Reading 3 – Family Types

The term „family” defines obligations that group members have to one another, emotionally, socially and economically. Families vary across the globe depending on different factors. In the strictest sense of the word, it is a group of people who are related by blood or by law. But it is not always the case. For example, someone who is not on good terms with their blood family may have friends they might consider to be their family. Pets may be called part of the family.

Family structure has changed dramatically over the last 60 years. Several variations on family have been created. As laws and norms change, so do family structures. The nuclear family is the long-established type of family structure. This family type consists of two parents having one or more children who are biological or adopted. Nuclear families seem to be on the decline nowadays.

Single-parent families consist of one parent, widowed, divorced or never married, raising one or more children on their own. The single- parent family is the biggest change society has seen in terms of the changes in family structures. According to statistics, one in four children is born to a single mother. Single- parent families have been on the rise since the 1960s when divorce rates started going up. It has been suggested that these changes could be due to many different factors, from changing morals in society to increasing arguments over gender roles.

Childless families are couples who either cannot or choose not to have children. Many childless families take on the responsibility of pet ownership or have extensive connections with their nieces and nephews. They may feel children would not be a good fit for their lifestyle if, for example, they travel a lot or do extreme sports.

Over half of all marriages end in divorce, and many of these individuals choose to get remarried. This creates the blended family which involves two separate families merging into one new family. It consists of a new husband, wife, or spouse and their children from previous marriages. Blended families these days are about as common as the nuclear family. There are many grandparents raising their grandchildren for a variety of reasons. One in fourteen children is raised by his or her grandparents, and the parents are not present in the child’s life.

On the whole, families have many different functions, but the most important one is support. Many people consider their close friends to be like their family. In fact, the support and care a friend can bring can be just as important, if not more so, than a family. For one thing, you cannot choose your family, but you can choose your friends, and that can make the bond even stronger.