Types of Family

There are three major types of family, they are:

1. Nuclear 
2. Extended
3. Compound

1. Nuclear Family: 

This type of family is made up of a man (the husband), his wife or wives, and their children. There is usually a high degree of intimacy among the members. A nuclear family can also be referred to as a simple, biological or immediate family. Tradition and the form of marriage are factors that can determine the size of a nuclear family.

For example in Africa, some cultures permit the man to marry as many wives as he wants

There are two types of Nuclear Family, they are:

• Monogamous Nuclear Family
• Polygamous Nuclear Family

Monogamous Nuclear Family: This consists of one man (the husband), his wife and their children. It is common with the Christian religion and Western culture.

Polygamous Nuclear Family: This consists of a man (the husband), his two or more wives and their children. This type of family is common in the Islamic religion.

2. Extended Family: 

This is a larger family group that consists of the husband, his wife (or wives), their children, and all other family relations, that is, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins, stepbrothers and/or sisters, etc. The members of an Extended family are related by blood, marriage or adoption. They may or may not live together.

3. Compound Family: 

Here, members of an Extended Family stay together, in a compound, but have their separate apartments or units where they live. This type of family is common in our African culture.

How a Family can be Formed:

A family (whether nuclear or extended) can be formed in two ways, they are:

• Natal Family
• Conjugal Family

a. Natal Family: This is a family that an individual is born into, that is, the family where we find ourselves as children.

b. Conjugal Family: This is a family that is formed through marriage. That is, when a man and woman decide to come together as husband and wife, a conjugal family is formed. It is a nuclear family that may consist of a married couple and their children (by birth or adoption).