ABSTRACT
The family is a social institution related to biological reproduction (birth, ageing and death) as well as to crucial social and economic processes (the socialization of children, the production of goods, services and welfare, etc.). It is also affected by demographic changes, social policies, cultural values and religious institutions. Several of these aspects surface in the definition of the family: it is a close domestic group consisting of people related to each other by bonds of descent, sexual mating and/or legal relationship. 1 The formation and functioning of the family is biologically determined (if nothing else, everyone has parents); however, these aptitudes are fundamentally influenced by the above-mentioned social and cultural factors. As a result, diverse family forms emerge from the same biological foundations, and family arrangements are greatly varied in time and space. Yet, some version of the family has been present in all societies throughout history, making family an institution equally characterized by a remarkable adaptability, that is, change, and resilience. 2
