Types of family:
Types of family There used to be 2 basic types of family that 'society' and the Christian Church considered 'ideal' - the nuclear family and the extended family.
A nuclear family consists of parents and children.
An extended family is where three or more generations live together or as close neighbours.
Changes in family structures:
Changes in family structures In reality families can have very different structures - e.g. single-parent families and reconstituted families (where divorcees remarry or find new partners).
Family life is changing in the UK - and one of the most important changes in the past 30 years has been the growth of single-parent (or 'lone-parent') families. This is partly due to more children now being born outside marriage but it's also because I in 3 marriages now end in divorce.