Definition of a 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. It includes both the nuclear and extended
family”. – National Statistical Coordination Board, 2008
 is two or more persons who are joined together by bonds of sharing and emotional closeness
and who identify themselves as being part of the family – Friedman, Bowden and Jones, 2003

FAMILY FORMS
• Nuclear family – “the family of marriage, parenthood, or procreation; composed of a husband,
wife, and their immediate children – natural, adopted or both
• Dyad family – consist only of husband and wife, newly married couples or “empty nest”
• Extended family – consist of three generations, which may include married siblings and their
families and/or grandparents
• Blended family – results from union where one or both spouses bring a child or children from
previous marriage into a new living arrangement
• Compound family – a man has more than one spouse
• Cohabiting family - “live-in” arrangement between unmarried couple
• Single parent – results from a death of a spouse, separation, or pregnancy outside of wedlock
• Gay or lesbian family – made up of cohabiting couple of the same sex in a sexual relationship

TYPES OF FAMILY
I. FUNCTIONAL TYPE:
 FAMILY OF PROCREATION - refers to the family you yourself created.
 FAMILY OF ORIENTATION - refers to the family where you came from.
II. 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 – the head of the family is the only one who decide for the family
 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
III. 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
IV. 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
FUNCTIONS OF THE FAMILY
 Meet the needs of individual family members
 meet the needs of the society
 Procreation – universally accepted institution for reproductive function and child rearing
 Socialization of family members – for children the family is the “first teacher” instructing the
in societal rules
 Status Placement - family confers the societal rank on the children
 Economic Function –the rural family is a unit of production where the whole family works as a
team
 Physical Maintenance – family provides for the survival needs (food, clothing and shelter
 Welfare and Protection – family supports spouses or parents by providing for companionship
and meeting affective, sexual, and socioeconomic needs.

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;
 The need for self-expression does not over shadow consideration for others.
 Power is equitably distributed.
 Independence is permitted to flourish.
 The family relates to the community
 Family develops a stance with respect to the community:
  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.
 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)

FAMILY ROLES
Nurturing figure– primary caregiver to children or any dependent member.
Provider – provides the family’s basic needs.
Decision maker– makes decisions particularly in areas such as finance, resolution, of conflicts, use of
leisure time etc.
Problem-solver– resolves family problems to maintain unity and solidarity.
Health manager– monitors the health and ensures that members return to health appointments.
Gate keeper-Determines what information will be released from the family or what new information
can be introduced.

STAGES OF FAMILY by DUVALL & MILLER, 1985

1. Beginning family through marriage or commitment as a couple relationship
2. Parenting the firs child
3. Living with adolescent(s)
4. Launching Family (youngest child leave home)
5. Middle-aged family (remaining marital dyad to retirement)
6. Aging family (from retirement to death of both spouse)

STAGES AND TASKS OF THE FAMILY LIFE CYCLE by WRIGHT LM & LEAHEY M.
1. Marriage : joining of families
 formation of identity as a couple
 inclusion o spouse in realignment of relationships with extended families
 Parenthood: making decisions
2. Families with young children
 Integration of children into family unit
 adjustment of tasks: child raring, financial and household
 accommodation of new parenting and grand parenting roles
3. Families with adolescents
 development of increasing autonomy for adolescents
 midlife reexamination of marital and career issues
 initial shift towards concern for the older generation
4. Families as launching centers
 establishment of independent identities for parents and grown children
 renegotiation of marital relationship
 readjustment of relationship to include in-laws and grandchildren
 dealing with disabilities and death of older generation
5. Aging families
 maintaining couple and individual functioning while adapting to the aging process
 support role of middle generation
 support and autonomy of older generation
 preparation for own death and dealing with the loss of spouse and siblings and other peers