Definition of Family

Definition of Family

The etymology of the word family could not be established in a precise way. There are those who claim that it comes from the Latin fames ( "hunger" ) and others from the term famulus ( "servant" ). Therefore, it is believed that, in its origins, the concept of family was used to refer to the group made up of servants and slaves that the same man had as property .

Today, judging by everyday use, 'family' is a concept that describes the organization 's most important man more general yet . In other words, the family constitutes a group of individuals united from a kinship . These ties, experts say, can have two roots: one linked to affinity arising from the development of a link recognized at the social level (as with marriage or adoption) and inbreeding (as occurs for example with the filiation between a couple and their direct descendants).

Thus, among the many examples we could use to better understand the concept we are defining would be this: "Miguel said he was very proud of his family: his parents, brothers, wife and children."

It should be noted that in a family there are different degrees of kinship , which is why not all its members maintain the same type of relationship or closeness. The so-called nuclear family or family circle , to name a case, only includes the mother, the father and the children in common. The extended family , on the other hand, has a greater scope since it recognizes as part of the clan the grandparents on the part of both parents, as well as the uncles, the cousins ​​and other relatives. It can also be the case of a compound family, which is characterized by being formed not only by parents and children but also by people who have consanguineous links with only one of the members of the couple that has originated that new family.

However, although in general these have been the most frequent family types, it is necessary to emphasize that in recent times they have been changing. And the fact that society advances and brings about certain changes is reflected in areas such as the one we are currently addressing.

Thus, for example, today it is also very common to find single-parent families. These are those that are formed by a father or mother and by their respective children. Widowhood, or singleness are some of the reasons that give rise to this type of family.

In the same way, we also find what is known as assembled. These are those that arise as a result of two single-parent families that come together as a result of the establishment of a sentimental relationship of the parents.

And we should also make a mandatory mention of what is called homoparental families. These are those that are composed of a homosexual couple, either gay or lesbian, and their respective children. An example of this kind of family would be formed by the great singer Elton John, her husband and the son they have.

These last three classes of families are, as we said before, a clear sample of the evolution of society and the changes that are experienced in it.

In the words of French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss , marriage is the institution that gives rise to the family, an organization where there is a husband (or husband), a woman in the role of wife and children born of that relationship. This clan, bound by legal, economic and religious reasons, is conditioned by multiple prohibitions and permits of a sexual natureand tied by feelings of a psychological nature such as love, affection and respect.

It is interesting to note that certain aspects of this definition have been outdated, since nowadays the term family is often extended to the place where people learn to protect and are taken care of , even beyond their kinship relationships.