Care of Mother, Child, and Family (Lecture) – Reviewer #1

The Family and Family Health

Definition of Family

 Diverse as families themselves and the situations they are found in.

Categorized in Two Ways

1. Structural Definitions
 People who share a place of residence, who are related through blood ties or legal contracts.
2. Functional Definition
 Away from blood relationships or a legal definition, focuses instead on the functions families
perform.
 Family is any unit in which there exists;
a. Sharing of resources
b. Caring and supportive relationship
c. Commitment or identification with other family members
d. Preparation of children born to or raised by the members to become adult members of the
society

Family Structures

 Number of adults and children, and how they are related.

Common Family Structures

1. Dyad Family
 Two people living together without children.
 Usually viewed as a temporary arrangement, unless the couple chooses child-free living.
2. Cohabitation Family
 Couple is unmarried and lives together but may or may not have children.
3. Nuclear Family
 Composed of husband, wife, and children.
 Most common structure seen worldwide.
4. Polygamous Family
 Marriage in which a spouse of either sex may have more than one mate at the same time.
 Has been illegal in the US since 1978.
 Common in Middle Easterners.

Two Types of Polygamy

a. Polygyny – marriage with having more than one wife.

b. Polyandry – marriage with having more than one husband.
5. Extended (Multigenerational) Family
 Includes not only the nucleus family but also other family members such as grandparents,
aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandchildren.
6. Single – Parent Family
 A single parent caring for their children without the assistance of the significant other.
7. Blended Family
 A remarriage or reconstituted family, a divorced or widowed person with children
marries someone who also has children.
8. Communal Family
 Formed by groups of people who choose to live together as an extended family.
 The values of commune members may be more oriented towards freedom and free choice
than those of a traditional family.
9. Gay or Lesbian Family
 Individuals of the same sex live together as partners for companionship, financial
security, and sexual fulfillment.
 10. Foster Family
 Children whose parents can no longer care for them may be placed in a foster or
substitute home by a child protection agency.
 Foster parents receive remuneration for their care of the foster child.
11. Adoptive Family
 Many families adopt children today.

Family Functions

a. Affective – vital and focuses on meeting family member’s needs for affection and understanding.
b. Socialization – learning experience within the family to teach children their culture and social roles.
c. Reproductive – ensures family continuity over the generations and the survival of society.
d. Economic – family’s provision and allocation of sufficient resources.
e. Health Care – physical needs like food, clothing, shelter, and healthcare.

Characteristics of a Healthy Family

 Spend Quality Time Together

 Maintain Appropriate Boundaries
a. Boundary of the Self (allowance of each other to have their own personality, interests, etc.)
b. Boundary of the Couple (hierarchy in which parents are responsible for different roles)
c. Boundary Between a Family (members can leave the family to live their own lives)
 Experience Emotional Intimacy
 Share a Commitment to Family
 Express Affirmation, Encouragement, and Affection
 Have a Shared Spirituality
 Freedom to Fail and Receive Forgiveness
 Traditions, Rituals, and Shared Stories
 Manage Crisis and Conflicts in a Timely Matter
 Share a Sense of Humor

Universal Characterics of Family

1. A Family is a Social System

 It is a group of individuals who are interdependent; the choices and actions of one family
member often influence other family members.
2. A Family Performs Basic functions
 Each member has a responsibility towards other family members, towards family, and
towards society.
3. A Family Has a Structure
 Reflects relationships of member of a household who are linked by biological
relatedness, marital and partnership status, and living arrangements.
4. A Family Has its Own Values and Rules
 Family is bound to run by certain family and social regulations.
5. A Family Moves Through Stages
 The development of the family consists of the family life cycle, a series of stages that
encompass roles and tasks.

Duvall’s Eight Stage Family Cycle

1. Beginning Families (The Establishment Phase)

2. The Early Childbearing Families (The Transition to Parenthood)
3. Families with Preschool Children
4. Families with School Children (School – Aged Child)
5. Families with Teenagers (With an Adolescent)
6. The Launching Stage Family
7. The Family of Middle Years (After Children Have Left Home)
8. The Family in Retirement or Older Age