Discuss the Major Factores of Family as Social Groups
J Family Med Prim Care. 2013 Oct-Dec; 2(4): 306–310.
The Family unit and Family Structure Classification Redefined for the Electric current Times
Rahul Sharma
Department of Community Medicine, Academy College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, Republic of india
Abstruse
The family unit is a basic unit of study in many medical and social science disciplines. Definitions of family unit have varied from land to land, and as well within country. Because of this and the changing realities of the current times, there is a felt need for redefining the family and the common family structure types, for the purpose of report of the family as a factor in health and other variables of interest. A redefinition of a "family unit" has been proposed and various nuances of the definition are also discussed in detail. A classification scheme for the various types of family unit has besides been put forrad. A few infrequent case scenarios have been envisaged and their classification every bit per the new scheme is discussed, in a bid to analyze the classification scheme farther. The proposed scheme should bear witness to be of use across diverse countries and cultures, for broadly classifying the family construction. The unique scenarios of item cultures can exist taken into account by defining region or culture-specific subtypes of the overall types of family structure.
Keywords: Classification, definition, family, family structure, types of family
Introduction
The family every bit an integrated and functional unit of club has for a considerable period of time captured the attending and imagination of researchers.[ane] While the family itself is a matter of report, equally important for enquiry is its role as a factor influencing and affecting the development, behavior, and well-being of the individual. The family unit is a bones unit of written report in many social science disciplines, such as sociology, psychology, economics, anthropology, social psychiatry, and social work.[2] Information technology is also a unit of study in the medical sciences peculiarly in understanding the epidemiology and the natural history of diseases. It also forms the basic unit of measurement for family medicine. Census definitions of family take varied from land to state and also from census to demography inside land. The give-and-take household has often been used as a replacement for family. Using the definition every bit "all people living in 1 household" may exist erroneous, equally on i hand it may include people who exercise not share kinship, and on other manus may exclude those kin members who are temporarily away.[3] This blazon of definition fails to identify units that role as families in an economic, social or emotional sense simply do not usually reside in the same household.[four] Although the literature often focuses on family living arrangements, family membership includes obligations across and betwixt generations, no matter where family members are living.[5]
The UNESCO report stated that a family is a kinship unit and that even when its members do not share a common household, the unit may be as a social reality.[3] This definition may be as well broad to serve the purpose of identification of a family unit for the purpose of assessment as a gene in variables such equally health. Just to give an example, a family in a developing country has a son living in the USA, happily married there with a wife, and he sends beyond some money to the other family members dorsum domicile occasionally and visits the country once in many years. Should he however be counted as a member of the original family? Does this person (and his married woman) share the same risks to their firsthand health as the other family members back in the shared household? Would this private and his dependants in the new surround have access to the same kind of wellness care options as the other family members living in the country of birth? And would the offspring of this person built-in in the foreign state feel the same sociocultural and ecology exposures, equally (s)he would have come up into contact with growing upward in the state of origin?
Trask[six] observed that while in the past, locale mattered, today social relationships are maintained over great distances with ease. Global communications such as the net, east-post, and satellite linkups are facilitating these relationships over space and fourth dimension. Still, keeping in listen the previous pertinent questions that are raised if we want to consider the "family unit" as a factor influencing and interacting with other variable characteristics (such equally health, environment, social behavior, etc.), the scales are still tilted toward defining the family as people usually sharing a common living area. The meaning of the term "family unit" also depends on whether it is beingness interpreted in a social, biological, cultural, or statistical sense.[4] It is of import to identify a family unit and the members constituting the unit, for the purpose of studying their wellness, for case.
Need for Redefining
Desai (1994), as cited in Sonawat[two] divers the family unit equally a unit of measurement of 2 or more persons united by matrimony, blood, adoption, or consensual union, in full general consulting a unmarried household, interacting and communicating with each other. While the definition is mostly fine, the interacting and communicating with each other may be a difficult thing to elicit or make up one's mind. An existing textbook of the medical specialty of customs medicine makes information technology more objective by defining the interdependence role as "individuals living together and eating from a common kitchen."[vii] Information technology considers and defines three types of families: Nuclear, joint, and three generation families. However, practical experience in community has shown that these categories are not mutually exhaustive.
There are several new social dynamics and realities emerging with time. For example, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Human action, 2005 of India recognizes and provides protection to female living in a relationship in the nature of a wedlock with a male person partner.[viii] Family unit inquiry provides insight into the structure of order and the changes taking identify in the types, composition, and growth of families.[iv] Families tin exist classified in several different dimensions, for case, by marriage type (monogamous, polygamous), past location (patrilocal, matrilocal, and avunculocal), authority (patriarchy, matriarchy), and by kin composition (nuclear, joint).[three] In the present new classification, only the kin composition has been taken into account. Adjectives can be added to ascertain the family equally per matrimony type or by locus of residence or authorization.
In a social sense people may encounter themselves as being members of several families, as members of families with their parents and siblings and too members of families that they take formed themselves.[4] However, in the current proposed classification for the purpose of family unit, the view is that an private will in usual circumstance vest to i family unit just in a given part.
Because of the multitude of definitions of "family unit" and the irresolute realities of the current times, there is a felt need for redefining the family unit and the mutual types, for the purpose of study of the family as a factor in wellness and other variables of involvement. The following definition of a "family" is hence proposed:
"People related past marriage, nascence, consanguinity or legal adoption, who share a common kitchen and financial resources on a regular ground."
Nuances of the Definition
The family will comprise of people ordinarily living in the same business firm, unless work, study, imprisonment, confinement, strange sojourn, or any other exigencies compel a member to temporarily live abroad from the shared house. Members who accept been disowned legally will cease to be members of the family. Members living away from the physical bounds of the shared house, who are not expected to return back to living in the house in the futurity, will also cease to be considered every bit members of this family, even though they may be sharing financial resources.
Common kitchen does non only mean only sharing of a physical infrastructure of a kitchen, merely as well sharing of common cooked meals in the kitchen. In such families where sets of members share the kitchen together only do not share financial resource, and those where sets of members share financial resource simply practise non share the kitchen together, the unlike sets of members should exist counted as unlike families. Regarding mutual financial resources of the family, information technology is the sharing that is more than of import than contributing. An single relative may be there who is not earning and thus non contributing economically to the family unit pocketbook, but will exist counted toward the family if (s)he is sharing the family unit financial resources.
The term "on a regular basis" in the definition, is left open up-ended deliberately. In some families, people may have had tiffs and stopped sharing nutrient together for a catamenia of fourth dimension that may be few days, few weeks, or few months. Later what menses of time do we say that they stop comprising a unmarried family? Similar dilemma is there for a fourth dimension menses cutoff regarding nonsharing of fiscal resources. And a very important aspect in this decision would exist time to come intent, that is, whether the constituents retrieve the differences are irrevocable or they think the possibility of getting together is at that place, whatever may be the period of nonsharing thus far. In case of whatever doubt, information technology is best left to a subjective assessment of the individual family unit at manus. The researcher may directly ask the constituents whether they nevertheless consider themselves as belonging to a unmarried common family unit or non. Information technology has been noted before that family membership and obligations are subjective and tin but be fully understood from the perspective of the family concerned.[5]
A student who goes to reside in any other city for few years of education and stays in a hostel, with guardians, or in a private adaptation, does not cease to be a part of the original family for those years, just considering (s)he is not sharing the family's common kitchen. Withal, to exist counted as a member of the original family, (southward)he must continue to share in or receive money or other things of monetary value from the financial resource puddle of the family. One important caveat would exist that the individual must accept the intent of returning to the original family in the future, unless compelled past needs of higher studies or job.
Some other instance may be of a young adult fellow member of the family who has gone abroad for work, or who went abroad for higher teaching and ends upward finding a vocation there. Such a person may visit back on rare occasions to his or her family of origin, but is reasonably expecting to exist staying put in the new location for the foreseeable future. Such a fellow member would not then exist exposed to the risk factors or the protective social factors common to the other members sharing a residence. So this person should be counted as belonging to a split up new family unit, irrespective of whether (s)he has married and irrespective of sharing of financial resources with the original family back home.
Biologically unrelated individuals living together in an institutional setting, for example, hostel, boarding schoolhouse, working women's hostel, and so on, or living together in a single firm, will be counted as belonging to their family of origin or equally separate family units (unmarried individual families) as the case may exist depending on their future intent. They volition non be combined or considered together to form new family units. A person imprisoned for a known period of fourth dimension does not end to exist a member of the original family (unless legally disowned past the head of the family, or by the next caput of the family unit if (s)he happens to be the caput). This is because the person is expected to have the intent of returning to the original family unit every bit shortly every bit the period of solitude is over.
Classification Scheme for Family Structure
A new nomenclature scheme for the diverse types of family structure is being proposed, keeping in heed the redefined "family." The various types of family nether the proposed classification scheme are detailed in the Tabular array one. The first step was to ascertain the diverse types of family possible, which will cover the myriad variations possible in the current times. And then came the question of coming up with suitable terms to characterization the categories of family types, and it was thought of to come up with a uniform terminology scheme-based on the classic terms.
Table 1
The proposed classification of types of family
The word "nuclear" was picked upon, that represents a married couple as forming the "nucleus" of a family, as per existing classifications of family structure. Standing with the discussion "nucleus," terms from the diminutive world were explored to extend the analogies to the family structure types. For example, a proton would exist an incomplete nucleus, a lone being. Electrons would exist something outside the nucleus, that is, a married couple (nucleus) is not at that place. An cantlet would exist having a unmarried nucleus only and possibly multiple electrons. Two nuclei cannot be there in an atom, it would have to exist a molecule. And then the presence of two married couples makes a family "molecular." It may be clarified hither that terms from physics were called here just for the classification of the proposed family unit types. This was done as the word "nuclear" was already existence used. Use of these terms borrowed from physics is expected to assistance in easier appreciation and remember of the various family types.
The classic term of "joint family unit" has been retained to ascertain the complex sharing of resources by multiple couples. However, the traditional "joint family" has also been redefined and has two different meanings depending on the number of generations nowadays. By and large across various cultures, obligations to siblings are usually weaker than to parents.[5] This is the reason why the proposed definition of joint family unit considers different number of couples, depending on the number of generations involved. Ii married brothers (or two sisters) living together with their corresponding families would qualify to exist termed every bit a joint family.
Information technology is a difficult task to categorize families according to whatsoever theoretical type or to generalize across or inside cultures.[five] An endeavor has been made to endeavor to redefine the family every bit well as the types of family to keep upwards with the changing times. Even so, as per applied experience, the community throws upwardly scenarios which may test any theoretical model of classification. Keeping this in mind, an practise was done to contemplate a few exceptional case scenarios and discuss their classification as per the new model, in a bid to clarify the classification scheme further [Tabular array 2].
Tabular array two
Discussion of a few instance scenarios and examples of nomenclature as per the new scheme
Changing Family Dynamics in the Current Times
A paper on the structure of families in New Zealand over time has observed that the family is constantly changing and diversifying there. Same-sexual practice couples take been included in the data, but they can exist identified as subsets of couple-only and two parent families. Certain types of family that are becoming more prevalent there include ane-parent families and couple-just families.[four] As per the new classification, these types of families can be identified as II-Electron and Three-Nuclear family, respectively. The situation of a family unit with a married couple only and no children can be termed as a "nuclear couple family unit", but information technology should exist classified as a subtype of the nuclear family simply and not as a separate type. Similarly, the sole-parent family can be identified as a subtype of an electron family unit (type Ii).
Different a previous definition given by Desai, as cited in Sonawat,[2] "relationship by consensual wedlock" has not been taken equally one of the criteria for defining the family, in the basic definition proposed. Equally mentioned earlier, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Human activity, 2005 of Republic of india recognizes "domestic relationships in the nature of spousal relationship,"[8] but the legal and social positions are still evolving. However, in view of the social realities, a nomenclature for families based upon such nuclear relationships has been put forward with the use of qualifier "quasi-" (type Vii). Elliott and Grey[v] take besides discussed the gray zone caused by remarriage families (or "blended families" equally they term it) in classification of families. At that place may be differences in both the emotional and financial support given to children between "natural" and "new" parents. Also, for many children, both their natural parents may play a very real part in their lives even if they do non live in the same household.[4] These are emerging social realities in the Indian context too. Simply, counting an individual (e.yard., the separated "natural" father/mother) in more than than one family may atomic number 82 to factual mismatches and too create lot of confusion. Information technology is best to consider the remarriage family too as inside the frame of the seven types of family set in the new classification, and to characterization them equally a subtype "remarriage family" if required.
Importance of the Changing Family unit Dynamics for Health
Wellness has been shown to have multifactorial causation. The family surround bear upon the health of an individual in several means. Members of a family can exist expected to share the risk factors for their health that may ascend from various social characteristics of their shared housing, neighborhood, community, guild, and civilization. They would as well share the positive factors contributing toward good health. All the members of a family living together who share the financial resources of the family unit of measurement would too share the risks of ill-wellness and costs of health care as well as the protection offered by availability of coin with the family to tide over health-related issues.
Living in a family would too mean usually exposure to like dietary behaviors and health-related lifestyles, among the family members. Another important attribute shared would exist the healthcare-seeking design and preference. The irresolute dynamics of family composition can have of import impact on the protective likewise every bit risk factors influencing health. Thus, an updated definition and classification scheme for types of families serves an important purpose for the practitioners of various medical and social scientific discipline disciplines in the current times.
Final Remarks
Information technology is to be expected that the irresolute societal arrangements in the current times volition exist a huge claiming for any model of classification of family construction. On superlative of that is the claiming to go along the possible classification groups to the minimum possible, and so that analysis of the family structure as a factor in wellness and other outcomes, in hereafter studies, does non become an inordinately complex exercise. This is a proposed redefinition of "family" and a proposed scheme of classification of family structure, to try to match the pace of alter of current societies. While the objective was mainly to redefine keeping the Indian cultural environs in heed, the sheer heterogeneity of the Indian population in terms of sociocultural milieu is immense. The current proposed scheme should mostly suffice for use in other countries and cultures, for broadly classifying the family construction. The intricacies and unique scenarios of particular cultures tin be taken into account past defining region or culture-specific subtypes of the overall types of family unit structure divers in the nowadays article.
Footnotes
Source of Support: Nil
Conflict of Interest: None declared
References
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Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4649868/
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