How Family Structures Affect Child Development

According to (FamilyFacts.org, n.d.) the proportion of American children being raised in single-parent homes has nearly doubled over the past thirty five years, whereas the proportion of children being raised in two-parent homes has dropped about fifteen percent. (FamilyFacts.org, n.d.) states that family structure plays a significant role on an individual’s academic performance; from preschool readiness to college levels. This source discusses the major role that family structure plays on a student’s performance. It gives many effects throughout different stages of life including teen pregnancy, incarceration, and psychological issues. The article also states that if the U.S. family structure was as strong today as it was in 1970 531,000 fewer children each year would need psychotherapy and 453,000 fewer children would be involved in violence each year. (Teachman, 2008) also states that the family structure in which a child is raised

There is an increase in the numbers of different family types, be them lone parent families, stepfamilies, cohabiting couples, same sex couples, or children living at home for a longer period. The broad structure of family have complicated relations in some cases, where for example, ex-step-siblings may still be considered as family, which leaves a complex family dynamic. Although the traditional family structure of a nuclear family still remains as the most common family organisation, ‘variation has become a normal part of normal family life for many people in modern Britain’ (SIRC, online: pg.8).

The word family has changed so much in the past century. A family back in the 1950’s was probably considered a husband, wife, and one or more children. Times have changed and families have become much different. The Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others book defines family as a, “Unit made up of any number of persons who live in relationship with one another over time in a common living space who are usually, but not always, united by marriage and kinship” (Beebe, Beebe & Redmond, 243). Families can be broken up into five different types. The first is the traditional family, which includes a mother, father, and their biological children. Next, is the blended family which includes

Eveyone's family is shaped diffeent, and functions differently The first major one is marital arrangements of a family, that is the number of persons each sex is allowed to marry. This includes monogamy, which is one marriage, and polygamy which is two marriages. There are also sub catergories that includes polygyny, which includes multiple wives, polyandry, which include multiple husbands, and cenogamy, which is a group marriage. the household arrangements of a family is the expected household composition including marital units and blood. There are two major houseold arrangements of a family that most of us fit into. The first arrangemnet would be a nuclear familty. A nuclear family coud either be intact, childless or incomplete. In an intact family the memebers of the family include a husband, wife, and children. In a childless family this includes a couple without children. In a incompletee family, for example this would be a widower with a child. some would say that the nuclesr family is more intimate then a compounded family because nuclear family are more monagomous and conjugal, but that is not always the case. But it is safe to say that the nuclear family is the norm in all societies today, because family comes in all different shapes and sizes. The other type of household arrangement is a compounded family arrangement. This

There are many types of families; the most common family group is a nuclear family consisting of two adults of both sexes whom are in a sexual relationship, with children either biological or adopted. They must cohabitate in the same house hold and share income or domestic tasks to some extent. Then there are extended families, an extended form of the nuclear family. The extended family consists of kin and other various relatives. Another version of the extended family is the local extended family

A traditional family is no longer considered the norm amongst a typical family structure. Many family structures consist of the nuclear family, single parent household, lesbian/gay family, childless family, grandparent family, and stepfamily. Each family is made distinctive, develops at different stages, and deals with family issues. Family development theory is used to help families deal with issues and how to handle them in different stages of development. Issues within the family can be caused by a numerous of situations from a child acting out to a parent getting a divorce.

There are many forms of families around the world. The structure of these families are influenced by the culture around them. Family is defined as "two or more people related by blood, marriage or adoption. The family may take many forms, ranging from a single parent with one or more children, to a married couple or polygamist spouses with or without offspring, to several generations of parents and their children” (226). There are many functions of the family unit around the world.

I believe my family can best be described as a nuclear family, with minor differences. For example, both of my parents work, so my father isn’t necessarily the “breadwinner” of the household. Also, the definition of nuclear family doesn’t specifically state how each family member should act. For example, I live at home

Mary Bowen developed the Family Systems Theory, which is based on the premise that inter-and intra-relational patterns are transmitted from one generation to the next (Martin, 2014). Bowen believes that the goal of achieving positive well-being is to find the balance between achieving personal autonomy and individuation while maintaining appropriate closeness with one’s family system (Martin, 2014, p. 69). An active and effective family system in a child’s life is an essential foundation for healthy development throughout the life span. Nevertheless, when children do not have access to a healthy family support or no support system at all that can have an extremely adverse effect on the child development that will transmit throughout his/her lifespan. For that reason, it is imperative to contemplate the positive impact of a family system during development and also the negative effects of not having a family system during development.

In conclusion, one can clearly see the vast significance that the role of family plays in the physical, spiritual, social and cognitive development of an individual. The family unit is the training ground for life in the world at large and its impact can be either positive or negative. However there are several other factors at work in determining how an individual will handle their life regardless of the cards that they are dealt. For instance a child who grows up in a home where he has been the victim of psychological maltreatment may still have a chance

Typical family structure is called Kazoku in japanese. It is composed of a couple as is the family in other societies. There's a possibility of an extended and nuclear family. An extended family is a family that extends beyond the nuclear family, consisting of parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, all living nearby or in the same household. A nuclear family is a couple and their dependent children, regarded as a basic social

Determining family structure and dynamics as well as defining the family is a complex process. Personally, I come from a very traditional family. Much like the assumptions made by the students in the article Defining Family: Young Adults’ Perceptions of the Parent-Child Bond by Mellisa Holtzman (2008). This is what comes to mind when most people define family; a nuclear family, with married parents, and biological children. However, a family is a complex system and can take on many different forms.

The first family structure in the modern-day society is the nuclear family. This setup is considered a conventional family structure. The nuclear family is also referred to as a traditional, conjugal or elementary family. It comprises of two parents and the children, whether the children were adopted or not. This family configuration has been long considered with high regards as the ideal structure for raising children. It is perceived that children from nuclear families tend to have the strength and stability and are generally more opportune in matters of finances from the two adults. The United States Census data highlights that close to 70% of children stay in a nuclear family structure (Schulte, 2014). In addition, nuclear families are

Since the late 1920s psychologists have been curious about the influence of parents on child development (Darling, 1999). Researchers in psychology, sociology, and education have indicated that parental influence shows no decline into adolescence (Astone & McLanahan, 1991). The main approach to studying parental influence is examining different parenting styles. These parenting styles shape the development of competence and behavior well into adolescence and are therefore at the forefront of understanding the influence of parents on children (Glasgow, Dornbusch, Troyer, Steinberg, & Ritter, 1997). There are four types of parenting styles: Permissive, authoritarian, authoritative, and neglectful (Darling, 1999). Each style is unique and presents different consequences for child development.

There are many different definitions about what the family is. Different theoretical positions influence these variations. For example, the functionalist sociologist George Peter Murdock defines the family as “a social group characterized by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain