Family Functions and Forms

Slide1FAMILY  F UNCTIONS   AND  F ORMS Grade 12 Family Studies

Slide2WHAT   IS   A  F AMILY ? The Vanier Institute of the Family defines “family” as:  Any combination of two or more persons who are bound together over time by ties of mutual consent, birth and/or adoption or placement and who, together, assume responsibilities for variant combinations of some of the following …”

Slide3FAMILY  F UNCTIONS  Addition of new members through procreation or adoption  Society has to maintain itself to survive  Population growth = increased wealth  Physical maintenance and care of group members  Including adults, children, dependent elderly members  If families don’t care for their members society must be organized to replace the family  Socialization of children  Teach skills, knowledge, values and grow into well adjusted adults.

Slide4FAMILY  F UNCTIONS  Social control of members  Control behavior and maintain order in society  Monitor and evaluate behavior and provide feedback   protects reputation within society  Affective nurturance — love  Meeting emotional needs, Maintaining morale, participating in society,  Production, consumption, distribution of goods and services  Earn income

Slide5FAMILY  F ORMS  Families can take on a number of different forms.  Dual Career Family  Two parents with offspring living in a common household where both parents work.  Strengths  Good income    Higher quality of life  Shared household tasks and responsibilities  Weaknesses  Dependence on outside support for childcare, meal preparation, etc.  May cause disharmony due to activities and ambitions of both partners.

Slide6FAMILY  F ORMS  Single Parent Family  One parent with children under 18 years old  Strengths  Greater self-expression (parent is only accountable to the children and not a partner)  More stable home environment (if there was previously hostility or abuse)  Opens door for children to seek positive role models outside home  Weaknesses  Need for support systems  Strained finances  Jeopardized parent role (socialization    peers)

Slide7FAMILY  F ORMS  Single Career Family  Two parents with offspring living in a common household where one person is the financial provider.  Strengths  Primary source of socialization is by parent(s)  Fits demands of corporate jobs asking employees to travel, work long hours, evenings, etc.  Weaknesses  Difficult to maintain middle class quality of life financially

Slide8FAMILY  F ORMS  Remarried Nuclear Family (Blended Family)  Two parents and offspring from previous marriage living in a common household.  Strengths  Encourages shared parenting (may have been single parent prior)  Improves economic status  Weaknesses  Can be stressful blending two independent households together  May need economic help, counselling  Previous relationship commitments (economic and social)

Slide9FAMILY  F ORMS  Extended Family  Family includes members of different generations living in the same household (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, other relatives)  Strengths  Maintains family values    generation to generation  Lots of adults to fill socialization and household responsibilities  Weaknesses  Harder to move with more people in family

Slide10FAMILY  F ORMS  Experimental Family  Consists of individuals in multi-adult households (communes) or cohabitating.  Strengths  Many individuals to support individual needs    good for people in transition  Allows people not ready to commit to long-term relationships to share economic and social resources  Weaknesses  Tends to lack clearly defined responsibilities

Slide11MODERN  F AMILY  We will be watching an episode of the TV program “Modern Family”.  Use your notes from today’s class and the class on “Marital roles” in order to answer the questions about the show.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyUNRW Jg0P8&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_m ode=1&safe=active