extended family

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Charles Sprague Pearce, Family (1896). Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.

The term extended family has several distinct meanings. First, it is used synonymously with consanguineous family or joint family. Second, in societies dominated by the conjugal family or nuclear family, it is used to refer to kindred who does not belong to the conjugal family. Often there could be many generations living under the same roof, depending on the circumstances. Extended type of family feels a greater security and belongingness. This is an advantage of extended type of family because this family contains more people to serve as resources during crisis and provides more role models for behaviour of values. The disadvantage of living in an extended type of family is shouldering more expenses for their basic needs.

Around the world

In many cultures, such as in those of many of the Africans, Koreans, the Middle Easterners, the Jewish family of Central Europe, the Latin Americans, the Indians, the East Asians, the Italians, the Greeks, the Spaniards, the Maori and the Pacific Islanders, extended families are the basic family unit. Cultures in which the extended family is common usually happen to be collectivistic cultures.

Australian Aborigines are another group for whom the concept of family extends well beyond the nuclear model. Aboriginal immediate families include aunts, uncles and a number of other relatives who would be considered "distant relations" in context of the nuclear family. Aboriginal families have strict social rules regarding who they can marry. Their family structure incorporates a shared responsibility for all tasks.^{[citation needed]}

It refers to people related by blood or near age, in contrast to elementary/nuclear family and joint family, have married/unmarried offsprings, married/unmarried siblings and may not have three generations living together- 6-10 members living in a house.

See also

• Complex family
• Family
• Nuclear family