Describe American family structure/functioning.

Description may include

  • nuclear
  • single-parent
  • step
  • blended
  • foster and adoptive
  • extended (e.g., multi-generational)
  • same-sex
  • grandparent as head-of-household.

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

  • How would you define the term family?
  • What are the various family structures?
  • How have family structures changed over the last few decades?

Communication

  • What are some decisions to which all family members can contribute?
  • How do family relationships affect future relationships with others?

Leadership

  • What are some ways in which children support their parent(s)?
  • What are some steps that children take to become independent from their families?

Management

  • How do you balance individual needs with the responsibilities of the family?
  • What can family teach us about our individual selves?
  • What are a parent's basic obligations to a child? What are the child's basic obligations to a parent?