QUESTION WHAT IS A FAMILY?

Identify three people (it would be best if both sexes and a variety of ages were
represented). Individually, ask each person to define "What is a family?" Your paper should
include your subject’s gender, marital status, and approximate age as well as their complete
response to the question. In addition to those three definitions, include your own
definition. Note: Most people will try to give "simple" answers. Encourage them to give
complete thoughtful answers.
ANSWER
The family unit today is complex, diverse, unique and continuously changing. To come to
a consensus on the definition of what a family is requires a look from multiple angles and
realizing there is not one right answer. There are many definitions to describe a family, and
everyone has their own thoughts, ideas, and opinions on what a family is.
Not one family is the same, neither do they have the same experiences, even while
existing in the relationships (Strong, B. & Cohen, 2016, P. 3). Each person if asked to give the
definition of a family would give their own unique responses. One official definition from the
U.S. Census Bureau however, states that “a group of two people or more (one of whom is the
householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people
(including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family” (Strong, B. &
Cohen, 2016, P. 10).
I asked three people in my life each the same question; what is a family? The variety of
answers they gave shows the vast differences held in a seemingly simple question. Herbert, age
56 and married to his wife Susan shared how a family consist of children, brothers, sisters,
grandchildren etc. who have a network of support to help each other, learn together, make
successful contributions to society, and forming relationships that are eternal in nature.
Stephanie, age 9 explained to me that to her a family is close friends who support you when
you’re sad, as well as people you’re related to and people you live with. And finally, Isabel, age
39 and married to her husband Joe shared how a family is a support system of friends and
relatives that help create balance, structure and meaning to her life and set her back on track. I
appreciated and loved all their responses.
To me, a family means groups of people that go through life together. I answer this
question as I did in class, keeping it generalized to include a wide variety of people. They are the
people you are with all the time and know the most. Families defined in this way to me is very
inclusive and accepting of all situations. It’s not limited by just blood related or marriage.
However, this can cause problems as I would consider my girlfriend to be family, and not find it
weird to have her sign birthday cards to aunts and uncles along with my parent’s and siblings, yet
my aunts and uncles don’t see her in that light as “family” and think it’s odd and don’t
understand why she signs it too, because she doesn’t fit in their definition of what a family is.
It’s important to note the changing society we live in and cultures, which include the
increase in numbers of couples in cohabitating relationships, child free families, single parents
and gay and lesbian couples which can be married anywhere in the united states as of 2015
(Strong, B. & Cohen, 2016, P. 3). As society changes over time, so does the acceptance of these
situations being considered families when 60 years earlier would not be considered in the
defining a family. “In part as a by-product of changes such as these and in part as a reflection of
the considerable cultural, ethnic, racial, economic, sexual and religious diversity of the wider
population, “the marriage and family experience” differs greatly, even within the United States”
(Strong, B & Cohen, 2016, P. 3).
In conclusion, there are many ways to define what a family is. There is no all-
encompassing definition to fit all situations. I have listed an official definition, as well as
individualized ones from people in my life, including my own. Society is changing which creates
new and unique family structures that would not have been so widely accepted nearly 6 decades
ago. The family is an important structure of society, and we will continue to see it change and
develop further as time goes on.

The names have been changed for privacy purposes.

References
Strong, B, & Cohen, T. F. (2016). The marriage and family experience: Intimate relationships in
a changing society (13th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.