Family

For the "family" in taxonomy, see Family (biology).

A family is a group of people who, in most cases, live together. They share their money and food and are supposed to take care of one another. Its members are either genetically related (like brother and sister) or legally bound to each other, for example by marriage. In many cultures, the members of a family have the same or a similar surname.

The family in accordance to the Catholic doctrine is treated in many articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church starting from the article 2201.

A family is said to be society's smallest unit, its nucleus. Family life is more private and intimate than public life. But in most countries there are laws for it. For example, there are restrictions for marrying within the family and bans for having a sexual relationship with relatives, especially with children.

Types of families

Three types of family on the basic of size

are: nuclear family, single-parent family and extended family.

1. A nuclear family is made up of parents and one or more children living together.
2. A single-parent family is one where there is one parent and one or more children.
3. An extended family or joint families means father, mother, daughters, sons, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews. In many countries including China, Pakistan and India, extended or joint families traditionally live together.

Both the "nuclear family" and the "single-parent family" are also called the "immediate family".

Foster families are families where a child lives with and is cared for by people who are not his or her biological parents.

Relationships

Same generation

X	Kinship	Kinship	Kinship	Kinship
person	self	wife	sister-in-law	cousin-in-law
		husband	brother-in-law	cousin-in-law
daughter	daughter	daughter or stepdaughter	niece or stepniece	first-cousin-once-removed or step-first-cousin-once-removed
son	son	son or stepson	nephew or stepnephew	first-cousin-once-removed or step-first-cousin-once-removed
mother	mother	mother-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
father	father	father-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
sister	sister	sister-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
brother	brother	brother-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
niece	niece	niece-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
nephew	nephew	nephew-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
grandmother	grandmother	grandmother-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
grandfather	grandfather	grandfather-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
aunt	aunt	aunt-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
uncle	uncle	uncle-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
cousin	cousin	cousin-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
cousin	cousin	cousin-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
first-cousin-once-removed	first-cousin-once-removed	first-cousin-once-removed-in-law	unrelated	unrelated
first-cousin-once-removed	first-cousin-once-removed	first-cousin-once-removed-in-law	unrelated	unrelated

First generation

X	Kinship	Kinship	Kinship	Kinship
person	mother	stepmother	aunt-in-law	first-cousin-once-removed-in-law
	father	stepfather	uncle-in-law	first-cousin-once-removed-in-law
daughter	sister or half-sister	half-sister or stepsister	cousin or stepcousin	second-cousin or step-second-cousin
son	brother or half-brother	half-brother or stepbrother	cousin or stepcousin	second-cousin or step-second-cousin
mother	grandmother	stepgrandmother	unrelated	unrelated
father	grandfather	stepgrandfather	unrelated	unrelated
sister	aunt	stepaunt	unrelated	unrelated
brother	uncle	stepuncle	unrelated	unrelated
niece	cousin	stepcousin	unrelated	unrelated
nephew	cousin	stepcousin	unrelated	unrelated
grandmother	great-grandmother	step-great-grandmother	unrelated	unrelated
grandfather	great-grandfather	step-great-grandfather	unrelated	unrelated
aunt	grandaunt	stepgrandaunt	unrelated	unrelated
uncle	granduncle	stepgranduncle	unrelated	unrelated
cousin	first-cousin-once-removed	step-first-cousin-once-removed	unrelated	unrelated
cousin	first-cousin-once-removed	step-first-cousin-once-removed	unrelated	unrelated
first-cousin-once-removed	second-cousin	step-second-cousin	unrelated	unrelated
first-cousin-once-removed	second-cousin	step-second-cousin	unrelated	unrelated

Second generation

X	Kinship	Kinship	Kinship	Kinship
person	grandmother	stepgrandmother	grandaunt-in-law	first-cousin-twice-removed-in-law
	grandfather	stepgrandfather	granduncle-in-law	first-cousin-twice-removed-in-law
daughter	mother, aunt or half-aunt	half-aunt or stepaunt	first-cousin-once-removed or step-first-cousin-once-removed	second-cousin-once-removed or step-second-cousin-once-removed
son	father, uncle or half-uncle	half-uncle or stepuncle	first-cousin-once-removed or step-first-cousin-once-removed	second-cousin-once-removed or step-second-cousin-once-removed
mother	great-grandmother	step-great-grandmother	unrelated	unrelated
father	great-grandfather	step-great-grandfather	unrelated	unrelated
sister	grandaunt	stepgrandaunt	unrelated	unrelated
brother	granduncle	stepgranduncle	unrelated	unrelated
niece	first-cousin-once-removed	step-first-cousin-once-removed	unrelated	unrelated
nephew	first-cousin-once-removed	step-first-cousin-once-removed	unrelated	unrelated
grandmother	great-great-grandmother	step-great-great-grandmother	unrelated	unrelated
grandfather	great-great-grandfather	step-great-great-grandfather	unrelated	unrelated
aunt	great-grandaunt	step-great-grandaunt	unrelated	unrelated
uncle	great-granduncle	step-great-granduncle	unrelated	unrelated
cousin	first-cousin-twice-removed	step-first-cousin-twice-removed	unrelated	unrelated
cousin	first-cousin-twice-removed	step-first-cousin-twice-removed	unrelated	unrelated
first-cousin-once-removed	second-cousin-once-removed	step-second-cousin-once-removed	unrelated	unrelated
first-cousin-once-removed	second-cousin-once-removed	step-second-cousin-once-removed	unrelated	unrelated

Related pages

• Kinship
• Affinity
• Consanguinity