ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to emphasize that there is a wide variety of family forms. It examines selected approaches to understanding the family. The family as a system of roles is the predominant theme in the literature of family analysis. The family as cause or effect is a major approach. Family as independent variable, family is seen to be a cause rather than an effect. The family as evolving system is a dual approach to family inquiry. One focus is on the developmental cycle of a family, while the other is a focus on the evolutionary cycle of the family as a social institution. The structural approach to the family has received the attention of a host of investigators. Talcott Parsons explained the changing functions of the modern family as examples of differentiation and specialization of the family system. Family organization is distinguishable from other systems by a high level of relatedness among its components.
