"FAMILY" is defined as one or more individuals closely related by blood, marriage, or friendship.

This definition is obviously broad: It would include cohabiting people of either sex, single parents and their children, and blended (step) families, as well as the stereotypical nuclear family.

In addition, this definition is bound neither by residence (household) nor by age cohort (generation). Thus, "family" can refer to one's extended family of origin as well as to one's close friends. By using this broad definition of family, the family system becomes a dynamic, interrelated concept, not restricted by artificial legal or residential boundaries.

Bomar, PJ. (Ed.) (1996). Nurses and Family Health Promotion: Concepts, assessment, and interventions (2nd ed.) (p. 17). Philadelphia: WB Saunders Company.

A FAMILY is a group of people linked together by some combination of love, commitment, cohabitation, children, bloodlines, memories and thoughts about the future. It's a matter of connection -- with each other, with a shared past and future, and with generations before and since. And it's a matter of responsibility. When you're in a family, you don't need to see each other every day, or even every week, but you need to know, unconditionally, that if necessary, those people will be available to you.

Veciana-Suarez, Ana. (1996, August 20). Dr. Ruth turns eye toward families. Morning Star, p. D1.

---

STAGES OF FAMILY DEVELOPMENT AND TASKS

STAGE	CRITICAL TASKS
Beginning	Separating from family of origin Managing a household Deciding to have children
Infant	Managing time, energy Developing parenting skills
Preschool	Making employment decisions Deciding to have more children
School Age	Developing parental identity
Adolescent	Evolving independence of child(ren) Facing economic issues
Launching	Disengaging Reestablishing marital bond
Posparental	Deciding on and dealing with retirement
Aging	Dealing with loss of function, dependency

Okun, B. (1984). Working with Adults: Individuals, Family, and Career Development. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole; and
Carter, E. & McGoldrick, M. (1988). The Family Life Cycle: A Framework for Family Therapy (2nd ed.). New York: Gardner Press.

---

Systems

---

Family Realms

---

FAMILY REALMS

REALM	REALM FUNCTIONS
Development	family individual career marital parental
Interaction	relationships communication nurturance intimacy social support
Coping	managing resources problem solving adapting to stressors and crises
Integrity	shared meaning family history boundary maintenance family identity & commitment family values family rituals family spirituality
Health	family health beliefs health status of members health responses and practices lifestyle health care in illness and wellness

Anderson, KK, Tomlinson, PS. (1992). The family health system: An emerging paradigmatic view for nursing. Image 24,(1), 57-63).

---

Family Health Nursing:

assessment and enhancement of family health status, family health assets, and family potentials.

---

Circumplex Model

---