Family

Structures
Objectives:
At the end of this module, learners will be able to:
1. Appraise their family structure and the type of care they
give and receive, which may help in understanding
themselves better ,
2. Make a genogram and trace certain physical, personality, or
behavioral attributes through generations, and
3. Prepare a plan on how to make their family members firmer
and gentler with each other.
Call it a clan, call it a network, call it
a tribe, and call it a family. Whatever
you call it, whoever you are, you
need one.”
—Jane Howard
Do you agree
with Ms.
Howard?
 How do you need
your family in your
life?
 GENOGRAM

A genogram or family tree is a useful tool to

gather information about a person's family. This
visual representation of a family can help us to
identify patterns or themes within families that
may be influencing or driving a person's current
behavior.
 GENOGRAM

Why do you think we need to make

one at the start of our topic?
What information can we gather from
a genogram/family tree?
Symbols for drawing the genogram or family tree:
Describe your respective families in
terms of people in your family,
physical set up/agreement, place
of residence, who leads/makes
decision in the family.
 FAMILY STRUCTURE
The traditional family structure is considered a family support
system which involves two married individuals providing care
and stability for their biological offspring. However, this two-
parent, nuclear family has become less prevalent, and alternative
family forms have become more common. The family is created
at birth and establishes ties across generations. Those
generations, the extended family of aunts, uncles, grandparents,
and cousins, can all hold significant emotional and economic
roles for the nuclear family.
Different kinds of
Family Structures
Nuclear family
A family unit consisting
of at most a father,
mother and dependent
children. It is
considered the
“traditional” family.
Extended family
A family consisting of
parents and children, along
with grandparents,
grandchildren, aunts or
uncles, cousins etc. In some
circumstances, the extended
family comes to live either
with or in place of a member
of the nuclear family.
Stepfamilies
Two families
brought together
due to divorce,
separation, and
remarriage.
Single parent family
This can be either a father or a
mother who is singly
responsible for the raising of a
child. The child can be by birth
or adoption. They may be a
single parent by choice or by
life circumstances. The other
parent may have been part of
the family at one time or not at
all.
Adoptive family
A family where one
or more of the
children has been
adopted. Any
structure of family
may also be an
adoptive family.
Bi-racial or multi-
racial family
A family where the
parents are members of
different racial identity
groups.
Trans-racial
adoptive family
A family where the
adopted child is of a
different racial identity
group than the parents.
Blended family
A family that
consists of members
from two (or more)
previous families.
Conditionally separated
families
A family member is separated
from the rest of the family.
This may be due to
employment far away; military
service; incarceration;
hospitalization. They remain
significant members of the
family.
Foster family
A family where one or
more of the children is
legally a temporary
member of the household.
This “temporary” period
may be as short as a few
days or as long as the
child’s entire childhood.
Gay or Lesbian family
A family where one or both
of the parents’ sexual
orientation is gay or
lesbian. This may be a two-
parent family, an adoptive
family, a single parent
family or an extended
family.
Immigrant family
A family where the parents
have immigrated to another
country as adults. Their
children may or may not be
immigrants. Some family
members may continue to live
in the country of origin, but
still be significant figures in the
life of the child.
Migrant family
A family that moves regularly to
places where they have employment.
The most common form of migrant
family is farm workers who move
with the crop seasons. Children may
have a relatively stable community of
people who move at the same time -
or the family may know no one in
each new setting. Military families
may also lead a migrant life, with
frequent relocation, often on short
notice.
 POEM WRITING

Make two five-line poems about

your family.
 Poem Writing
First line is _____ family
Second line is two adjectives (joined by and) which describe the noun
Third line is a verb and an adverb to describe the noun in action
Fourth line begins with like and presents a comparison
Fifth line starts with if only and expresses a wish.
Ex:
(_____ family) Mine family
(adjective + adjective) Unique and chaotic
(verb + adverb) Changing constantly
(like) Like flaming hot Thai dishes, which are quite exotic
(if only) If only we could relive our family life, of jolly years gone
by