The Family

Families of the 21st Century come in all shapes and sizes. Divorce, remarriage, parenting out-of-wedlock and a host of other variables have turned nuclear families into the exception rather than the norm. As little as a half-century ago, children were typically raised in homes with two biological parents, and chances are, those two parents had the support of extended family members nearby. When one questioned their own parenting, they had only to turn to one of these supporters for reassurance and a confidence boost.

Modern society has done away with the fairytale, opened its eyes and cleaned the wax from its ears. In the 21st century, families are defined by much broader categories and include single parents, stepfamilies, teenage mothers and non-related carers. Find out more about the modern family and the issues they face here. [http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/F/family/21st/index.html]

There are a few different types of families:

• Nuclear family

The term nuclear family can be defined simply as a wife/mother, a husband/father, and their children who live together.

• Extended family

A family group that consists of parents, children, and other close relatives, often living in close proximity.

• Family of orientation

It is a family which you were born into.






with my parents xx

• Family of procreation
  

It is a family founded through marriage.

The Family Life Cycle.

• It is a way of segmenting the family marekt at different stages of the life cycle to determine the products and services that people buy at each stage
• The model describes the stages which consumer in their lives as they have families
• There were significantly fewer frequent attenders among the families of the younger family life cycle phase (new parents — preschool family) and more frequent attenders among the families of the older family life cycle phase (school age — family as a launching centre and postparental — aging family phases) than among the respective control families

http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514264460/html/chapter5_8.html


The cycle includes 9 different stages:

1. Bachelor

• An unmarried man
• Young, not living at home
• Low income
  
• Few financial burdens
• Usually they buy: basic kitchen equipment, basic furniture, cars etc.
  

2. Newly married

• Young people, with no children
• Short time after marriage
• Higher incomes
• They buy: cars, holidays etc.
  

3. Full Nest I

• People who has children under 6
• They have low incomes
• Low incomes - high debts
• Reliance on credit
• Child dominated household
• Spending dominated by children's needs
  

4. Full Nest II

• People who has children over 6
• Incomes imporving
• child still dominated household
• Working
  

5. Full Nest III

• Older married
• Their children are dependent from parents
• Older children at work/higher education
• school and exams dominated household
  

6. Empty Nest I

• Older married
• Parents feel unhappy because their children becaome adults and have stopped living with them
• Expenses low
• Home ownership at peak
• Interensted in travels, recreation
• Buy: luxuries, home impovements
  

7. Empty Nest II

• Older marriage
• Retired
• No children living at home with them
• Signification cut in income
• Buy medical care
• Some spending on hobbies
• Assist children
  

8. Solitary Survivior I

• They might be widower/widow
• They are still working
• Some spending on hobbies
• Worried about security and dependence
  

9. Solitary Survivior II

• Wdower/widow
  
• Reitred
• They need help, care, security, attention
• Signification cut in income

The model provides an understanding of changes in consumer buying behaviour.

Family roles and decision making

The family is a complex unit comprised of individuals with varied cognitive, emotional, and behavioral characteristics and abilities that can greatly affect family decisionmaking across an individual’s life-span. “Decision-making” describes the process by which families make choices, judgments, and ultimately come to conclusions that guide behaviors. Family decision-making implies that more than one member’s input and agreement is involved (Scanzoni & Polonko 1980). The decision-making process is centered on core communication processes involved in creating shared meaning. In the decision-making process, families can acknowledge the differences among members and negotiate their needs for closeness and independence (Baxter & Montgomery 1996).

The decision maker(s) have the power to determine issues such as:

• Whether to buy
• Which product to buy (pick-up or passenger car?)
• Which brand to buy
• Where to buy it and
  
• When to buy.

* Scanzoni, J., & Polonko, K. (1980). A conceptual approach to explicit marital negotiation.
Journal of Marriage and the Family.
* Baxter, L. A., & Montgomery, B. M. (1996). Relating: Dialogues and dialectics. New York: Guilford.