RELATIONSHIP IN THE FAMILY2

RELATIONSHIP IN THE FAMILY2

Meaning and Types of Family

CONTENT

Meaning of Family

The family is the smallest unit of the larger society, community, state, or nation. It begins when a man comes of age and marries a woman, and they have children from the relationship. Simply put, a family is a group of people who related to each other by blood or adoption and live together in a home. It consists of the father, mother and the children.

The family is the base, the root, the foundation and take-off point of any society. The unity, peace, well being and development of any society are closely linked with the success or otherwise of different families in the community. The family is the starting point where individual members are brought up educationally, morally, socially, culturally and in other ways towards becoming useful members of the family and society.

Types of Family

  1. The Nuclear Family: it is also known as immediate family. It is made up of a father, a mother and their children.
  2. The Extended Family: this consists of parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, nephews, niece, cousins etc. as member of the same family.

Recognition of Family Members

Members of every family are related and have ways of recognizing each other. This follows the pattern of human relationships that emerge from marriages and having children and grandchildren.

The following are the terms or names of our extended family members

  1. Our parents are our father and mother.
  2. Our grandparents are the fathers and mothers of our parents.
  3. Our grandfathers are the fathers of our parents.
  4. Our grandmothers are the mothers of our parents.
  5. Our brothers are sons of our parents.
  6. Our sisters are daughters of our parents.
  7. Our siblings are our brothers and sisters.
  8. Our uncles are our parents’ brothers.
  9. Our aunts are our parents’ sisters.
  10. Our nephews are sons of our brothers and sisters.
  11. Our nieces are daughters of our brothers and sisters.
  12. Our cousins are children of our uncles and aunts.
  13. Our great-grandparents are grandparents of our parents.

Evaluation:

  1. What makes up a family?
  2. How important is family to a society?