Family

How it is used

Sociologists often say 'families' in the plural to show that family forms vary: nuclear, extended, single-parent and reconstituted (step) families. The sociology of the family covers marriage, divorce, domestic labour and changing household types.

Example sentences

1. Functionalists saw the family as essential for socialisation and emotional support.

2. In many European countries, single-parent families have become more common since the 1970s.

Common collocations

• nuclear family
• extended family
• single-parent family
• family structure
• sociology of the family

Related terms

• nuclear familyA family made up of two parents and their dependent children living together in one household.
• extended familyA family that includes relatives beyond parents and children, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins, who live together or keep close daily contact.
• kinshipThe network of relationships between people based on descent, marriage or adoption, together with the rules and obligations that come with them.
• socialisationThe lifelong process through which people learn the norms, values, language and roles of their society and become members of it.

More terms: Family, Gender and the Life Course

• gender
• gender role
• patriarchy
• life course