What Are the Four Types of Family Structures

J Family Med Prim Care. 2013 Oct-Dec; 2(4): 306–310.

The Family unit and Family unit Structure Nomenclature Redefined for the Current Times

Rahul Sharma

Department of Community Medicine, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, India

Abstract

The family is a bones unit of study in many medical and social science disciplines. Definitions of family unit accept varied from country to land, and also within country. Considering of this and the changing realities of the electric current times, there is a felt need for redefining the family and the common family structure types, for the purpose of study of the family unit equally a factor in health and other variables of interest. A redefinition of a "family" has been proposed and various nuances of the definition are also discussed in particular. A classification scheme for the various types of family has also been put forward. A few exceptional case scenarios have been envisaged and their classification as per the new scheme is discussed, in a bid to clarify the classification scheme further. The proposed scheme should prove to be of utilize across various countries and cultures, for broadly classifying the family structure. The unique scenarios of particular cultures can exist taken into account by defining region or culture-specific subtypes of the overall types of family structure.

Keywords: Classification, definition, family, family unit structure, types of family

Introduction

The family every bit an integrated and functional unit of gild has for a considerable period of fourth dimension captured the attention and imagination of researchers.[1] While the family itself is a affair of study, equally of import for inquiry is its office as a factor influencing and affecting the development, behavior, and well-existence of the individual. The family is a basic unit of report in many social science disciplines, such every bit sociology, psychology, economics, anthropology, social psychiatry, and social work.[ii] It is also a unit of study in the medical sciences particularly in understanding the epidemiology and the natural history of diseases. It also forms the basic unit for family medicine. Census definitions of family unit have varied from state to land and also from demography to census inside state. The word household has frequently been used as a replacement for family. Using the definition as "all people living in one household" may exist erroneous, as on ane manus it may include people who exercise not share kinship, and on other hand may exclude those kin members who are temporarily away.[three] This blazon of definition fails to identify units that function as families in an economical, social or emotional sense but do not usually reside in the same household.[4] Although the literature often focuses on family living arrangements, family membership includes obligations across and between generations, no matter where family members are living.[five]

The UNESCO report stated that a family unit is a kinship unit and that fifty-fifty when its members practice not share a common household, the unit may be equally a social reality.[3] This definition may be too broad to serve the purpose of identification of a family for the purpose of assessment as a cistron in variables such equally health. Just to give an instance, a family in a developing country has a son living in the USA, happily married there with a wife, and he sends beyond some money to the other family unit members back abode occasionally and visits the country once in many years. Should he still exist counted as a member of the original family? Does this person (and his wife) share the same risks to their immediate health as the other family members back in the shared household? Would this individual and his dependants in the new environment take admission to the aforementioned kind of health care options as the other family members living in the country of birth? And would the offspring of this person built-in in the strange country feel the same sociocultural and environmental exposures, every bit (south)he would have come up into contact with growing upwards in the country of origin?

Trask[half-dozen] observed that while in the past, locale mattered, today social relationships are maintained over great distances with ease. Global communications such equally the net, e-mail, and satellite linkups are facilitating these relationships over space and fourth dimension. Still, keeping in mind the previous pertinent questions that are raised if we want to consider the "family" as a factor influencing and interacting with other variable characteristics (such as health, environment, social behavior, etc.), the scales are nevertheless tilted toward defining the family as people ordinarily sharing a common living area. The meaning of the term "family unit" besides depends on whether it is being interpreted in a social, biological, cultural, or statistical sense.[4] Information technology is important to identify a family unit unit and the members constituting the unit, for the purpose of studying their health, for example.

Demand for Redefining

Desai (1994), equally cited in Sonawat[2] defined the family every bit a unit of ii or more persons united by spousal relationship, blood, adoption, or consensual marriage, in general consulting a single household, interacting and communicating with each other. While the definition is more often than not fine, the interacting and communicating with each other may be a difficult thing to arm-twist or decide. An existing textbook of the medical specialty of customs medicine makes it more than objective by defining the interdependence role equally "individuals living together and eating from a common kitchen."[7] Information technology considers and defines three types of families: Nuclear, joint, and three generation families. However, applied feel in community has shown that these categories are not mutually exhaustive.

There are several new social dynamics and realities emerging with time. For example, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 of India recognizes and provides protection to female living in a relationship in the nature of a marriage with a male partner.[8] Family research provides insight into the structure of society and the changes taking identify in the types, composition, and growth of families.[4] Families tin be classified in several unlike dimensions, for example, by union type (monogamous, polygamous), by location (patrilocal, matrilocal, and avunculocal), authority (patriarchy, matriarchy), and by kin composition (nuclear, articulation).[three] In the present new classification, only the kin limerick has been taken into account. Adjectives can be added to define the family as per marriage type or by locus of residence or authority.

In a social sense people may see themselves equally beingness members of several families, as members of families with their parents and siblings and also members of families that they have formed themselves.[4] However, in the current proposed nomenclature for the purpose of family unit, the view is that an individual will in usual circumstance vest to ane family only in a given role.

Because of the multitude of definitions of "family" and the changing realities of the current times, at that place is a felt need for redefining the family and the common types, for the purpose of written report of the family as a factor in wellness and other variables of interest. The following definition of a "family" is hence proposed:

"People related by union, nascence, consanguinity or legal adoption, who share a common kitchen and financial resources on a regular footing."

Nuances of the Definition

The family will comprise of people ordinarily living in the same house, unless work, report, imprisonment, confinement, foreign sojourn, or any other exigencies compel a member to temporarily live away from the shared house. Members who have been disowned legally will cease to exist members of the family unit. Members living away from the physical premises of the shared business firm, who are not expected to return dorsum to living in the house in the hereafter, will besides cease to be considered as members of this family, even though they may be sharing fiscal resources.

Common kitchen does non simply mean just sharing of a physical infrastructure of a kitchen, just also sharing of common cooked meals in the kitchen. In such families where sets of members share the kitchen together but exercise non share fiscal resources, and those where sets of members share fiscal resource merely do non share the kitchen together, the different sets of members should be counted equally dissimilar families. Regarding common financial resources of the family, it is the sharing that is more important than contributing. An unmarried relative may be in that location who is not earning and thus not contributing economically to the family purse, merely will be counted toward the family if (south)he is sharing the family fiscal resources.

The term "on a regular footing" in the definition, is left open-ended deliberately. In some families, people may take had tiffs and stopped sharing food together for a period of time that may be few days, few weeks, or few months. Subsequently what menstruum of fourth dimension do nosotros say that they stop comprising a single family unit? Similar dilemma is there for a time period cutoff regarding nonsharing of fiscal resources. And a very important aspect in this determination would be future intent, that is, whether the constituents call up the differences are irrevocable or they call back the possibility of getting together is there, whatever may exist the menstruum of nonsharing thus far. In example of any dubiety, it is best left to a subjective cess of the individual family unit unit at hand. The researcher may directly inquire the constituents whether they still consider themselves as belonging to a single common family or not. It has been noted earlier that family unit membership and obligations are subjective and tin only be fully understood from the perspective of the family concerned.[5]

A student who goes to reside in any other city for few years of educational activity and stays in a hostel, with guardians, or in a private adaptation, does not cease to be a part of the original family unit for those years, only considering (southward)he is non sharing the family unit's mutual kitchen. However, to exist counted as a member of the original family, (s)he must continue to share in or receive money or other things of monetary value from the financial resource pool of the family. Ane important caveat would be that the individual must accept the intent of returning to the original family in the future, unless compelled by needs of higher studies or job.

Some other case may exist of a immature adult member of the family who has gone abroad for piece of work, or who went away for college pedagogy and ends upwards finding a vocation there. Such a person may visit back on rare occasions to his or her family of origin, merely is reasonably expecting to exist staying put in the new location for the foreseeable time to come. Such a member would not then be exposed to the hazard factors or the protective social factors mutual to the other members sharing a residence. So this person should be counted equally belonging to a separate new family, irrespective of whether (due south)he has married and irrespective of sharing of financial resources with the original family back habitation.

Biologically unrelated individuals living together in an institutional setting, for example, hostel, boarding schoolhouse, working women's hostel, and so on, or living together in a single house, volition be counted as belonging to their family of origin or as separate family units (single private families) as the case may exist depending on their future intent. They volition not be combined or considered together to form new family units. A person imprisoned for a known menstruum of time does not cease to exist a fellow member of the original family (unless legally disowned by the caput of the family, or by the adjacent head of the family if (s)he happens to exist the caput). This is because the person is expected to take the intent of returning to the original family unit unit of measurement as before long every bit the menses of confinement is over.

Classification Scheme for Family Construction

A new classification scheme for the various types of family unit structure is beingness proposed, keeping in mind the redefined "family." The various types of family nether the proposed classification scheme are detailed in the Table 1. The first step was to define the various types of family possible, which volition cover the myriad variations possible in the electric current times. And so came the question of coming up with suitable terms to characterization the categories of family types, and it was idea of to come up up with a compatible terminology scheme-based on the classic terms.

Table i

The proposed classification of types of family

The give-and-take "nuclear" was picked upon, that represents a married couple equally forming the "nucleus" of a family unit, as per existing classifications of family unit structure. Continuing with the word "nucleus," terms from the atomic world were explored to extend the analogies to the family structure types. For example, a proton would exist an incomplete nucleus, a alone beingness. Electrons would be something outside the nucleus, that is, a married couple (nucleus) is not at that place. An cantlet would be having a single nucleus only and perchance multiple electrons. Ii nuclei cannot be there in an atom, it would accept to be a molecule. Then the presence of two married couples makes a family "molecular." It may be clarified hither that terms from physics were chosen here just for the nomenclature of the proposed family types. This was done equally the word "nuclear" was already existence used. Use of these terms borrowed from physics is expected to aid in easier appreciation and recall of the diverse family unit types.

The classic term of "articulation family unit" has been retained to define the circuitous sharing of resources past multiple couples. However, the traditional "joint family" has likewise been redefined and has two different meanings depending on the number of generations present. By and large beyond various cultures, obligations to siblings are ordinarily weaker than to parents.[v] This is the reason why the proposed definition of joint family considers dissimilar number of couples, depending on the number of generations involved. Two married brothers (or two sisters) living together with their corresponding families would authorize to exist termed every bit a joint family unit.

It is a difficult task to categorize families according to whatsoever theoretical type or to generalize beyond or within cultures.[5] An endeavor has been fabricated to effort to redefine the family too every bit the types of family to keep upward with the changing times. All the same, as per practical feel, the community throws upwards scenarios which may test any theoretical model of classification. Keeping this in mind, an exercise was done to contemplate a few exceptional case scenarios and discuss their nomenclature as per the new model, in a bid to clarify the classification scheme further [Tabular array 2].

Tabular array ii

Discussion of a few example scenarios and examples of nomenclature as per the new scheme

Changing Family Dynamics in the Current Times

A paper on the structure of families in New Zealand over time has observed that the family unit is constantly changing and diversifying there. Same-sex couples have been included in the data, merely they can be identified as subsets of couple-just and ii parent families. Certain types of family unit that are condign more prevalent at that place include 1-parent families and couple-only families.[four] Equally per the new classification, these types of families can be identified equally 2-Electron and Three-Nuclear family, respectively. The state of affairs of a family unit with a married couple merely and no children can be termed every bit a "nuclear couple family", but it should be classified as a subtype of the nuclear family just and not as a dissever blazon. Similarly, the sole-parent family unit tin be identified as a subtype of an electron family (type II).

Dissimilar a previous definition given by Desai, as cited in Sonawat,[2] "relationship by consensual wedlock" has not been taken as i of the criteria for defining the family, in the basic definition proposed. Every bit mentioned earlier, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 of India recognizes "domestic relationships in the nature of marriage,"[eight] but the legal and social positions are still evolving. Nonetheless, in view of the social realities, a nomenclature for families based upon such nuclear relationships has been put forward with the use of qualifier "quasi-" (type Seven). Elliott and Grayness[5] have too discussed the grey zone caused by remarriage families (or "composite families" as they term information technology) in classification of families. In that location may be differences in both the emotional and financial support given to children between "natural" and "new" parents. Also, for many children, both their natural parents may play a very real part in their lives even if they do not live in the same household.[4] These are emerging social realities in the Indian context too. Simply, counting an individual (e.g., the separated "natural" father/mother) in more than one family may lead to factual mismatches and as well create lot of confusion. It is all-time to consider the remarriage family likewise equally within the frame of the 7 types of family ready in the new nomenclature, and to characterization them as a subtype "remarriage family unit" if required.

Importance of the Irresolute Family unit Dynamics for Wellness

Health has been shown to accept multifactorial causation. The family surroundings affect the wellness of an individual in several ways. Members of a family can exist expected to share the risk factors for their health that may arise from diverse social characteristics of their shared housing, neighborhood, customs, society, and culture. They would also share the positive factors contributing toward good health. All the members of a family living together who share the financial resources of the family unit unit would too share the risks of ill-health and costs of health care as well as the protection offered past availability of money with the family unit to tide over wellness-related issues.

Living in a family would also hateful unremarkably exposure to like dietary behaviors and health-related lifestyles, amid the family members. Another important aspect shared would exist the healthcare-seeking pattern and preference. The changing dynamics of family composition tin have important touch on on the protective as well as chance factors influencing health. Thus, an updated definition and nomenclature scheme for types of families serves an important purpose for the practitioners of various medical and social science disciplines in the current times.

Final Remarks

Information technology is to be expected that the changing societal arrangements in the current times will be a huge claiming for any model of nomenclature of family unit structure. On tiptop of that is the challenge to go along the possible nomenclature groups to the minimum possible, so that analysis of the family unit structure as a factor in health and other outcomes, in future studies, does non get an inordinately circuitous exercise. This is a proposed redefinition of "family unit" and a proposed scheme of classification of family structure, to try to match the pace of change of current societies. While the objective was mainly to redefine keeping the Indian cultural environment in mind, the sheer heterogeneity of the Indian population in terms of sociocultural milieu is immense. The current proposed scheme should by and large suffice for use in other countries and cultures, for broadly classifying the family construction. The intricacies and unique scenarios of particular cultures tin can be taken into account by defining region or civilisation-specific subtypes of the overall types of family structure defined in the present commodity.

Footnotes

Source of Support: Naught

Disharmonize of Interest: None declared

References

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Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4649868/