The Canadian Family

1. To define all forms of family

2. To list the social trends that
have caused the look of the
family to change.
3. To know the characteristics
of happy families.
 During the early part of the past century,
marriage was seen as a lifetime
commitment and the “traditional” family
was the norm.
 Divorce rates were very low and almost
non-existent in many Western societies.
 A traditional family could be defined as that
with a married mother and father and
children, with the father being employed
and the mother staying at home.
 The family is a social unit of interacting
persons who make commitments,
assume responsibilities, nurture each
other, become socialized, transmit
cultural and religious values, and share
resources over time.

 The family consists of a husband and wife

(with or without children) or a lone parent
of any marital status, with one or more
children living in the same dwelling, or
persons living in common law type of
arrangement.
 The Nuclear Family
 Consists of a parent or parents and children
living together.

 The Conjugal Nuclear Family

 This is when the parents are legally married (also
called a simple family).

 The Extended Family

 This consists of biological relatives living with the
nuclear family. It may include grandparents,
uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.

 The Experimental Family

 This is when several adults cohabit or live
together in the same household (communes).
 The Blended Family
 This consists of a husband and wife, with
offspring from a previous marriage, living in a
common household.
 The Dual Career Family
 Consists of an intact nuclear family made up of a
husband, a wife and offspring living in the same
household where both partners work.
 The Single Career Family
 Is an intact nuclear family consisting of a
husband, a wife and offspring living in the same
household, where one partner, traditionally the
husband, is the provider.
Social Trends and Families

 The following trends have

changed the look of the family:
 Later Marriages
Delayed Parenthood
Smaller families
Higher rates of divorce
Re-marriage and blended families
Characteristics of Happy
Families
 A national survey on happy families,
conducted by Nick Stinnett, discovered
the following:
 Happy families spend time together
 Happy families have good communication
 Happy families show appreciation for one
another
 Happy families are committed to the
family group
 Happy families deal with crises positively
 In pairs of twos (2), read pages 2
– 6 in our textbook.
 On a sheet of loose-leaf write

your names and the date and do

the following:
 Answer question 1 on page 2
 Answer questions 1 – 3 on page
6
 To be handed in for marks.
Effort counts!