| A family is a domestic group of people who are | | | | who maintain relatively close ties with their kindred. |
| either related by birth, by marriage or through other | | | | Kinship factors in family |
| legal relationships that include domestic partnership, | | | | Kinship is a specific system referring to people |
| surnames, and adoption or by simple ownership. | | | | enjoying familial relationships. The kinship terminology |
| Article 16(3) of Universal Declaration of Human Rights | | | | is more common in societies that are based on |
| says "The Family is the natural and fundamental | | | | conjugal families. |
| group unit of society and is entitled to protection by | | | | Members of nuclear family use the following kinship |
| the society and State". | | | | terms: |
| Types of family | | | | § Mother - the female parent |
| As per the researches of sociology and anthropology, | | | | § Father - the male parent |
| the primary function of the family is reproducing | | | | § Daughter - the females born baby of the |
| society, either socially, or biologically or through both | | | | mother |
| the ways. Anywhere in the world, the structure of | | | | § Son - the male born baby of the mother |
| families traditionally begins with relations between | | | | § Brother - the male born of the same mother |
| parents and children, between spouses and other | | | | § Sister - the female born of the same mother |
| relatives. | | | | § Grandfather - a parent's father |
| There are basically four major types of families | | | | § Grandmother - a parent's mother |
| prevalent: | | | | § Grandson - a child's son |
| § Patrifocal - a family that consists of father | | | | § Granddaughter - a child's daughter |
| and children and more popular in Islamic States. | | | | However, there are some relationships that are |
| § Matrifocal - a family that consists of a mother | | | | collateral: |
| and children. | | | | § Uncle - father's brother, father's sister's |
| § Conjugal - consists of one or more mothers | | | | husband, mother's sister's husband and mother's |
| and their children and one/ or more spouses. | | | | brother |
| Common where division of labor exists with | | | | § Aunt - father's brother's wife, mother's sister, |
| participation of both men and women. | | | | father's sister, and mother's sister's husband |
| § Consanguineal - this consists of one or more | | | | § Nephew - brother's son and sister's son |
| mother, children and other people [specially the family | | | | § Niece - brother's daughters and sister's |
| of the mother]. This family is more common where | | | | daughters |
| mothers cannot nurture their children, and specially | | | | § Cousins- children of aunts and uncles |
| where property is inherited. | | | | However, the terms "half brother" and "half-sister" |
| In United States and Europe, the term "nuclear | | | | refers to siblings who can share only one parent. |
| family" refers to conjugal families. But sociologists | | | | It is family basically that sustains you throughout your |
| describe conjugal families as those who are relatively | | | | lifetime, so everyone should love and care for their |
| independent of the kindred of the parents and other | | | | family to enjoy happy relationships in their life. |
| families in general, and nuclear family refers to those | | | | |