What is a Family?

Family Structure and Social Change

In this course, Dr Rosie Nelson (University of Bristol) explores the family structure and how it relates to social change. In the first lecture, we think about what a family is in the traditional and modern sense. In the second lecture, we think about some of the legal and economic factors which have changed perceptions of family structure. Next, we think about some social and cultural factors which have changed perceptions of family structure. In the fourth and final lecture, we think about some potential future factors which might change perceptions of family structure further. Photo by Hoi An Photographer on Unsplash

What is a Family?

In this lecture, we think about what a family is, focusing in particular on: (i) recognising the typical European and North American view of a family being a monogamously married man and woman with children; (ii) examples of family types which are not represented by the traditional view of a family; (iii) Chambers and Gracia’s 2021 definition of a family as being flexible away from the traditional view; (iv) examples of alternative family types which would be accepted as being a family, under this more flexible understanding of the term; (v) recognising the concept of family as no longer being fixed.