What is a family and what types exist
A family today has nothing to do with the traditional one that we all know … what is it and what types are there?
Everyone has their own idea and mental image of what a family is based on their experiences or their beliefs, each one is different, that is why it is said that the concept of family is very broad and that socially there is no clear definition for this concept , since it must be adapted to each individual context or situation.
However, there is a general and broad idea, based mainly on love and affection, with which it could be defined in this way: The family consists of a group of people (sometimes pets ), among which there may be a biological, legal or emotional bond . In most cases, there are feelings of belonging to the group among members and relationships of responsibility, care and protection are established.
Index
WHAT IS THE FAMILY IN THE FACE OF THE LAW?
Legally there is a definition for this concept, however, as well as at the social level, it is a very broad definition. According to our Civil Code, the family is defined as the set of natural persons united by a kinship.
WHAT IS KINSHIP?
Kinship is a bond or tie between people, this is established by consanguinity, adoption or marriage:
- By consanguinity or blood ties , that is, the relatives have genetic, biological or blood ties. What everyone knows as parents and children, grandfather and grandchildren, uncles and nephews, etc.
- By affinity , that is, by union through marriage or legal agreements. The spouses are not related as such, they do not share blood or genetics, but they create kinship ties thanks to their union or marriage.
- By adoption , that is, the registration of a non-biological child or of his own blood as his own through a legal adoption agreement. Said agreement creates a kinship tie and the child is at the same level both in terms of rights and duties, as a biological child of the person.
WHAT TYPES OF FAMILIES ARE THERE?
Now that we know what a family is and that it generates kinship ties, we can talk about the different types of family that exist today. It could be said that there are as many types as there are families in the world, since each one is different; But there are ways to classify all these, more specifically two:
According to the people who compose it: There are two types of families, conventional and unconventional or traditional.
The conventional family is made up of a man and a woman united by marriage who have several children and who live together, while unconventional families are made up of different types:
- Nuclear: formed by the parents and one or more children.
- Single parent: Formed by a father or a mother and their corresponding child or children.
- Extensive: Made up of many people with blood ties or ends. Generally grandparents, uncles, cousins, etc.
- Reconstituted: In which the parents were divided in the past, for a multitude of possible reasons, and are currently rebuilding their lives with another person or partner, thus forming a new family.
- Without children by choice: in which the couple that makes up the family makes the decision not to have children .
- Homoparental: is one made up of a homosexual couple, that is, two men or two women.
- Adoptive: Which is formed by the couple together with one or more children, one of whom must be adopted.
- Reception : This is the family that welcomes the children of another to provide them with a home, protection, etc., for short periods, such as summer vacations, Christmas vacations, etc.
According to the type of education they present:
- Democratic style: Families maintain a warm, affectionate and communicative relationship with their children, but at the same time they are firm and demanding with them. They are based on reasoning and explanation.
- Authoritarian style: Families do not usually openly express affection to their children and take into account the rules, control and demands. They are based on punishment and threats.
- Permissive style: Families show high levels of affection and communication along with the absence of control and demands.
- Negligent style : Families maintain a cold and detached relationship with their children. That is, they have very low levels of affection, communication, control, and demands.
IS HOME THE SAME AS FAMILY?
No and for this reason we must highlight a great difference between home and family, since the household is considered a single person or a group of people, who reside at the same time in the same home, sharing the same economy, without it being necessary for each other to there is a kinship tie. Furthermore, we can differentiate between various types of households, based mainly on the number of members that comprise it:
- Households without a nucleus , that is, made up of one (single-person household), two or more people not related to each other by marital, filial or kinship ties.
- Households with a nucleus : Formed by two or more people related by kinship ties, whether by blood, marriage or adoption ties. This type can be subvidive to older people in more: households with a simple nucleus, which are formed by a single nucleus in which the members are related, and can also live with more people, households with a complex nucleus, in which members of several generations live or people outside the family nucleus, or households with two or more nuclei, in which the dwelling is inhabited by two autonomous nuclei, one of which resides there as rented or sublet.
HAS THE CONCEPT OF FAMILY CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?
Yes, the concept of family has been modified for a variety of reasons over recent years , we have gone from a traditional structure to a conventional one, while in turn the vast majority of families are democratic. These changes are given by a wide range of reasons, of which the following should be highlighted:
- The importance of feelings and emotions when forming a family, instead of financial reasons.
- A strong affective bond established between the members.
- The incorporation of women into work, thus delaying the age of having children and conducting it in the family environment.
- The change from a rural environment to an urban one, that is, an increase in housing in the city, instead of in the country.
- The current economic difficulty, which generates fewer descendants.
- The change regarding the idea of a boy or a girl, as well as of family and childhood.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.