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A family is the basic unit of a society. Family denotes a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, and co-residence. Although the concept of consanguinity originally referred to relations by "blood," many anthropologists have argued that one must understand the notion of "blood" metaphorically, and that many societies understand 'family' through other concepts rather than through genetic distance.
Family is the nucleus of t he society, if families fail then a nation fails; if families succeed there is a reflection onto how the whole nation is.
There are different types of families for example;
A conjugal family consists of one or more mothers and their children, and/or one or more spouses, usually husbands. The most common form of this family in the western world is regularly referred to as a nuclear family.
A consanguineous family consists of a mother and her children, and other people — usually the family of the mother, like her husband. This kind of family is common where mothers do not have the resources to rear their children on their own, and especially where property is inherited. When important property is owned by men, consanguineous families commonly consist of a husband and wife, their children and other members of the husband's family.
A matrifocal family consists of a mother and her children. Generally, these children are her biological offspring, although adoption of children is a practice in nearly every society. This kind of family is common where women have the resources to rear their children by themselves, or where men are more than women.
The different types of families occur in a wide variety of settings, and their specific functions and meanings depend largely on their relationship to other social institutions. Sociologists have a special interest in the function and status of these forms in stratified (especially capitalist) societies.
The term "nuclear family" is commonly used, especially in the United States and Europe, to refer to conjugal families. Sociologists distinguish between conjugal families (relatively independent of the kindred of the parents and of other families in general) and nuclear families (which maintain relatively close ties with their kindred).
The term "extended family" is also common, especially in the United States and Europe. This term has two distinct meanings. First, it serves as a synonym of "consanguineous family". Second, in societies dominated by the conjugal family, it refers to kindred (an egocentric network of relatives that extends beyond the domestic group) who do not belong to the conjugal family.
These types refer to ideal or normative structures found in particular societies. Any society will exhibit some variation in the actual composition and conception of families. Much sociological, historical and anthropological research dedicates itself to the understanding of this variation, and of changes in the family form over time. Thus, some speak of the bourgeois family, a family structure arising out of 16th-century and 17th-century European households, in which the family centers on a marriage between a man and woman, with strictly-defined gender-roles. The man typically has responsibility for income and support, the woman for home and family matters.
Philosophers and psychiatrists like Deleuze, Guattari, Laing, Reich, explained that the patriarchal-family conceived in the West tradition (husband-wife-children) serves the purpose of perpetuating a propertarian and authoritarian society. The child grows according to the Oedipal model typical of capitalist societies and he becomes in turn owner of submissive children and protector of the woman.
However, as long as it is a family regardless of its type, how a family is determines the outcome of the community in this case referring to family either through blood relations, adoption or marriage. It is however very sad to try and break this social fabric. Unless a family is united, loving, caring, and stands for each other then we will have a cruel broken community.
It makes me sad when families are separated. This is why I hold the opinion that, young families and especially newly weds before they have been together for more than 5years then they should stay together and work within the same area.
A father or mother should be there to see at least their first born at least through her first five years or every other child if possible without interruptions.
Governments should design policies that protect young families. Families have different functions and they can most fulfill them when they are together. These functions include; Economic functions (the family in a traditional society forms the primary economic unit, though this economic role has gradually diminished in modern times), political functions (On the other hand family structures or its internal relationships may affect both state and religious institutions), as well as cultural and social functions
Hope everyone gets to understand the importance of families this 'Families day' and always. Wishing you happy families.
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Muringi
From Nairobi Kenya
Hard working and thorough and will not stop until have completed a task to own very high standards.
Highly intuitive and can sense feelings and emotions of others Very caring and compassionate and will go out of r way to help others.
Love to love and love to be loved.
Nurturing, supportive and care deeply for those i love, community and the environment.
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