Understanding Family and Household Concepts

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What is a family?

Back

A family is a group of people affiliated either by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence.

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What is a household?

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A household is composed of one or more people who occupy a housing unit. Not all households contain families.

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What is a nuclear family?

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A nuclear family consists of a pair of adults and their offspring, regardless of the number of children.

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What is an extended family?

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An extended family extends beyond the immediate family, including relatives such as grandparents.

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What is a reconstituted family?

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A reconstituted family is formed when two families join together after one or both partners have divorced.

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What are transnational families?

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Transnational families are families who live apart but maintain a sense of collective welfare and unity across national borders.

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What are family households?

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Family households consist of two or more individuals who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption.

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What is a spouse?

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A spouse is a person married to and living with a householder.

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What defines a child in a family household?

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A child is a son or daughter by birth, a stepchild, or an adopted child of the householder.

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Who are considered other relatives in a family household?

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Other relatives include any household member related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption.