Family is the most basic universal institution, which results from after marriage procreation. Sociologists have distinguished types of family by size, structure, authority and ancestry. Types of family structures are as follow.
By Size and Structure
Conjugal or Nuclear Family
When a married couple and their unmarried children live together under one roof as a family is called as nuclear family. Rad cliff Brown referred to such family as elementary family. It is the most common type of family in almost every society.
Consanguine Family
This type of family is larger in size and the structure of the family is based on, blood relationship. Parents, siblings and the children, wife and husbands of siblings live together under the same roof is known as the consanguine family. Such type of family are found in the tribal areas of Pakistan.
Extended Family
Such type of family comprises of parents and their married children living together. However, the married siblings do not have children.
Patrilineal Extended Family
Patrilineal extended family comprises of parents, their sons, sons wife and the sons kids living together.
Matrilineal Extended Family
Matrilineal extended family comprises of parents, their daughters, daughters spouse and daughter offspring.
Stem Family
In stem family parents and one of their child (daughter or son), his/her spouse and children live together under the same roof. Other children live with their spouse and offspring.
By residence;
Patrilocal Family
When a couple live with husband parents such family is known as patrilocal family.
Matrilocal Family
When a couple live with wife parents is called matrilocal family.
Neolocal Family
When the husband and wife live independently separate in their own house is called neolocal family.
By Authority
Patriarchal Family
The family in which decision maker, head of family and bread winner is father such family is known as patriarchal family.
Matriarchal Family
It’s the opposite of patriarchal family. Mother is head of family and decision maker in the family.
