Task 1
Introduction:
Family, a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption,
constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective
social positions, usually those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings. 1 The basic
family unit comprises of the father, the mother, and their children, known as the
nuclear family. 2
Body:
At its most basic, a family consists of an adult and his or her offspring. Most
commonly, it consists of two married adults, usually a man and a woman along with
their offspring, usually living in a private and separate dwelling. Sometimes the family
includes not only the parents and their unmarried children living at home but also
children that have married, their spouses, and their offspring, and possibly elderly
3
dependants as well, such an arrangement is called an extended family.
The relationship that one has with a paternal uncle’s child (parallel cousin) is similar
to that between siblings, they are one’s brothers and sisters. A paternal uncle is like
a father, he plays the role destined for the paternal side in one’s life. A maternal
uncle, on the other hand, cannot substitute for a paternal uncle, he plays the role for
the mother’s side of the family. 4
Types of families:
According to BBC5, there are various different types of family, namely – Nuclear
family, Extended family, Reconstituted family, and Single parent family.
Two adults and any number of children living together constitute a nuclear family.
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who live close by or in the same home are
1
Barnard A 2023. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/family-kinship
2
AFL1501 module site. Pretoria: University of South Africa
3
Barnard A Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/family-kinship
4
AFL1501 module site. Pretoria: University of South Africa
5
BBC: Personal and family issues: Different types of Family. Available at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zhydpg8/revision/1
Accessed on 2023/03/26.
Introduction:
Family, a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption,
constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective
social positions, usually those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings. 1 The basic
family unit comprises of the father, the mother, and their children, known as the
nuclear family. 2
Body:
At its most basic, a family consists of an adult and his or her offspring. Most
commonly, it consists of two married adults, usually a man and a woman along with
their offspring, usually living in a private and separate dwelling. Sometimes the family
includes not only the parents and their unmarried children living at home but also
children that have married, their spouses, and their offspring, and possibly elderly
3
dependants as well, such an arrangement is called an extended family.
The relationship that one has with a paternal uncle’s child (parallel cousin) is similar
to that between siblings, they are one’s brothers and sisters. A paternal uncle is like
a father, he plays the role destined for the paternal side in one’s life. A maternal
uncle, on the other hand, cannot substitute for a paternal uncle, he plays the role for
the mother’s side of the family. 4
Types of families:
According to BBC5, there are various different types of family, namely – Nuclear
family, Extended family, Reconstituted family, and Single parent family.
Two adults and any number of children living together constitute a nuclear family.
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who live close by or in the same home are
1
Barnard A 2023. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/family-kinship
2
AFL1501 module site. Pretoria: University of South Africa
3
Barnard A Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/family-kinship
4
AFL1501 module site. Pretoria: University of South Africa
5
BBC: Personal and family issues: Different types of Family. Available at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zhydpg8/revision/1
Accessed on 2023/03/26.
