PERDEV L9

• Family


  A group of persons usually living together and composed of the head and other persons related to the head by blood, marriage, or adoption
• Family types, structures, and composition

  • Nuclear family (traditional family)
  • Single parent family
  • Extended family (complex family, joint family, multi-generational family)
  • Reconstituted family (blended family)
  • Childless family
  • Other family set-ups/frameworks (common-law or domestic partners)
• Nuclear (or traditional) family


  • Typically consists of two married parents and their biological or adoptive children all living in the same residence and sharing the same values, duties and responsibilities of the family
• Single parent family


  • May consist of either the mother or the father as the head of the home and their dependent children. When this type of family is formed by one parent leaving the home permanently, it is called a broken nuclear family
• Extended family

  • Includes other relatives other than just the parents of the children
• Reconstituted (or blended) family


  • Formed out of another relationship, otherwise known as a step-family. This type of family is brought about by the parents' marital status
• Childless family


  • Characterized by couples who do not have children
• Other family set-ups/frameworks


  • Couples who live together and share household responsibilities without being legally married, referred to as common-law or domestic partners. Some have children, or adopt, or take care of a child from a previous relationship
• Child-rearing, or the manner in which you were raised by your parents has a lot to do with why you act the way you do
• Parenting styles


  • Authoritarian
  • Permissive
  • Authoritative
  • Neglectful (uninvolved)
• Authoritarian parenting style


  • Characterized by rigid/demanding parenting. Parents are very strict, expecting the child to follow their orders and decisions without questioning their authority. They do not tolerate misbehavior and apply punishment to curb unwanted behavior. They impose high expectations from their children, yet provide very little feedback and nurturing
• Permissive parenting style


  • Characterized by parents' giving nature to the point of spoiling their children. Permissive parents are warm, affectionate, and loving. There are few expectations and limitations, and children are allowed to be part of the family's decision-making process. Parents with permissive style of parenting are more like friends to their children, rather than a parental figure
• Authoritative parenting style


  • Balanced, with parents acting as authority figures who set clear expectations from their children, but also responsive to their children's emotional needs. There are limitations, but reasonable ones, while giving space for the children to be independent. Their children are provided ample emotional support and are encouraged to practice critical thinking towards decision-making
• Neglectful (uninvolved) parenting style


  • Parents are uninvolved in child rearing, usually dismissive and indifferent, making few to no demands of their children. The children's needs may be amply provided, however, there is emotional detachment. Children may receive plenty of financial or material needs or wants, but they do not receive emotional support. Communication is inconsistent or unpredictable
• The Family Life Cycle refers to the changes in the emotional and intellectual life of a person as one passes through from childhood to the retirement years as a member of a family
• Stages of the Family Life Cycle


  • Independence
  • Marriage
  • Parenting
  • Preparing adult children
  • Retirement
• Some encounter problems along the way in the Family Life Cycle, such as severe illness, financial problems, or the death of a loved one, and these factors can have an effect on the transitioning through the stages. However, if one misses one stage, it is still possible to catch up in other stages
• Family Systems Theory


  A theory of human behavior that views the family as an emotional unit and uses systems thinking to describe the complex interactions of the unit. The nature of a family is that its members are intensely connected emotionally
• Dr. Murray Bowen, an American psychologist, suggested that individuals cannot be understood in isolation from one another, but rather, as part of their family. One's behavior affects the other family members' behavior in predictable ways
• Ways to nurture family relationships

  • Time
  • Love and respect
  • Communication
  • Commitment