FAMILY SRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
JI UMAR, RIHANNE M.
WHAT IS FAMILY?
• SOCIOLOGIC VIEWPOINT- enduring social form
in which a person is incorporated
• BIOLOGIC VIEWPOINT- genetic transmission
unit
• PSYCHOLOGICAL VIEWPOINT- matrix of
personality development and the most
intimate emotional unit of society
WHAT IS FAMILY?
• In terms of affinity (UNITED NATIONS) - a family is a
group of people related by blood, marriages or
adoption, who live together in one household
• TERKELSON AND CO-WORKERS, 1980- a family is a
small social system made up of individuals related to
each other, biologically or by reason of strong
affections and loyalty that comprises a permanent
household and persists over decades. Members enter
through birth, marriage, or adoption and leave by
death; roles of members change over time and through
the history of the group
THE FILIPINO FAMILY
• The family in the Filipino mind is a defense
against hunger and old age, an eternal source
of food, clothing and shelter, an environment
where a Filipino can be oneself. In the
hierarchy of needs, the family comes first.
Filipino characteristics:
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Closely knit
Bilaterally extended
Strong family orientation
Authority based on age
Externally patriarchal, internally matriarchal
High value on education
Predominantly catholic (80%)
Child-centered
Average number of children is 5 ( NEDA statistics)
Exposed to environmental stresses: economic, political,
urbanization, industrialization, health problems
Family as a special unit of care:
• Membership is a lifelong involvement
• Shared attributes
– Genetics- physical and psychological
– Developmental- shared home, lifestyle and social
activities
• Sense of belonging
- Security/defense against a potentially hostile
environment
- Companionship
Family as a special unit of care:
• Social expectations
-Sense of responsibility towards members
-Sense of responsibility towards others
-Basis of affection/care
• Built-in problems
-Generation gap
-Dependence of members
-Emotional attachment/involvement
Family as a special unit of care:
• The family endures inspite of problems
-Resource utilization
-Authority
-Individual sense of responsibility
FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERISTIC OF
HEALTHY FAMILY:
• Shared power
• flexible organization
• adaptive problem solving capable of seeking
different solutions
• active coping mechanisms
• high levels of interaction
• multiple and varied contacts within and without
the family system
• support for personal growth
• encouragement of a high degree of autonomy
FAMILY STRUCTURE
• It is the patterned sequence of behaviours
that are the observable interactions between
two or more members (haley, 1973)
• It is made up of set patterned sequences of
behaviours that respond to the combined and
interacting needs of family members
CLASSIFICATION OF FAMILIES ACCORDING
TO INTERNAL STRUCTURES
I. NUCLEAR FAMILY
II. EXTENDED FAMILY
III. COMMUNAL OR CORPORATE FAMILY
IV. SINGLE- PARENT FAMILY
V. BLENDED FAMILY
VI. EMPTY SHELL FAMILY
VII. CLOSED TYPE FAMILY
VIII.OPEN TYPE FAMILY
IX. RANDOM TYPE FAMILY
NUCLEAR FAMILY
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Composed of husband and wife and their
children in a union of recognized by the
other members of the society
(Parson and bales, 1955): the members,
consisting of parents and their still
dependent children
NUCLEAR FAMILY
(Murdock 1949) - every normal adult in every
society belongs to two kinds of nuclear families:
1. The family of orientation- family into which one
is born, and where one is reared or socialized. It
consists of a father, a mother, brothers and
sisters
2. The family of procreation- family established by
the person by his marriage and consists of a
husband, a wife, sons and daughters
Main points of interaction in the family:
Husband – wife relation
• Conjugal bond- the internal sense of obligation and
privilege, respect, affection, or sexual attraction
existing in the mind and heart of each spouse
• Social pressure- the community expects the husband
and wife to be loving and faithful to each other and to
have a lasting and permanent marriage
• Economic cooperation- the husband is the main
breadwinner while the wife takes care primarily of the
domestic needs of the family
Main points of interaction in the family:
Parent child relation
• Very strong filial bond between parents and
children
• Parents:
- Loving, caring and protective of their children
- work hard and even plunge into debt to provide
for their children
- train and discipline their children early in life with
high hopes for their bright future
- aspire to have their children attain a high level of
education
Main points of interaction in the family:
Parent child relation
• Children
– Love, respect and obey their parents
• Parents and children are also bound together by
the need for economic cooperation
• Rural areas- division of labor based on age and
sex provides each family member a special workrole
– Sons are trained in farm work so that they may take
over the father’s responsibilities someday
– Daughters help their mother take care of the home
Main points of interaction in the family:
Siblings relations
• Mutual love, protection and respect
• Brothers are expects to look after their sisters
and protect them from harm
• Older siblings are given the responsibility to
take care of the younger ones especially when
the parents are away
• Younger siblings are turn to obey their elders
and look up to them with respect
Main points of interaction in the family:
Siblings relations
• Strength of the sibling bond is seen when an
older brother or sister stops schooling or
postpones marriage to be able to help support
or educate the younger ones
• Sibling unity is carried over even after
everyone is already married
EXTENDED FAMILY
• includes three generations family centered,
live together as a group, and through its
kinship network provides supportive functions
to all members
• Composed of two or more nuclear families
economically and socially related to each
other
EXTENDED FAMILY
Linton (Murdock, 1939) distinguishes two types of family
structure corresponding to the nuclear and extended
families. He refers to them as:
• Conjugal family- considers spouses and their offsprings
as of prime importance and which has a fringe of
comparatively unimportant relatives. Marriage bond is
emphasized
• Consanguinal family- considers the nucleus of blood
relatives as more important than the spouses. The
relationships of the person with the blood kin formed
during childhood is emphasized.
COMMUNAL OR CORPORATE FAMILY
• these communities of persons are formed for
specific ideological or societal purposes and
frequently considered an alternative lifestyle
for people who feel alienated from a
predominantly economically oriented society
SINGLE- PARENT FAMILY- children 17 years old or
younger living in a family with single parent, another
relative or non-relative
BLENDED FAMILY- includes step parents, and step
children, separation, divorce and remarriage may cause
it
EMPTY SHELL FAMILY- less effective interaction
- Lacks the basic family function
- Living alone together (doctors, businessmen)
• CLOSED TYPE FAMILY- tightly structural
- Parents closely monitor the schedule of the
members
- Member is assigned a particular task with
corresponding punishments with non-compliance
• OPEN TYPE FAMILY- interaction with community
is encouraged
- Independence is encouraged, no distinct external
boundaries
• RANDOM TYPE FAMILY- “do your own thing”
is the family motto
- recurring problems by individual are solved by
itself/themselves
- “kanya-kanya”
BASED ON DESCENT
1. Patrilineal descent- affiliates a person with a group of
relatives who are related to him through his father. The
child has also well defined relationships with his
mother’s kin, but when he finds it to seek aid he turns
to his father’s kin
2. Matrilineal descent- affiliates a person with a group of
relatives related to him through his mother
3. Bilateral descent- affiliates ah person with a group of
kinsmen related to him through both his parents
BASED ON RESIDENCES
1. Patrilocal residence- newly married couple
live with or near the domicile of the parents of
the bridegroom
2. Matrilocal residence- newly married couple
live with or near the domicile of the parents of
the bride
BASED ON RESIDENCES
3. Bilocal residence- gives the couple a choice of
staying with either the groom’s parents or the
bride parents, depending on certain factors like
the relative wealth of the families or their status,
and wishes of the parents, or certain personal
preferences of the bride and the groom
4. Neolocal residence- permits the newly married
couple to reside independently of the parents of
either groom or bride
BASED ON RESIDENCES:
5. Avunculocal residence- prescribes that the
newly married couple resides with or near the
maternal uncle of the groom. This type of
residence is very rare.
BASED ON AUTHORITY
1. Patriarchal family- authority is vested in the oldest
male in the family, often the father
- the sons especially the eldest, enjoy prestige and
privileges
2. Matriarchal family- authority is vested in the mother
or the mother’s kin
3. Equaltarian/egalitarian family- husband and wife
exercise a more or less equal amount of authority
BASED ON AUTHORITY:
4. Matricentric family- father’s prolonged
absence gives the mother a dominant position
in the family. However he father also shares
with the mother in decision making
(Burgess and locke, 1963)- attribute its
emergence to the fact that in suburban
families, the father commute and therefore
are absent for the greater part of the day.
5 BASIC AREAS OF FAMILY FUNCTION
I. BIOLOGIC
II. ECONOMIC
III. EDUCATION
IV. PSYCHOLOGICAL/AFFECTION
V. SOCIO-CULTURAL OR SOCIALIZATION
BASIC AREAS OF FAMILY FUNCTION
I. BIOLOGIC
• Reproduction- within the marriage bond, sex expression is
usually sanctioned. Thus the perpetuation and continuity of
the group are assured
• Care and rearing of children- human infant is born helpless
and the parents fill the roles of protectors, providers, and
guardians
- From the family, the infant and later the child, draws
security, affection, and guidance and learns tenderness
sympathy, understanding and generalized love
• Nutrition
• Health maintenance
• Recreation
BASIC AREAS OF FAMILY FUNCTION
II. ECONOMIC- provide adequate financial
resources
• determine allocation of resources
• ensure financial security of members
III. EDUCATION- teach skills, attitudes and
knowledge relating to other functions
BASIC AREAS OF FAMILY FUNCTION
IV. PSYCHOLOGICAL/AFFECTION- promote the natural
development of personalities
• Offer optimum psychological function
• Promote ability to form relationships with people
outside the family circle
V. SOCIO-CULTURAL OR SOCIALIZATION- socialization
of children
• Promotion of social status and legitimacy