The following material has been published on the web by Prof. Tom Sienkewicz for his students at Monmouth College. If you have any questions, you can contact him at toms@monm.edu.
Definitions of a typical "family" submitted by members of CLAS/HIST240 1996
-A mother and father happily married with two children.
-Mother and father working together EQUALLY to provide a loving and nurturing environment for any children.
-People related that live together.
-A close-knit group generally, perhaps stereotypically, with a mother, father, and children.
-To me a family is simply a mother, father, son, daughter, cat and a dog.
-A group of people who love and care for each other. They don't necessarily live together.
-A group of related people who live together for the purpose of psychological, physical, emotional, religious,..., support.
-A group of people who live together and work together as a unit to run the place where they live. These individuals may later go on to other places, but they are still part of the family.
-A group of people who live together not only in the same house but in the same communities. A family is also a small group of people that are related and live in the same house and share common interests.
-A family is a group of people
who depend upon each other
for survival both physically
and mentally.
-A social unit within society which serves the function of sustaining a livelihood.
-A close knit group who is able to relate to and rely on each other. Entire family as well as immediate.
-A family is a unit that are strongly bonded together (close together). There are bases such as respect and authority from the head or leaders (parents).
-A family is a close group of people who live in the same household. They are usually related through blood or by marriage.
-A typical family is a group of people who know one another well and have many common similarities whether it be physical or mentally. A family does things together and helps one another out through good and bad.
-A family is a group of people consisting of a mother, father and children with an extension of other family members, ex. grandparents, aunts, uncles, who are very close to each other.
-A typical "family" includes people who are surrounded by other people that love them. It could mean two people or it could include many more.
-A typical family is a loving unit who are there for support. However, as the world gets more advanced so do peoples lives. Family members need to remember the importance of the core unit before it gets lost. The family has always been fascinating to me because there is the ideal family and the more I get to know people I realize that the ideal family is just a fantasy.
-Anymore families are usually made up of one parent with problems in their background. Personally, I do not think there is such a thing as a typical family because every family is different with different problems, situations and circumstances.
-A group of people living together in the same house. In this day and age two kids and a mother and father.
-A family is a group of people that love and respect each other. This group shares experiences and grows together as a whole.
-A family is a group of individuals held together by genetic substances. Family members may be entirely individual or may contribute to the family in close social contact.
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