Types of Family Size

There are two types of family sizes, they are:

1. Large Family Size
2. Small Family Size

1. Large Family Size: 

This is a situation where members of the family are large in number. It is associated with the extended family system which consists of the husband, his wife or wives, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces, etc.

Advantages of a Large Family Size:

1. It has a large number of members.

2. They can produce a high number of professionals if they are well-trained and dedicated.

3. Wider than the nuclear family.

4. More hands are available to perform work or tasks.

Consequences of Large Family Size on the Quality of Individual Lives:

1. It is expensive to manage in terms of feeding, clothing, shelter, etc.

2. It could lead to poverty when there are too many people to cater to.

3. It can lead to a high level of illiteracy if there are insufficient funds to educate every child.

4. It leads to a lower standard of living.

5. The probability of conflicts and disagreements is higher in a large family with lots of members compared to one with a small number of members.

Consequences of Large Family Size on the National Economy:

1. It promotes overpopulation.

2. It encourages societal ills such as drug peddling, corruption, and crime. Members of a Large Family Size may participate in such activities to provide for themselves.

3. It could lead to child abuse and neglect, such as hawking and dropping out of school.

4. It could lead to a decline in moral standards if children are not adequately supervised and disciplined.

5. Government spending on Social amenities will increase.

Small Family Size:

In this Family Size, there are few members of the family. It is made up of the husband, his wife or wives, and their children. An example of a Small Family Size is the Nuclear Family.

Advantages of Small Family Size:

1. It allows for better management in terms of feeding, clothing, shelter, and education of children.

2. It makes it easier for the family to plan and save for the future.

3. It promotes a good standard of living.

4. Members are usually closely knitted together.

5. It is easy to uphold moral values.

6. It encourages family progress.

7. It gives the ability of family members to have intimate relationships.

Consequences of Small Family Size on the Quality of Individual Lives:

1. It is threatened by extinction if a calamity occurs. For example, if a parent dies.

2. Members may not have lots of opportunities available to them.

Consequences of Small Family Size on the National Economy:

1. Their members become negligible in socio-economic activities in the community structure.

2. It may affect the population of a societyThe term society is derived from the Latin word 'socius' meaning friendship or companionship. Society is a community, nation or group of people who share the same traditions, institutions, rules and other common standards of living..

3. The economic resources of the society will be underutilized.

4. The contribution of the labour force from a small family unit will be less than that of a larger family unit.