FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES Flashcards
Define FAMILY.
A family is defined (ABS) by the ABS two or persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto) adoption, step or fostering, and who are usually resident in the same household.
What are ten types of families?
- Adoptive
- Blended
- Childless
- Communal
- Extended
- Foster
- Nuclear
- Same sex
- Sole parent
- Kin ship
Define DE FACTO.
A de facto couple families are where a couple of the opposite or same sex live together in the same household but are not married to each other; they are partners, common law husband and wife, lovers, boyfriends or girlfriends.
Define an ADOPTIVE family.
Adoption is the legal process where all legal rights and responsibilities are transferred from birth parent to adoptive parents. Permanent care is provided for children who are unable to live with their birth families.
Define a BLENDED family.
A couple family that contains both a natural parent and a step-parent that is, a blended family has at least one child who is the biological child of both parents and at least one child who is the stepchild of either parent.
Define a CHILDLESS family.
A couple with no children (of any age) present is known as a childless family. They could be childless because they haven’t yet started a family; children have left home or have lost a child (to death).
Define a COMMUNAL family.
A communal family is a group of families, or individuals either related or unrelated, living and sharing resources together. Shared resources could include food, child rearing, social life, living space, decision making and political or religious ideology.
Define EXTENDED family.
An extended family is described as at least one core family plus at least one relative living in the same house. The relative may include, a grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin who is not part of another core family within the same house.
Define a FOSTER family.
A foster family is when children and young people, through no fault of their own, cannot live with their own parents or families. Foster carers provide short or long term care.
Define a NUCLEAR family.
A nuclear family can be viewed as a heterosexual couple of their offspring. Traditionally the norm and are still the most common family structure, it is the family structure type that statistically has the lowest growth rate. Due to declining marriage rates, fertility, rising divorce rates and other social trends means that a reduced number of people will live in the family norm.
Define SAME-SEX COUPLE.
A same-sex couple can be defined as two people of the same-sex having sexual relations, either living with children or without. More lesbian couples have children in the family than male homosexuals.
Define a SOLE PARENT family.
A sole parent family consists of a lone parent with at least one depended or non-dependent child (regardless of age) living in the same household. Some reasons why families may become sole parent families could be due to divorce, death of partner or artificial reproductive technologies.
Define a KIN SHIP.
Australian Aboriginal kinship care is provided by a person who is a relative, considered to be family or a close friend or is a member of the child or young persons community. Kinship is often a term used to describe the system of living among indigenous Australians.
