A family is a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption. More broadly it can be defined as those who have common ancestry. In normal usage the term refers to the typical nuclear family, that consists of a mother, a father, and children. An extended family includes grandparents, aunts, uncles nephew, nieces and grandchildren. A single-parent family is one in which only one parent raises the children, often less effectively than in a nuclear family.
The family group should be distinguished from a household, which may include boarders and roomers sharing a common residence.
- ↑ Mackay, Ross (2005) "The impact of family structure and family change on child outcomes: a personal reading of the research literature" (Social Policy Journal of New Zealand)