Family is one of the oldest and most common human institutions. Since prehistoric times, the family has been an important organization in society. Most people grow up within a family and, as adults, establish a family of their own.

In most industrialized Western countries, the typical family consists of a mother, a father, and one or two children. However, there are many other types of family structures.

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 In General

1. Describe your family.

2. Do any of your friends, classmates, coworkers or neighbors have “interesting” families?

3. What is your “ideal” family of your future? What kind of family would you like to have in the future?

4. Families are very important. Do you agree? Why are families important?

5. Is the average family today small, medium-sized or large? How large or small is the average family today?

6. Were family sizes different in the past? Has it changed? How has family size changed from your grandparents’ or great-grandparents’ generation?
 
 
 
 

 
 

Family Structure

7. What do you think of extended families vs. (versus) nuclear families? Which do you prefer?

8. When do children move out of their parents home? Do young adults live with their parents until they get married? What about in other countries?

9. In your country, who takes care of people when they get very old? Has it always been this way or has it changed or been changing?

10. Have family structures changed over the years; or have they stayed the same (e.g. single households, single parents, step children, step mother, father)?

11. What will families be like in the future?