11 types of family that exist in today's society

For a long time, the nuclear family (father, mother and children) was considered the traditional model of the family. However, the economic, political and socio-cultural changes that have taken place over time have reconfigured this structure, to the point that it is possible to speak of 11 types of family with characteristics own.

1. Nuclear family

It is made up of a father, a mother and their children. It is called nuclear because it is a single nucleus. If any of the members create their own family (as happens when parents separate or when children become independent) then it will no longer be considered nuclear, even if there are family members still living together.

2. Single parent family

It is a family made up of the mother or father and their respective children. It is one of the most common types of family in Latin America, in which it is common for the mother assumes full responsibility for the family structure, while the father figure is absent.

However, it is increasingly common to find single-parent families in which the father is the one who leads the family.

Although there is no single criterion, for many specialists what determines whether a family falls into this classification is the age of the children and the type of absence of the other parent. If the children are minors and economically dependent on their main parent, or if the absence of the missing parent is total, it is considered a single parent family.

When the absent parent has a temporary presence or is co-responsible for the upbringing or maintenance of the children, then it is a nuclear family in a single parenting situation.

3. Composite family

It is a structure made up of several nuclear families. In this case, a couple with children separates, and each of the members of the couple forms a new family.

In the composite family, the children go on to have stepbrothers and can live with one of their parents or share the coexistence with the main parent and the family that has created the other progenitor.

4. Adoptive family

It is the type of family in which both parents have custody of a minor, after having fulfilled a series of bureaucratic procedures that enable them to exercise the role of parents adoptive.

According to the laws in force in each country, adoptions can be of several types:

• Simple adoption: Although the minor legally becomes an adopted child, no legal changes are made to change his surname to that of his parents.
• Full adoption: In this case, the inheritance rights of the adopted minor are legally established, and the requirements that he must meet in order to exercise them are set.
• Open adoption: Future adoptive parents have direct contact with the biological parents of the minor to be adopted. In this case, there is an agreement between the parties so that the biological parents have contact with the child.
• Adoption closed: there is no contact between the biological parents and the adoptive parents, or a close relationship is not established with the minor who has been given up for adoption.

5. Family without children

They are the type of family made up of a couple who do not have children, either because they do not have them yet or because they are already people of mature or advanced age who never had children.

This type of family is very common today, especially in developed countries, where people often give priority to their professional development and the achievement of individual and couple goals (studying a new career, moving up at work, buying a house, etc.)

6. Elderly family

They are families that at some point formed some other type of structure (nuclear, single parent, adoptive), but the children have already been emancipated, so now it is only made up of parents of advanced.

7. Family of separated parents

In this case, the children live with one of their parents, since there is a separation or divorce, but they can spend time and even live with the other parent temporarily.

In this type of family it is usual for the children to spend weekends, vacations or special dates with the parent with whom they do not formally live.

If one of the parents forms a new family, then it becomes a composite family.

8. Homoparental family

These are families made up of a couple of men or women.

Depending on the legislation of each country, a homoparental family can be formed in three ways: surrogacy, adoption or artificial insemination.

It may also be the case that one or both members of the couple have children from previous relationships and these are integrated into the family structure.

See also Difference between sex and gender

9. Extended family

In this case, it is a family group in which members of different generations and roles coexist (parents, children, grandparents, uncles, etc.).

It is one of the most common types of family in Latin America and in those societies with strong family traditions, in which there is a high valuation of social structures numerous.

10. One-person family

Due to its characteristics, the one-person family is probably one of the least known types of family, since it tends to be taken for granted that a single person "has no family." However, there are multiple cases that can illustrate this structure.

A single person living independently is a single family. This type of family can also arise when a childless couple divorces or one of its members becomes a widower.

There are other cases in which a person can form a one-person family, such as those who grew up in nursing homes. minors or who, for multiple reasons, lost contact with their family or their origins, and are now assumed to be the only members of their structure family.

11. Host family

They are temporary families, which are generally made up of nuclear families or parents without children who give a home to a child to adolescent for a certain period, while the institutions in charge place him with an adoptive family permanently.

In some cases, some families become foster families as a first step in preparing for an adoption.

What is the family?

There is no consensus on the definition of family. For some specialists it is a group of people who share a common space and have a consanguinity or affinity bond, while that other experts assure that it is not necessary for the members of a family to live together for it to be considered a form of organization Social.