Synonyms
Definition
An extended family is a family composition that includes in one household near relatives in addition to the nuclear family.
Description
The extended family has been categorized as many things in the research literature. Early researchers defined this family structure as a constellation of nuclear families across two or more generations [1]. Furthermore, it has been operationally defined as a three-generation structure comprised of related relatives: grandparents, parents, grandchildren, and sometimes a fourth generation [5]. However, the aforementioned description defines extended families as a compilation of nuclear families across generations. It should be noted that there are many other variations of the extended family structure. Extended family structures may consist of grandmother/grandfather, aunt/uncle, cousins, one-parent extended families, divorced families, and other kin relations [1]. Each variation...
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References
Georgas, J., Mylonas, K., Bafiti, T., Poortinga, Y. H., Christakopoulou, S., Kagitcibasi, C., et al. (2001). Functional relationships in the nuclear and extended family: A 16-culture study. International Journal of Psychology, 36, 289–300.
Knis-Matthews, L. (2007). The role of spouses and extended family members as primary caretakers of children during a parent’s drug addition: The parent perspective. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 23, 1–19.
Macpherson, D., & Stewart, J. B. (1991). The effects of extended families and marital status on housing consumption by black female-headed households. Review of Black Political Economy, 19, 65–83.
Perez, L. (1994). The household structure of second-generation children: An exploratory study of extended family arrangements. International Migration Review, 28, 736–747.
Singh, A. (2008). A critical evaluation of attitudes towards nuclear, joint, and extended family structures among people of Indian origin in Durban, South Africa. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 39, 453–470.
Wilson, M. N. (1989). Child development in the context of the black extended family. American Psychologist, 44, 380–385.
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Williams, S.A.S. (2011). Extended Families. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1068
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1068
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