TYPES OF FAMILY

L.V.B.
A. Structure & Composition
• NUCLEAR- a father, a mother with child/children living together but apart from both
sets of parents and other relatives.

• EXTENDED- composed of two or more nuclear families economically and socially

related to each other. Multigenerational, including married brothers and sisters, and
the families.

• SINGLE PARENT- divorced or separated, unmarried or widowed male or female with

at least one child.

• BLENDED/RECONSTITUTED- a combination of two families with children from both

families and sometimes children of the newly married couple. It is also a remarriage
with children from previous marriage.
• COMPOUND-one man/woman with several spouses
• COMMUNAL-more than one monogamous couple sharing resources
• COHABITING/LIVE-IN- unmarried couple living together
• DYAD —husband and wife or other couple living alone without children
• GAY/LESBIAN-homosexual couple living together with or without
children
• NO-KIN- a group of at least two people sharing a relationship and
exchange support who have no legal or blood tie to each other
• FOSTER- substitute family for children whose parents are unable to care
for them
 B. Decisions in the family (Authority)
• PATRIARCHAL – full authority on the father or any male member of the family e.g.
eldest son, grandfather
• MATRIARCHAL – full authority of the mother or any female member of the family,
e.g. eldest sister, grandmother
• EGALITARIAN- husband and wife exercise a more or less amount of authority, father
and mother decides
• DEMOCRATIC – everybody is involve in decision making
• AUTHOCRATIC- by authority “ on whose authority”
• LAISSEZ-FAIRE- “full autonomy”
• MATRICENTRIC- the mother decides/takes charge in absence of the father (e.g.
father is working overseas)