Family Structures and

Legacies
Learning objectives:
Appraise one’s family structure and the type
of care one receives.
Identify firm and gentle sides of family care
that affect a person’s development during
adolescence.
Make a genogram and trace certain physical,
personality, or behavioral attributes through
generations.
It is defined as “two or more persons share
resources, share responsibility for decisions,
share values and goals, and have a commitment
to each other over time. (Medina, 2001)
 Different Types of Families
Nuclear Family Single Parent Family

Extended Family

Childless
Family
• It is composed of a father, a mother, and their
offspring/s.
• Usually, the father in the traditional family plays the
role of the breadwinner while the mother stays at
home to manage the house and the children.
• Adopted children are also considered as part of the
nuclear or traditional family.
• The values, skills, and behavior are directly learned
from the parents.
Single Parent Family
• The single parent rears the child or
children while earning for the
offspring/s
• They may be supported by relatives or
caregivers to take care of the growing
children.
• The absence of one parent may create
an impact on the growing child who
would normally look up to authority as
role model.
Extended Family
• The extended family is the nuclear family plus the parents
of either husband of the wife, or both their parents,
depending on the arrangements they make.

• Extended families have both positive and

negative influences on the child.
Childless Family
• The childless family is just the
couple without any child or
children, and who may be living
all by themselves.
Parental Authority and Parenting Styles
• Authoritative parenting
is a key factor in the
psychosocial of an
adolescent, and it is
believed to foster a
healthy and positive
impact on the
adolescent’s
development. (Papalia
and Feldman, 2012)
Parental Authority and Parenting Styles
• Authoritative parents are
those who insist on their
child learning important
values, norms, and rules,
but are also willing to sit
down and negotiate with
them should they resist.
Parental Authority and Parenting Styles

• Authoritative parenting
is about exercising
control over a child’s
behavior but not the
child’s emotions, beliefs,
and self-concept.
Albert Bandura’s Theory of Social
Learning
1. Learning takes place
through observation.
2. Mental states are
important to learning.
3. Not all learning can
lead to changes in
behavior.
Family Heredity
 Obesity or leanness

 Predispositions to certain
diseases are often believed to
be passed on from generation
to generations.

 Intelligence

 There is 40% to 50% chance

of personality traits being
passed on through heredity
Genogram
It is a graphical map of a family’s history that traces and
illustrates patterns in its structures and characteristics
using special symbols to describe relationships, major
events, diseases, traditions, social and personal beliefs,
value systems and the dynamics of a family over several
generations.
Genogram Symbols
Genogram Symbols
There are possible traits you may want to trace
in your family. Here are some suggestions:

1. Physical characteristics such as skin tone, shapes of eyes, nose,

and ears, hair type, baldness, disease tendencies, etc.
2. Genetic or external factors such as artistic, musical, or literary
abilities, sports abilities, and personality traits like being
reserved and introverted, being friendly, etc.
3. Social and economic backgrounds such as occupation or
careers, educational level, school affiliations, and others.
4. Religious values including religious affiliations , practices and
beliefs.
5. Family values like family cohesion, exclusivity, educational
attainment, etc.
6. Cultural background such as provincial origins, languages or
dialects spoken, etc.
Guide for reflection:

1. Describe the family structure you have at home.

2. What do you think are the characteristics or traits
passed on to you by your family and immediate
relatives?
3. What attitudes or behaviour have you picked up from
your family, which you now claim to be your own as
well?
HOMEWORK:

Create a family genogram and trace

certain physical, personality, or
behavioral attributes that have
been passed on through
generations.