Family diversity (1)

• Family types in contemporary society


  • Traditional nuclear family
  • Symmetrical family
  • Nuclear family with house husband or "new man"
  • Extended family
  • Beanpole family
  • Matrifocal lone-parent family
  • Patrifocal lone-parent family
• Traditional nuclear family


  A married couple with their own children (2 or 3 of them) where the husband goes out to work and the wife looks after most of the domestic duties, with clear segregated roles
• Symmetrical family


  Women and men both going out to work and sharing the housework
• Nuclear family with house husband or "new man"


  The female adult in the family is the "breadwinner" and the husband does most of the domestic work
• Extended family


  Can be either: Vertical: Multiple generations living together. Horizontal: Aunts, uncles and cousins
• Beanpole family


  This is a multi-generational, extended family where each generation has few siblings
• Matrifocal lone-parent family


  Lone-parent family, headed by the mother
• Patrifocal lone-parent family


  A family headed by a single father