ABSTRACT
Family life provides a binding force for our social system by training — and moderating — the individual. With such obvious political overtones, "family" finds itself with a wide range of definitions, each of which suits the needs and ends of those who command the definitions. The most widely recognized American family model is the "nuclear family." The lowest common denominator of social order, above the tribal level, is the law. Within the family domain, the law, in its arbitrary and practical ways, provides a measure of homogeneity and makes society flow more smoothly. Policies which are predominantly based upon legal definitions of the family run the risk of misrepresenting the actual life experiences of the mainstream of people in families. The functional model is very useful when one wants to study the dynamics of the family by viewing it over time or from culture to culture.
