ABSTRACT
Although family is a concept that people use and relate to in daily life, academia is divided on how to define it. The United Nations defines family as a “natural and fundamental group unit of society,” which is entitled to the protection of society and the State. Social policies around the world can affect all or part of the family. The term “family” usually refers to the social organization consisting of members who are connected through consanguinity, marriage, and adoption, and the historical development of the family revolved around the evolution of family relations and power dynamics. Family members often play multiple roles in family life, which means each member exists in multiple relationships simultaneously. Traditionally, Chinese families were organized along the vertical father-son relationship. Population censuses and social surveys generally define the family as consisting of members sharing the same residence.
