conjugal family
- Noun:
- A family unit consisting of parents and their children: A "conjugal family" is a basic social group typically composed of a married couple (the parents) and their dependent children, living together.
- A family structure that may include grandparents of a marital partner: In some definitions, the term can also extend to include the grandparents of a spouse, though its core meaning centers on the parent-child unit.
The term "conjugal family" is used primarily in sociological and anthropological contexts to describe a specific family structure. It contrasts with other family types, such as extended families. It is a formal term.
- Noun:
- The study focused on the economic roles within the traditional conjugal family.
- In many industrial societies, the conjugal family has become the dominant household form.
- Their household is a conjugal family, with just the two parents and their three children.
"Conjugal family norms": Refers to the expected behaviors and roles within a nuclear family structure.
- The policy was criticized for reinforcing traditional conjugal family norms.
"Conjugal family system": Describes a social structure where the primary family unit is the nuclear family.
- The shift from an extended to a conjugal family system changed inheritance patterns.
Nuclear family (n): A near-synonym, often used interchangeably with "conjugal family," though "nuclear family" sometimes more strictly denotes parents and children without including grandparents.
- The nuclear family is a common model in Western cultures.
Extended family (n): A family structure that includes not only parents and children but also other relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
- They live in an extended family household with three generations under one roof.
- Nuclear family: The primary family unit of parents and their children.
- Elementary family: A less common synonym used in some sociological texts.
- Extended family: A family that extends beyond the nuclear unit.
- Single-parent family: A family unit headed by one parent and their children.
- Blended family: A family formed when parents remarry, bringing children from previous relationships.
- a family consisting of parents and their children and grandparents of a marital partner