Concept of Family

Definition
Types
Tasks, and objectives and roles
Family life Cycle
 Definition of Family

A fundamental social group in society typically

consisting of one or two parents and their children.
 Two or more people who share goals and values,
have long-term commitments to one another, and
reside usually in the same dwelling place.
All the members of a household under one roof.
A group of persons sharing common ancestry.
 Types of Family

A conjugal family includes only the husband, the

wife, and unmarried children who are not of age. The
most common form of this family is regularly
referred to in sociology as a nuclear family.
A consanguineal family consists of a parent and his
or her children, and other people. This family is also
called extended family which does not only covers up
to your grandparents but may go the network of
relatives that extends beyond the domestic conjugal
family.
 Types of Family

 A One-parent family consist either of the father or the mother and

his/her children
A matrilocal family consists of a mother and her children. A
patrilocal family consist of a father and his children.
 A stepfamily or a blended family describes families with mixed parents:
one or both parents remarried, bringing children of the former family
into the new family. This type of family is an emerging trend now due
to the effects of divorce, separation or a death of a spouse
 A same-sex couple family consist of a couple of the same gender and
may have adopted children
 A family of bond or purpose consist of a group in which they may have
strong relations, or share same ideologies in which they would consider
themselves a family.
 Tasks, objectives and roles

Primary Function of a family

 Biological – produce and reproduce
 Social – basic unit of society
 Economic – contributes to the welfare to the population
Role of the Members of the Family
 Father/Husband- breadwinner/discipline
 Mother/ Wife-caretaker/guidance
 Siblings-varies as to gender and age
 Family Life Cycle

Family life cycle is the emotional and intellectual

stages you pass through from childhood to your
retirement years as a member of a family. In each
stage the family must go through to achieve personal
maturity , challenges and milestones to continue to
the next stage.
 Importance of Family Life Cycle

It is important to understand the family life cycle to

be able the family and the individual within the
family to move on the next stage smoothly.
Mastering the skills and milestones of each stage
assures a smooth transistion to the next stage of
development.
 Family Life cycle

A disruption in the normal cycle may be cause by a

major event like a death in the family, accident,
severe illness, chronic disease, family dysfunction
like divorce or separation and even going abroad to
work. The stress of daily living plus the stress cause
by these events and other crisis could cause a
temporary delay and disruption to the cycle to the
next phase of life. Self examination, education and
counselling may be of help to cope with this events to
improve your coping and defense mechanism.
 Stages of Family Life Cycle

Independence.
Coupling or marriage.
Parenting: Babies through adolescents.
Launching adult children.
Retirement or senior years.
 Stages of Family Life Cycle

Independence
 Independence stage is the entry level stage and also the most
critical stage of the family life cycle. It is also the stage in our
age where we chose between intimacy and isolation. Entering
young adulthood to gain freedom from our parents and family
in which we separate or detach ourselves from the family as a
unit to an individual. In this stage we thrive to be able to tend
and support ourselves emotionally, physically, socially, and
financially. It is also where we define our own personal identity
by our acquired qualities and knowledge from our family to
develop them into our own unique characteristics and
qualities.
 Independence

Intimacy is the ability to develop and maintain close

relationships that can endure hard times and other
challenges.
 In an intimate relationship, you learn about:
 Commitment.
 Commonality or similarity.
 Compatibility.
 Attachment.
 Dependence on another person who is not in your family.
 Shared emotion in a relationship.
 Independence

Goals of Independence stage

 Learn to see yourself as a separate person in relation to your
original family—parents, siblings, and extended family
members.
 Develop intimate peer relationships outside the family.
 Establish yourself in your work or career.
 Independence

Important qualities you develop during this phase

include:
 Trust.
 Morals.
 Initiative.
 Work ethic.
 Identity, or who you are in the world.
 Independence
 Stages of Family Life Cycle

Coupling
 A couple is the joining or partnership of two individual. In the
coupling stage, we explore our ability to commit to our partner
and while being committed with someone we go to a process of
changes, adaptation and relationship enhancement to achieve a
bigger commitment which is marriage
 The ultimate goal at this stage is to achieve interdependence
Your specific goals for this stage of the family life
cycle are:
 Forming a new family with your spouse.
 Realigning your relationships with your family of origin and
your friends to now include your spouse.
 Coupling Stage

Some common areas of adjustment include:

 Finances.
 Lifestyle.
 Recreational activities or hobbies.
 Relationships with in-laws.
 Sexuality or sexual compatibility.
 Friendships.
 Putting another person's needs before your own.
 Coupling Stage

Within a couple, you learn:

 Advanced interpersonal communication.
 Problem-solving skills.
 Common spiritual and emotional development goals.
 How to form boundaries in relationships.
 When to place the needs or importance of the other person
above your own.
 Coupling Stage

Problems and challenges in this stage includes:

 Transitioning into the new family system.
 Including your spouse in your relationships with friends
and family members.
 Being committed to making your marriage work.
 Putting the needs of another ahead of your own
 Stages of Family life Cycle

Parenting
 Making to decision to have the child is the first step in the
stage.
 Parenting is one of the most challenging phases of the family
life cycle
 The decision to have children is one that affects your individual
development, the identity of your family, and your marital
relationship and would result a major change in roles for the
couple
 Adapting children into other relationships, including your
marriage, is a key emotional process of this stage
 Parenting

Parenting Children and adolescents requires a

different set of skills
Specific goals when young children join your family
are:
 Adjusting your marital system to make space for children.
 Taking on parenting roles.
 Realigning your relationships with your extended family to
include parenting and grandparenting roles
 Parenting

Specific goals during the stage of parenting

adolescents include:
 Shifting parent-child relationships to allow the child to move
in and out of the family system.
 Shifting focus back to your midlife marital and career issues.
 Beginning a shift toward concern for older generations in your
extended family.
 
 Stages of Family Life Cycle

Empty Nest: Launching Stage

 It is the stage where your children gain the our independence
and go about their own way
 Developing adult relationships with your children is a key skill
in this stage
 Empty Nest

Health issues related to midlife may begin to occur and can

include:
 High blood pressure (hypertension).
 Weight problems.
 Midlife crisis
 Arthritis.
 Menopause.
 Osteoporosis.
 Heart disease
 Depression.
 Stress-related illnesses.
 You may also be caring for aging parents in this phase, which can be
stressful and affect your own health
 Empty Nest

Specific goals to attain at this stage include:

 Refocusing on your marriage without children.
 Developing adult relationships with your grown children.
 Realigning relationships to include in-laws and grandchildren
when your children begin their own families.
 Stages of Family Life Cycle

Retirement stage is the final stage of the family life

cycle in which the parents are old age and siblings
may have their own family
It is a stage wherein you are free from responsibility
of being a parent and enjoy the fruits of your labor
and the companionship of your love one
 Retirement

Specific goals to reach for at this final stage of your family life
cycle include:
 Maintaining your own interests and physical functioning, along with those of
your spouse, as your body ages.
 Exploring new family and social roles.
 Providing emotional support for your adult children and extended family
members.
 Making room in the family system for the wisdom and experience of older
adults.
 Providing support for the older generation without doing too much for them.
 Dealing with the loss of a spouse, siblings, and other peers, and preparing for
your own death.
 Reviewing your life and reflecting on all you have learned and experienced
during your life cycle