ABSTRACT

Families come in a variety of types and sizes. There are nuclear families (husband, wife, and their children), extended families (traditional or nontraditional families with multiple generations), gay/lesbian families (same-sex couples and their children), and families of origin (the family into which one was born). According to the 2005 American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), 56 percent of all Americans are married. Families can live under the same roof or live in different geographic areas. Some people even create families out of friendships, called families of choice.