ABSTRACT
This chapter provides several variations in family patterns and discusses where such variations can be found. It analyses of various functions of the family and explains how variations in family patterns serve those functions. The chapter discusses the state and problems of the US family and explores the effects of technology on the family and what effect future changes in technology are likely to have on the family. The change in views of marriage has led to changes in the nature of the family. Is family defined by tradition, by the state, or by religious organizations. A polygamous family may be thought of as two or more nuclear families bound together because all the children have one parent in common. Family control in the United States has gradually shifted toward the partnership, or egalitarian, form. A one-parent family has a difficult time meeting either the child’s or the parent’s psychological needs.
