional function – the family is the primary unit in
which he child test his emotional reactions
 Social functions – include providing social togetherness,
fostering self esteem and a personal identity tied to family
identity, providing opportunity for observing and learning
 social and sexual roles, accepting responsibility for
behavior and supporting individual creativity and initiative.
Universal Function of the Family by Doode
 REPRODUCTION – for replacement of members of society: to
perpetuate the human species
 STATUS PLACEMENT of individual in society
 BIOLOGICAL and MAINTENANCE OF THE YOUNG and dependent
members
 Socialization and care of the children;
 Social control
The Family as a Unit of Care
Rationale for Considering the Family as a Unit of Care:
 The family is considered the natural and fundamental unit of society
 The family as a group generates, prevents, tolerates and corrects
health problems within its membership
 The health problems of the family members are interlocking
 The family is the most frequent focus of health decisions and action
in personal care
 The family is an effective and available channel for much of the
effort of the health worker
The Family as the Client
Characteristics of a Family as a Client
 The family is a product of time and place-

 A family is different from other family who lives in another
location in many ways.
 A family who lived in the past is different from another
family who lives at present in many ways.
 The family develops its own lifestyle

 Develop its own patterns of behavior and its own style in
life.
 Develops their own power system which either be:
  Balance-the parents and children have their own
areas of decisions and control.
 Strongly Bias-one member gains dominance over
the others.
 The family operate as a group

 A family is a unit in which the action of any member may
set of a whole series of reaction within a group, and entity
whose inner strength may be its greatest single supportive
factor when one of its members is stricken with illness or
death.
 The family accommodates the needs of the individual members.

 An individual is unique human being who needs to assert
his or herself in a way that allows him to grow and
develop.
 Sometimes, individual needs and group needs seem to
find a natural balance;
1. The need for self-expression does not over
shadow consideration for others.
2. Power is equitably distributed.
3. Independence is permitted to flourish.
 The family relates to the community

 Family develops a stance with respect to the community:
1. The relationship between the families is
wholesome and reciprocal; the family utilizes the
community resources and in turn, contributes to
the improvement of the community.
2. There are families who feel a sense of isolation
from the community.
 Families who maintain proud, “We
keep to ourselves” attitude.
 Families who are entirely passive
taking the benefits from the
 community without either contributing
to it or demanding changes to it.
 The family has a growth cycle

 Families pass through predictable development stages
(Duvall & Miller, 1990)
 STAGES:
 Stage 1: MARRIAGE & THE FAMILY
 Involves merging of values brought
into the relationship from the families
of orientation.
 Includes adjustments to each other’s
routines (sleeping, eating, chores,
etc.), sexual and economic aspects.
 Members work to achieve 3 separate
identifiable tasks:
1. Establish a mutually
satisfying relationship
2. Learn to relate well to their
families of orientation
3. If applicable, engage in
reproductive life planning
 Stage 2: EARLY CHILDBEARING FAMILY
 Birth or adoption of a first child which
requires economic and social role
changes
 Oldest child: 2-1/2 years
 Stage 3: FAMILY WITH PRE-SCHOOL
CHILDREN 
 This is a busy family because children
at this stage demand a great deal of
time related to growth and
development needs and safety
considerations.
 Oldest child: 2-1/2 to 6 years old
 Stage 4: FAMILY WITH SCHOOL AGE
CHILDREN 
  Parents at this stage have important
responsibility of preparing their
children to be able to function in a
complex world while at the same time
maintaining their own satisfying
marriage relationship.
 Oldest child: 6-12 years old
 Stage 5: FAMILY WITH ADOLESCENT
CHILDREN 
 A family allows the adolescents more
freedom and prepare them for their
own life as technology advances-gap
between generations increases
 Oldest child: 12-20 years old
 Stage 6: THE LAUNCHING CENTER FAMILY 
 Stage when children leave to set their
own household-appears to represent
the breaking of the family
 Empty nests
 Stage 7: FAMILY OF MIDDLE YEARS 
 Family returns to two partners nuclear
unit
 Period from empty nest to retirement
 Stage 8: FAMILY IN RETIREMENT/OLDER AGE 
 Stage 9: PERIOD FROM RETIREMENT TO
DEATH OF BOTH SPOUSES