NCM 204 - CHN LEC
WHAT IS A FAMILY?
- Basic unit of the society
- Provides a set of functions important to the
needs of the individual members and to
society as a whole
- Provides the individual with the necessary
environment for the development and
interactions
- Provides new and socialized members of
the society
- It is a group of persons united by ties of
marriage, blood or adoption (Burgess &
Locke, 1992)
- A unity of interacting persons related by ties
of marriage, birth or adoption, who’s central
purpose is to create and maintain a
common culture which promotes the
physical, mental, emotional, and social
development of each of its members
(Duvall, 1971)
- Composed of two or more people who are
joined together by bonds of sharing and
emotional closeness and who identify
themselves as being part of the family
(Friedman, 2003)
TYPES OF FAMILY
1. Nuclear Family
- Defined as “the family of marriage,
parenthood, or procreation;
composed of a husband, wife, and
their immediate children-natural,
adopted or both” (Friedman et al.,
2003.p.10)
2. Dyad Family
- Consisting only of husband and wife,
such as newly married couples and
“empty nesters”
3. Extended Family
- Consisting of three generations
which may include married siblings
and their families and/or
grandparents
4. Multigeneration Family
- Grandmother, daughter, and
granddaughter’s nuclear
5. Blended Family
- Results from a union where one or
both spouses bring a child or
children from a previous marriage
into a new living arrangement
6. Compound Family
- Where a man has more than one
spouse, approved by Philippine
authorities only among Muslims by
virtue of PD No. 1083 aka Code of
Muslim Personal Laws of the
Philippines (Office of the President
1977)
7. Cohabiting Family
- Commonly described as a “live in”
arrangement between an unmarried
couple who are called common law
spouses and their child or children
from such an arrangement
8. Single Parent
- Results from the death of a spouse,
separation, or pregnancy outside of
wedlock
9. Foster Family
- Children whose parents can no
longer care for them may be placed
in a foster or substitute home by a
child protection
- Foster parents may or may not have
children of their own
10. Group Network
- Nuclear families not related by birth
or marriage but bound by a common
set of values as religious systems
11. Gay or Lesbian Family
- Made up of cohabiting couple of the
same sex in a sexual relationship
NON-TRADITIONAL
1. Commune Family
- Several unrelated couple living
together
- Share facilities in some form of
society they come for economical
reasons, beliefs, and cultures
2. Group Marriage Commune Family
- Several adults married to each
other, share everything including sex
and child raising
FUNCTIONS OF THE FAMILY
 The family meets the needs of society
through:
NCM 204 - CHN LEC
1. Procreation
- Despite the changing forms of the
family, it has remained the
universally accepted institution for
reproductive function and child
rearing
2. Socialization of Family Members
- Involves transmission of the culture
of a social group
3. Status Placement
- Family confers its social rank on the
children
- Depending on the degree of social
mobility in a society the family and
children’s future families may move
from one social class to another
(Medina, 2001)
4. Economic Function
- Rural family is a unit of production
(work as a team)
- Urban family is more of a unit of
consumption (work separately)
 Specifically, the family meets the individual
needs through:
1. Physical Maintenance
- Family provides for the survival
needs of its dependent members
2. Welfare and Protection
- Family supports spouses or partners
by providing for companionship and
meeting affective, sexual, and
socioeconomic needs
- By developing a sense of love and
belonging the family gives the
children emotional gratification and
psychological security (Medina,
2001) The family is the source of
motivation and morale for its
members