THE FAMILY

FAMILY AS BASIC UNIT OF THE SOCIETY

 
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.
(NSCB, 2008)
 
A social unit interacting with the larger society (Johnson, 2000)
 
A family is characterized by people together because of birth, marriage, adoption, or choice.
(Allen et al., 2007, p.7)
 
A family 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 et al., 2003, p 10)
FAMILY FORMS
 NUCLEAR FAMILY
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)
 
 DYAD FAMILY
Consisting of only husband and wife, such as new married couples and “empty nesters”
 
 EXTENDED FAMILY
Consisting of three generations, which may include married siblings and their families and/or
grandparents.
 
 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.
 COMPOUND FAMILY
Where a man has more than one spouse; approved by the Philippine authorities only among
Muslims by virtue of Presidential decree No. 1083, also known as the Code of Muslim Personal
Laws of the Philippines (Office of the President, 1977)
 
 COHABITING FAMILY
“Live-in” arrangement between unmarried couple who are called common-law spouses and their
children form such an arrangement
 
 SINGLE PARENT
Results from the death of a spouse, separation, or pregnancy outside of wedlock.
 
Single parenting is faced with greater risk associated with lesser social, emotional, and financial
resources, which affect the general well-being of children and families.
 
 THE GAY OR LESBIAN FAMILY
Made up of cohabiting couple of the same sex in a sexual relationship. The homosexual family
may or may not have children.
 
FUNCTIONS OF THE FAMILY
 Procreation
 Socialization of family members
 Status placement
 Economic function
 
THE FAMILY MEETS THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS THROUGH:
 Physical maintenance
 Welfare and protection
A. TYPES OF FAMILY
1. Family as a client
The family unit is important to the society. The family meets individual needs through provision of
basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, affection, and education). The family supports spouses or
partners by meeting affective, sexual, and socioeconomic needs.
 
IMPORTANCE FOR NURSES TO WORK WITH FAMILIES:
 The family is a critical resource
 In a family unit, any dysfunction (illnesses, injury, separation) that affects one or more family
members will affect the members and unit as a whole. Also called the “ripple effect”.
 Case finding
 Improving nursing care
 
The family provides feedback and influences health services (Freeman and Heinrich, 1981)
 
 
1. Family as a system
The general systems theory (Minuchin, 2002; von Bertalanffy, 1968, 1972, 1974) has been applied
to the study of families. It is a way to explain how the family as a unit interacts with the larger
units outside the family (Friedman, 1998)
 
A. DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF THE FAMILY
 
FAMILY LIFE CYCLE
 Beginning family through marriage or commitment as a couple relationship
 Parenting the first child
 Living adolescent(s)
 Launching family (youngest child leaves home)
 Middle-aged family (remaining marital dyad to retirement)
 Aging family (from retirement to death of both spouses)
A. FAMILY HEALTH TASKS
 Recognizing interruptions of health or development.
 Seeking health care.
 Managing health and nonhealth crises.
 Providing nursing care to sick, disabled, or dependent members of the family.
 Maintaining a home environment conducive to good health and personal development.
 Maintaining a reciprocal relationship with the community and its health institutions.
A. CHARACTERISTIC OF A HEALTHY FAMILY
 Members interact with each other; they communicate and listen repeatedly in many contexts.
 Establish priorities. Members understand that family needs are priority.
 Affirm, support, and respect each other.
 The members engage in flexible role relationships, share power, respond to change, support the
growth and autonomy of others, and engage in decision making that affects them.
 The family teaches family and societal values and beliefs and shares spiritual core.
 Foster responsibility and value service to others.
 Have a sense of play and humor and share leisure time.
 Have the ability to cope with stress and crisis and grow from problems. They know when to seek
help from professionals.