Family

1. Write down your definition of family (this may be based on your own family or a combination of your family and other families around you).

2. Compare your definition with the person next to you and then with other classmates.

   • Note down similarities and/ or differences.

   • Propose reasons why there may be variations between the definitions.

What do others say?

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS):

A family is defined by the ABS as two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or defacto), adoption, step or fostering, and who are usually resident in the same household (ABS, 2016).

Dictionary.com:

A basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not.

A social unit consisting of one or more adults together with the children they care for.

Wikipedia:

In the context of human society, a family is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth), affinity (by marriage or other relationship), or co-residence or some combination of these.

Two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering; and who are usually resident in the same household. Each separately identified couple relationship, lone parent- child relationship or other blood relationship forms the basis of a family. Some households contain more than one family.

Discuss the appropriateness of this definition.