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- We will cover some of the different types of family in sociology and their dynamics worldwide.
- We will discuss alternatives to the 'traditional' nuclear family type.
- We will look at communes, including the kibbutzim.
- We will also mention government policies regulating family life, such as the one-child policy in China.
Types of family dynamics
Families can have different forms and can mean very different things to people in different countries, regions, and cultures.
In the West, the family is considered to be an economic and social unit. In contrast, in other parts of the world, such as India or China, the family is a cultural and religious unit. While people in Western societies are moving away (both geographically and emotionally) from their extended families and creating smaller, nuclear family units, Asian and Middle-Eastern countries still emphasise family connections and obligations.
The cultural differences in meanings and dynamics of "family" have been well illustrated in media. Films such as The Farewell (2019) present this clash between a culture of collectivist values and a culture of individualism through a Chinese-American immigrant story.
Types of families around the world – theories
The nuclear family is still often seen as the ideal and only natural form of family. Functionalists especially believe this as they see the nuclear family as the building block of a well–functioning society. However, people from all over the world have very diverse relationships. If we look at families globally, we find that they vary in many ways. For instance:
- Families can be different in marriage style. In some parts of the world, polygamy (being married to more than one person at a time) is not only acceptable and legal but is the norm. Radical feminists support the idea of families not being based on marriage at all as they view it as a patriarchal institution built on the exploitation of women.
- Families can be matriarchal or patriarchal, depending on whether they are mother- or father-centred. Many Afro-Caribbean families are matriarchal.
Fig. 1 - Matriarchal families are mother-centred.
- Childrearing doesn't just happen within the nuclear family. It can be done with the help of the extended family or even communally, as we will see in the case of Jewish settlers living in kibbutzim.
Sociologists of the personal life perspective argue that what matters is individual happiness and contentedness, so everyone needs to find the setup that works for them both in terms of childrearing and family formation.
Comparing families around the world
We've covered the major family types in the UK in "Family Forms in the UK", but they include nuclear families, lone-parent families, reconstituted families, and more. Many of these, of course, are quite common and can be found in most countries globally. So, let's study a family form that is unfamiliar to the UK – living in communes.
Alternative Family Types
We will discuss alternative family types. We will focus on communes, which provide a different setup of a family than the traditional two-parent nuclear family.
A commune is a group of people, small or large, who live together and share possessions, wealth and responsibilities for each other, for the children in the commune, and for the residence they live in.
Communes were especially popular in America in the 1960s and 70s. However, there are still communes all over the globe.
There have been many types of communes, all with their own rules, values, and principles. Some might be based on common political beliefs or on a shared interest in preserving the environment. A number of communes are specifically agricultural communities that try not to exhaust the land and environment around themselves and only grow the produce they need and consume.
It is generally common for all adult commune members to have private rooms while children share accommodation.
Communes tend to be very democratic. Members decide on matters together and attempt to establish complete equality between genders and even adults and children.
Kibbutzim
Originally, kibbutzim were agricultural settlements in Palestine, set up by Jewish settlers a hundred years ago. A kibbutz refers to a group of people who live together in equality and cooperation. Today, over 2% of Israel’s population lives in kibbutzim.
When they were first established, children all lived in shared children's quarters, separately from their parents, and were taken care of by selected "kibbutz mothers". Now, children usually live with their biological parents for most of their childhood. When they turn 15, they move to the communal teenagers’ accommodation.
All families have their own apartments, but the members of the kibbutzim usually eat meals together and the children are raised and educated together.
Government policies on the families around the world
There are many government policies about families and family life, which differ greatly from county to country. You’ll find separate explanations where we discuss the government policies on marriage, divorce, childbearing and adoption in the UK.
Now, let us look at the case of China, where a very specific government policy hugely affected childbearing in the past decades.
China's one-child policy
In an attempt to control population growth, Chinese authorities enacted a law in 1979 that restricted married couples who lived in cities to having only one child.
Fig. 2 - In 1979 Chinese authorities enacted a law limiting city-dwelling couples to one child.
If the affected Chinese couples broke the law and had a second child, they faced serious punishment, which could include fines and even dismissal from employment.
The policy had a negative reputation in other countries, especially in the West.
The aftermath of the policy was that China had one of the lowest birth rates in the world and, as a result, had an aging population. The country needs more young people to contribute to the economy and care for the elderly. Consequently, the policy was abolished in 2016. Since then, Chinese couples can request to have two children. However, if they fail to get official birth permits, they can still face sanctions, such as a forced abortion.
Family Forms Around the World - Key takeaways
- In the West, the family is considered to be an economic and social unit. In contrast, in other parts of the world, such as India or China, the family is a cultural and religious unit.
- The nuclear family is still often seen as the ideal and only natural form of family. However, people from all over the world have very diverse relationships.
- A commune is a group of people, small or large, who live together and share possessions, wealth and responsibilities for each other, for the children in the commune, and for the residence they live in. They were popular in the U.S. in the 1960s and 70s.
- A kibbutz refers to a group of people who live together in equality and cooperation. Originally, kibbutzim were agricultural settlements in Palestine, set up by Jewish settlers a hundred years ago.
- In an attempt to control population growth, Chinese authorities enacted a law in 1979 that restricted city-dwelling married couples to having only one child. This was eventually repealed due to negative effects.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Families Around the World
How are families different around the world?
Families can have different forms and can mean very different things to people in different countries, regions, and cultures. In the West, the family is considered to be an economic and social unit. In contrast, in other parts of the world, such as India or China, the family is a cultural and religious unit.
What types of families are there?
The nuclear family is still often seen as the ideal and only natural form of family. Families can be different in marriage style. In some parts of the world, polygamy (being married to more than one person at a time) is not only acceptable and legal but is the norm. Families can be matriarchal or patriarchal, depending on whether they are mother- or father-centred.
Where is polygamy legal?
In some parts of the world, polygamy (being married to more than one person at a time) is not only acceptable and legal but is the norm.
What is a nuclear family?
Nuclear family refers to the traditional, two-parent family. The nuclear family form is still the most widespread and according to functionalists, it is the building block of society.
What is a symmetrical family?
A symmetrical family is a nuclear family where both the domestic duties and the financial responsibilities are shared equally between the partners.
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