In modern psychological and pedagogical literature, there are various typologies of families, but all of them are characterized by the following features:

by the number of children: a childless or infertile family, a small family, a large family;

by composition: incomplete, separate, simple or nuclear, complex (family of several generations), large, maternal, family of remarriage;

by structure: with one married couple with or without children, with one of the parents of spouses and other relatives, with two or more married couples with or without children, with a mother (father) with children, with one of the parents and other relatives, other families;

by the structure of leadership in the family: egalitarian (democratic) and traditional (authoritarian);

family life, family life: family - "vent", a family of a child-centric type, a family like a sports team or a discussion club and a family that puts comfort, health, order in the first place;

according to the homogeneity of the social composition depending on the nation, level of education, profession, etc.: socially homogeneous (homogeneous) and heterogeneous (heterogeneous);

according to family experience: newlyweds, young family, family expecting a child, family of middle marital age, older marital age, elderly couple;

by the quality of relationships and the atmosphere in the family: prosperous, stable, dysfunctional, pedagogically weak, unstable, disorganized;

by geography: urban, rural, remote family (living in hard-to-reach areas);

by type of consumer behavior: a family with a "physiological" type of consumption, a family with an "intellectual" type of consumption, a family with an intermediate type of consumption;

under special conditions family life: student, "distant", "illegitimate";

by the nature of leisure activities: open and closed (oriented to domestic leisure);

according to social mobility: reactive, family of average activity and active;

according to the degree of cooperation of joint activities: traditional, collectivist and individualistic;

according to the state of mental health: healthy family, neurotic, victimogenic.

Let's take a closer look at some types of families:

A young family is a family at the initial stage of its development, at the stage of implementing a marital choice. It manifests the usual phenomenon of the discovery of another person and the "grinding" of characters, i.e. whole lifestyle change. There are three main types of young families:

The first type is traditional. Families of this type are characterized by the orientation of the spouses exclusively on family values, on a two-child family. The leader in the family, at least formally, is the husband. However, leadership in the family is largely determined by leadership in the household sphere of its activities (finance, housing). The circle of friends of the spouses, as a rule, is general and rather limited, perhaps even temporarily leaving for family affairs. Leisure is often joint, closed.

The second type - spouses are focused mainly on personal development, have an orientation towards a small family. There is a social and role balance (if possible, the help of the parents of the spouses is used). The family can be both open and closed to the microenvironment. The type of leadership is democratic: joint or separate according to the spheres of family life.

The third type - young spouses are focused mainly on entertainment. At the same time, the husband and wife have both common friends, and each of their own, as a rule, the former environment. Reproductive attitudes towards a childless or small family. Leadership in the family can be both authoritarian and democratic.

Family of middle age. It is a kind of team, the relationship in which can be defined as the education of educators. Most parents are convinced from their own experience that they bring up not only words, but also a way of life, actions. If parents want to develop any quality in their child, they must first of all possess it themselves. One of the problems of families of middle marital age is the monotony, boredom, routine of family life. By this period, many previously difficult issues of family life have already been resolved, the spouses feel calm, their activity has decreased. Spouses themselves can (and should) raise it by setting new, more and more complicated goals and tasks for the family, highlighting the immediate and distant prospects associated with them.

An elderly family is a mature married dyad living with their children or on their own. This is the period when spouses retire. There are a number of objective conditions for solving certain problems in the life of the family, when it must adapt to new conditions (change in lifestyle, social status, mode of work and social environment, etc.). This period is typical for some families by intensification of labor activity, both at home and in society (the appearance of grandchildren and participation in their upbringing, participation in public work), and for others - oblivion and self-realization in the acquired microenvironment, mainly from their old acquaintances and friends. During this period, many people have health problems.

The life of an elderly family in terms of its organization is quite complex. It is especially problematic if she lives separately after the departure of children, with her characteristic protracted adaptation, both to the microenvironment and to the social environment as a whole: pronounced polarization of moods and categorical judgments - from extremely decadent to egocentric. Among the many psychogenic deviations acquired by spouses in recent years, the most pronounced is "expansion of the sphere of parental feelings."

A childless or infertile family is considered if there are no children within ten years of married life. In our country, there are about 16% of such families (there are no more than 30% of them all over the world). Usually late marriages are childless. Only 1% of all families do not want to have children at all (even if they can have them).

Socio-psychological surveys show that more often it is not the unwillingness of spouses to have children, but the inability to support them. Every third childless family (in turn, it is also a problem family) breaks up, most often at the initiative of the husband. However, among the divorced, only an insignificant part of the spouses names childlessness as the reason for the divorce. Relationship dissonance is the main reason for divorce. These families often live with the parents of one of the spouses. The moral and psychological atmosphere and living conditions of childless families are more conducive to self-expression, the manifestation of the abilities of the spouses' personal qualities and not only positive qualities.

A large family - this category includes families with 3, and in a number of regions of Russia - 4 children. These families are very united. Divorces in them are quite rare and occur mainly due to the failure of husbands in raising children and their failure to fulfill other family and household duties. In families, a children's team of different ages is formed, taking on many household chores and solving family problems of considerable complexity. In the relationship between members of a large family, respect for the elders and leadership of the older ones are especially significant.

However, in our conditions, as statistics show, the majority of large families are poor, and every fourth large family is dysfunctional.

A small family is a fairly common category of families, usually consisting of a husband, wife and two or most often one child. Families with one child are also noted as one-child families. In such a family, there is a favorable opportunity for the formation of socio-psychological qualities in children and parents (attachment, cohesion, leadership), but at the same time, experts note in a one-child family the negative side of the socio-psychological properties associated with the upbringing of an only child. He has limited opportunities to communicate with peers, and therefore worse conditions for the development of emotional qualities.

A characteristic feature of life is the content of its subject-practical activity, the basis of which is actions to realize the individual needs of members in the family. To a greater extent, this is expressed by the desire to establish themselves in the professional, educational (pedagogical) or educational spheres. Often, the needs of one of the spouses are dominant, and the whole life of the family is subject to their implementation. Social circle is usually limited to relatives and colleagues professional activity often by the right people. The initiative of leadership in the family belongs to the spouse who has to deal with the child and household chores more. In recent years, the level of well-being of these families has significantly decreased.

A complex family is a family consisting of complete families of several generations, families of two or more married couples, i.e. of the parents of the spouses, the spouses themselves and their children. At present, such families are becoming less and less, and their number is only 2-3%. More often there are such varieties of it: one or both parents of one of the spouses, a married couple and a young family. Moreover, the proportion of young couples living in such families is 75-80%, and the number of middle-aged families in complex families does not exceed 20%. It should be noted that the duration of the existence of a complex family is not long, because over time, a young family or an older generation leaves it for various reasons. The most important features of the life of a complex family are, as a rule, stable interpersonal relationships, a well-established life, the most favorable conditions for young spouses in raising children and realizing family goals and attitudes (there are grandparents). In these families, a peculiar moral and psychological atmosphere develops. However, in a complex family, not everything is so simple. Many different problems are fraught with intergenerational communication, the choice of expedient ways of raising a child, housekeeping, and so on. Often, problems of this etiology move to the area of ​​marital relationships and create conditions for the breakup of a young family.

Wealthy family. This category of families can include both young, and average, and elderly families. A childless, small, and large family can be prosperous. The well-being of the family is not only material security, but also the socio-psychological component of life. From this point of view, a family is prosperous, in which spouses and other family members highly appreciate each other, the authority of the husband in the family is high. There are practically no conflicts, it is difficult to call the arising disagreements quarrels: the spouses soon agree on how to do better in order to solve the problems that have arisen. All members of prosperous families are sure that others are always happy for them, are sure of each other's reciprocity, and are ready to help without waiting for a request. In such families, their own family traditions and rituals are formed and preserved, making family life more interesting. A well-to-do family is characterized by a high level of psychological health. At the same time, even the most prosperous family cannot exist autonomously from society, but, on the contrary, is more often its active transforming force and, like any family, is exposed to many factors of modern society.

A dysfunctional family - these include those families that for a certain time are not able to withstand the effects of destabilizing factors outside the family and within the family. These include mixed (as a rule) and illegitimate families, incomplete, problematic, conflict, crisis, neurotic, pedagogically weak, disorganized and other families.

The moral and psychological atmosphere of dysfunctional families gives rise to "difficult" children. Up to 90% of children from these families have behavioral deviations from the norm. The problems of dysfunctional families are very diverse. These are the difficulties of marital relationships, contradictions in the relationship between parents and children, differences in views on the upbringing of children and the role of each parent in this, hypertrophied needs of one or both spouses, etc. All this and much more creates conditions in which the family balances for a certain time on the subject of resolving the problem or turning it into a chronic one, preserving the family or disintegrating it.

A mixed family or a family of remarriage is a newly created family that unites parts of existing families that have broken up for various reasons. There are three types of such families:

A woman with children marries a man without children.

A man with children marries a woman without children.

Both a man and a woman, entering into marriage, have children from previous partners.

In the first case, a mixed family consists of a wife, children of the wife, husband and ex-husband wives, i.e. these are three adults, including two men. In the second case, it includes the husband, the husband's children, the wife and the husband's ex-wife, i.e. - also three adults, but two of them are women. In the third case, the family consists of the wife, the wife's children, the wife's ex-husband, the husband, the husband's children, and the husband's ex-wife, i.e. four adults, a man and a woman, who are building a new family, and a man and a woman who are completely strangers to each other - free or also managed to start a family.

Although these people most likely cannot live together under the same roof, they are present to one degree or another in each other's lives. A mixed family lives and develops safely, provided that each of its members is important and needed. Many people try to live as if the others they were previously associated with don't exist. At the same time, all these people in one way or another influence the life of the family.

Every year the number of citizens re-tying themselves in marriage is increasing. A feature of the new family is that each member of the new family had a past life, and much of what is happening to him today has its roots in the past.

Illegitimate family ("concubinage"). It is a marriage union of a man and a woman with or without children, which has not been legally registered for a long time, and does not intend to officially fix the marriage. These may be premarital stable and long-term family relationships of young people, which may lead to marriage or the emergence of a maternal family, in this case an illegitimate one.

Incomplete family - occurs when one of the members of this family is absent. In such cases, the following incomplete families are formed:

The "maternal" family (the family of a single mother) is a kind of incomplete family, originally celibate. The parent is a woman who has given birth to an illegitimate child. The main factors influencing the psychology of the family: the presence of a second parent and the nature of relations with him, the attitude of the woman's parents to an illegitimate child, the mother's attitude to the child.

An incomplete family as a result of a divorce is a family that has broken up after a divorce, as a rule, remains in this state for a long time. Divorce and breakup have a traumatic effect on the psyche of children; the relationship between mother and child is often violated. The performance of such children in school is lower than that of children from complete families. They read relatively little, spend most of their time outside the home, are more independent and have more developed human qualities - understanding, responsiveness, emotionality, they enter the adult world earlier. About 50% of juvenile delinquents lived in incomplete families. Along with this, it is important to remember that divorces affect the child as a future family man: a child who grew up in an incomplete family learns negative behavioral traits and manners of relating to the opposite sex.

An incomplete family that has arisen as a result of widowhood is a family in which one mother or father remains with the children. Widowhood at any stage in the life of an ordinary family is experienced as a super-strong difficulty that affects almost all of its functions, some of which reduce their former significance, and some of them lose all meaning. The loss of interest in life in a widow (widower) affects the way of life of children, their socialization. The circle of communication is gradually limited to the framework of the parent's microenvironment, its content is mainly mutual assistance in raising children, home improvement, and housekeeping. The former life is absolutized, the deceased spouse is deified, and all living ones fade before these stereotypes for a long time. Restoring the social activity of members of such a family on their own is quite difficult.

Incomplete family formed during the official adoption (adoption) of a child by a man or a woman. A characteristic feature of such a family is an increased interest in life. This is a consequence of the altruistic orientation of the parent or a consequence of deep feelings due to various reasons (the death of their children, the inability to have their own children, etc.). The parent in such cases is cautious about the life of the child and tries not to interfere too much in his life. Among women who have been striving to have a child in this way for a long time, a number of psychogenic deviations such as "excessive guardianship" or "phobia of loss" of a child may develop, but with timely psychological correction, usually typical parental feelings are restored.

A distant family - this can be an ordinary family (childless, often small or large), in which life for the most part for each of the spouses passes separately due to the specifics of the profession of one or both marriage partners. These may include families: sailors, rivermen, polar explorers, geologists, oil workers, astronauts, military, artists, athletes, flight attendants of long-distance trains and representatives of many other professions. On average, the number of such families reaches 4 - 6% of the total.

Opinions about the stability of "distant" families are contradictory: some believe that the very specificity of these families makes them unstable. Others believe that such families are one of the strongest and most stable families. However, both recognize the existence of problems with the development and upbringing of children. In their socialization, one of the spouses (more often the mother) or the street plays an important role. Among spouses, disputes are not uncommon about the methods of raising children and the reasons for their deviant behavior at the next gathering of the whole family.

A heterogeneous family (socially heterogeneous). In such a family, spouses have different levels of education and professional orientation. The actual "contraindications" to the well-being of the marital union are compensated for a certain time by the "indications" of various characteristics of the whole family. The number of such families reaches 38%, and at present their number is growing. The stability of a marriage is largely determined by the positions of the spouses. The family is characterized by the absence of common interests, instability in maintaining the integrity of views, intentions, attitudes and prospects, conflict. The main causes of conflicts are often jealousy and suspicion of deceit (practically at any age, perhaps with varying intensity of manifestation). Often the family does not notice these phenomena, because from the very beginning of its formation, it is in a slightly increased neuro-emotional state compared to the norm. And this background value is accepted by all family members as the norm and from it they measure the socio-psychological phenomena occurring in the family, including conflicts.

Each of the spouses of a heterogeneous family has its own microenvironment, and their interests rarely overlap. Relationships between parents and young people are often strained. As a rule, the authoritarian style of communication dominates. In almost all spheres of family life, one of the spouses is the leader.

An interethnic family is a family in which representatives of different nations are not only spouses, but also children who, upon reaching the age of majority, represent the nation of one of their parents. Such families arise mainly in non-standard circumstances from representatives of different nations. Their formation is significantly influenced by the ethnographic features of society.

The way of life of an interethnic family practically has the same features as the way of life of an ordinary Russian family. The main difference lies in the content of the moral and psychological atmosphere, reflecting the integration of national traditions, interpersonal relations between parents and children, etc. Internal family relationships are quite strongly influenced by the national psychological characteristics of each of the spouses; temperament, character traits, habits, etc. The microenvironment of such a family is determined by the nature of maintaining the ties of each of the spouses with their nationality.

Concluding the conversation about the typology of families, it should be noted that the family in the course of its life can change its place in the classification of families.

The family is the initial structural unit of society, laying the foundations of the individual. It is connected by blood and family relations and unites spouses, children and parents, including several generations at the same time.

Goals family education are:

1) the formation of such qualities and personality traits that will help to adequately overcome the difficulties and obstacles encountered on the path of life;

2) the development of intelligence and creative abilities, cognitive forces and primary work experience, moral and aesthetic principles, emotional culture and physical health of children - all this depends on the family, on parents and is the main goal of education.

For effective family education, it is necessary to form in the parents themselves a pedagogically expedient focus on constant and mutually beneficial communication with their own children.

Importance of raising children in a family:

1) the family creates for the child the model of life in which he is included;

2) the influence of parents on their own children should ensure their physical perfection and moral purity;

3) often family circumstances and conditions in which children were born and raised leave an imprint on their whole life and even predetermine their fate.

In modern conditions, children need education:

1) reasonable practicality;

2) business calculation;

3) honest enterprise.

First of all, parents should master all this.

Pedagogically expedient parental love is love for a child for the sake of his future, in contrast to love for the sake of satisfying his own momentary parental feelings. Blind, unreasonable parental love leads to negative consequences:

1) shifts the system of moral values ​​in the minds of children, gives rise to consumerism;

2) forms in children a disregard for work, dulls the feeling of gratitude and disinterested love for parents and other relatives.

Parents for children are the life ideal. In the family, the efforts of all participants in the educational process are coordinated:

2) teachers;

3) friends.

Family typology by family length: newlyweds, young family, family expecting a child, family of middle marital age, family of older marital age, elderly couple. Among them, young families, families of middle marital age and elderly families require the closest attention of a specialist in the socio-pedagogical sphere.

Family typology by number of children: childless or infertile family; small family; the large family.

Typology according to the quality of family life: prosperous, stable, dysfunctional, unstable, problematic and others. Today, dysfunctional families, which for a certain time are not able to withstand the impact of destabilizing extra-family and intra-family factors, require special attention of specialists in the socio-pedagogical sphere.

Family typology by types of relations between spouses: families with cooperative relations, families with parity relations, families with competitive relations, families with competitive relations, families with antagonistic relations.

Typology by styles of family relationships: a family with a condoning style of relationships, a family with an authoritarian style of relationships, a family with a democratic style of relationships.

The importance of the family in the educational process is of great importance, since it is the family that is able to satisfy almost all human needs in the development and preservation of the individual.

There are the following styles of family education: adversarial, permissive, reasonable, precautionary, harmonious, sympathetic, controlling.

The formation of styles of family education of a child occurs as a result of the action of various factors (objective or subjective). The following factors influence the choice of parenting style:

1) public opinion;

2) the level of morality of the family;

3) the degree of trust in scientific and pedagogical literature;

4) temperament of parents and close relatives;

5) family traditions;

6) interpersonal relationships of parents.

Considering the types of families, let us turn to the most common modern family - a family consisting of many generations. Both children, and grandfathers, and grandmothers on the paternal and maternal lines live together in it. But now children more often live separately, preserving the relationship of one family, the relationship of responsibility and solidarity between generations.

There is a family consisting of many generations, when grown-up children return home after some setbacks. Also, adult children stay with their parents, as they cannot solve housing problems. This family is characterized by consanguinity of several generations, which are united by devotion, a sense of unity, although they can live separately.

The most common in modern conditions is the nuclear family, consisting of a husband, wife and children, of three to four members. The functions of raising and educating children in this family were taken over by the school and preschool educational institutions. They, having replaced the family, more precisely, instead of the family, began to solve the problems of the socialization of the individual. The roles of family members are changing in it, as in modern conditions the employment of women in production has increased.

Typology

Incomplete family - This is a family with one parent, in recent years, such families have become common. The parent in such a family is the mother, fathers are rare. American researchers have identified only 2.8% of families where the father brings up children alone. Such a family is the result of a divorce, prolonged absence or death of one of the parents, as well as the birth of an illegitimate child. Today there are 25% of such families where the head of the family is the mother. These families require special attention from the social educator. This family most often lives below the poverty line, the income of a woman is less than that of men, and after a divorce, the father contributes only a third of his salary to the budget. These families need state support. And in the most difficult situation is the family, where children are born out of wedlock. Underage single mothers with a child are doomed to poverty.

illegitimate family , arising with the birth of an illegitimate child, in addition to difficult material conditions, it also experiences a negative attitude towards it from society. Therefore, the mother should explain to the child the truth about his appearance as early as possible. Children react differently to the absence of their father. Boys are more vulnerable than girls. Often in such a family, the strong love of the mother negatively affects family relationships and the upbringing of the child. When a desired child is born, she tries to alienate him from the environment. The other mother sees him as an obstacle to marriage. The father in such a family most often does not take part in the upbringing of the child, sometimes the mother herself refuses the father in the upbringing of the child.

Family in remarriage - This is a family with two parents, where, along with common children, there may be children from previous marriages. Sometimes they live together, sometimes only with the children of the husband or with the children of the wife. Similar marriages in the 19th century They were rare, but in the XX century. They became common, especially after World War II. The problems of these families are: the inheritance of the property of the stepfather, the relationship between the stepmother and children, their mutual understanding. In these families, there is a tendency not to repeat the mistakes of the first marriage, so the spouses are more united. Of particular concern in such a family is the death of one of the parents during the first marriage. Children are acutely aware of the loss, and this affects the relationship with the new mother or father. Stressful situations can be when deciding on a date for a former spouse with children, with former relatives, grandparents. These situations require the help of a social educator. Psychological, clinical, educational and social programs are needed to work with such a family. It is important to remember that in this family there is a process of adaptation to a new life, new relationships of each family member. This process usually takes three years. It is important to pay attention to losses, to the distribution of roles in the family, to the problems of each family member and the whole family. Working with the spouses of this family, the social worker pays attention to the distribution of time, space and money, costs and relationships with foster children. Since adopted children require special attention, a special educational and upbringing program is also required with them, which would take into account their material and spiritual condition in a new family.

As a result of the death of one of the parents, orphaned family. Family grief often unites the family, forms care for each other. Caring for a child's loved ones affects the upbringing of positive qualities in him. It is important that in such a family the remaining parent becomes a model for the child in his upbringing. A significant role in the upbringing of a child is played by the memory of a departed parent.

This typology is the most common in modern science.

Family functions.

The main function of the family is the reproductive, biological reproduction of the population. This is the main function, but in addition to this, there are a number of social functions of the family. This:

Educational - socialization of the younger generation;

Household - maintaining the physical condition of the family, caring for children and the elderly;

Economic - obtaining material resources of some family members for others, material support for minors and the elderly;

Social control - the responsibility of family members for the behavior of its members in society, in various fields of activity, this is a duty between spouses, parents and children, the older generation for the younger;

Spiritual communication - spiritual enrichment of each family member;

Social status - providing family members with a certain social position in society;

Leisure - organization of rational leisure, development of mutual enrichment of the interests of each family member;

Emotional - the implementation of the psychological protection of each family member, the organization of the emotional stability of the individual, psychological therapy.

The social function of the family.

In any state where the social protection of the individual is proclaimed, this can be solved only through the protection of the family. The family as the main social unit of society unites people, regulates the upbringing of the generation, the cognitive, labor activity of the individual.

The status of the family depends on the behavior of the father and mother, their role in raising children. Are the father and mother a model for children, their absence negatively affects the development of the child, such children are often flawed, nervous, anxious.

The family introduces the child into society, it is in the family that the child receives social education, becomes a person. In infancy, he is fed and cared for. At a younger age, they feed him, work with him. In preschool (3-7 years old), the world is opened to him. They help in teaching the younger schoolchild, teenager and youth to choose the path of life.

In the family, they strengthen the health of children, develop their inclinations and abilities, take care of education, the development of the mind, the upbringing of a citizen, decide their fate and future.

Humane traits of character, kindness and cordiality of the child are laid in the family, he learns to be responsible for his actions. In the family, the child learns to work, chooses a profession, the young man prepares for an independent family life, learns to continue the traditions of his family.

stages family development .

First stage- the initial formation of a family, more often when the newlyweds separate and leave the large family.

Second stage- the birth of a child, the family consists of two generations.

Third stage- a family of three generations, when adult children start a family. They either stay with their parents or leave. Parents enter into relationships with their adult children's relatives by marriage, lovers or friends, who may become fictitious relatives as so-called "wives" and "husbands". At this stage, the family either expands or collapses.

Fourth stage- when everything is settled, the children settled in separate families, the parents retire. During this period, family solidarity grows stronger, children can support their parents.

Fifth stage- this is a period of care for family members, as its members need help. The concern falls on the middle generation, since they can take care of the children of a divorced daughter for health reasons, provide shelter for the elderly, help those who have left to study, and take care of those who are unemployed.

Caring for elderly or sick parents is the main task of this stage of the family. This is where the most stress and tension in relationships is. With the death of the older generation, roles in the family change, leading roles are transferred to another generation.

sixth stage- the final period of the family cycle. With the manifestation of the new head of the family, a new family does not appear, but the first cell continues, since there is an inextricable link between generations in the family.

There is such a thing as family collectivism, which depends on the inside family relations where there is no confrontation, confrontation between spouses, there is care and responsibility for each member of the family and the family as a whole, where children help adults, the work of adults as a vital need, where conscientiousness, diligence are valued, budget problems are jointly solved. Conflicts are resolved quickly. Creating such a family is the work of all adults.

The structure of the family as an integral system largely depends on the type of family group.

Despite the fact that the family is the oldest and most widespread social group, most people's knowledge about it is limited only to the division of families into good (prosperous) and bad (unfavorable). However, in order to better navigate the solution of many family problems, such an obviously superficial idea of ​​the varieties (types) of the family, of course, is not enough. The presence of a system of knowledge about the types, forms, types of families and the characteristics of relationships within each model of a marriage union allows you to take a more “professional” look at your own family, and be more attentive to the problems that arise in it. In addition, different types of families function differently in various areas of family relations. The use of diverse typologies helps to get a more complete, multi-colored picture of the most important characteristics of the family in social and scientific terms: marriage, divorce, fertility, the influence of the family on the upbringing of children, etc.

In addition, in a certain form of a family-marriage union, similar (typical) problems may appear, the presumptive knowledge of which can be a significant help in organizing the necessary social or psychological assistance to such a family.

To date, scientists have not yet been able to compile a complete classification of families due to their diversity among representatives of different cultures. In the list of various forms of modern families, there are more than forty varieties of them. The book gives a family classification, taking into account those models that are common to most cultures and at the same time are widely represented in modern Russian reality. As a basis for the proposed typology, essential criteria are taken that allow one or another form of a family organization to be distinguished, taking into account its structure, dynamics and functions. At the same time, the book also includes some author's typologies, since the forms of family unions described in them are not found in other classifications.

As you know, there is no family at all. There are specific families: urban and rural, young and old; families belonging to different educational and social groups, etc. The importance of identifying certain types of families is also explained by the fact that, despite the commonality of internal relations, they have their own specifics, due to national, cultural, religious, age, professional and other differences.

The more such groups can be identified, the more thoroughly and scientifically substantiated the family is studied, which, in turn, allows people to avoid many mistakes in building their family life, making it psychologically comfortable and happier.

Each society makes different demands on the nature of relations between spouses, on ways to take care of disabled family members, on people's participation in work, on organizing everyday life, ensuring the safety of family members, spending leisure time, etc. Depending on whether these requirements are observed or not observed by the family, the family union is distinguished by certain features, which naturally affects the family atmosphere as a whole and the psychological well-being of each family member.

The fundamental principle of modern monogamy (monogamy) is patriarchal family, which is characterized by the dominant position of men in family relations.

Initially, the patriarchal family was quite numerous: it included relatives and descendants of one father with their wives, children and relatives, slaves, including concubines. The Latin word "surname" in ancient times meant a set of slaves belonging to one person. Such a family sometimes numbered hundreds of people. In various modifications, the patriarchal family existed among different peoples. In Rus', it took the form of a large family headed by a man, consisting of several generations of close relatives who lived under the same roof and ran a joint household.

During the formation of the capitalist mode of production, the traditional patriarchal nuclear family (from the Latin "nucleus" - the core). For the first time, the name "nuclear" in relation to the family was introduced into scientific use by the American sociologist J. P. Murdoch in 1949. This kind of family consists only of the most necessary members for its education - husband and wife; it can be both childless and include any number of children.

A modern monogamous family can have several types that differ from each other in certain ways.

1. By related structure family can be nuclear(married couple with children) and extended(a married couple with children and any of the relatives of the husband or wife living with them in the same household).

2. By number of children: childless (infertile), single child, small child, large family family.

3. By structure: with one married couple with or without children; with one married couple with or without children, with one of the parents of the spouses and other relatives; with two or more married couples with or without children, with or without one of the parents of the spouses and other relatives; with mother (father) with children; with mother (father) with children, with one of the parents and other relatives; other families.

4. By composition: incomplete family, separate, simple (nuclear), complex (family of several generations), large family.

5. By geographic feature: urban, rural, remote family (living in hard-to-reach areas and in the regions of the Far North).

6. By homogeneity of the social composition: socially homogeneous (homogeneous) families ( have similar level education And character professional activities at spouses ); heterogeneous ( heterogeneous) families: unite people of different levels of education and professional orientation.

7. By family history: newlyweds; young family expecting a baby; family of middle marital age; senior marital age; elderly couples.

8. By type leading needs whose satisfaction determines features of the social behavior of members of the family group, distinguish families with a "physiological" or "naive-consumer" type of consumption (mainly with a food orientation); families with an "intellectual" type of consumption, i.e. with a high level of spending on spiritual life; families with an intermediate type of consumption.

9. According to the features of the existing family way of life and organization of family life: family - "vent" (gives a person communication, moral and material support); family of detocentric type (children in the center interests of parents); a family like a sports team or a discussion club (they travel a lot, see a lot, know how, know); a family that puts comfort, health, and order first.

10. By nature of the Leisure: family open(focused on communication and the cultural industry) and closed(focused on intra-family leisure).

11. By the nature of the distribution of household duties: families traditional(duties are mostly performed by a woman) and collectivist(duties are performed jointly or in turn).

12. By headship type(distribution of power) families can be authoritarian and democratic.

authoritarian family characterized strict , unquestioning subjugation wife to husband or husband to wife and children to parents. The husband (and sometimes the wife) is the monopoly head, the despotic master. Democratic the family is based on mutual respect for family members, on the distribution of family roles in accordance with the needs of a particular situation, on the personal qualities and abilities of the spouses, on the equal participation of each of them in all matters of family life, on the joint adoption of all important decisions. In a democratic family, as a rule, there is no “official” head, but there is a leader, an authoritative person. Moreover, the husband can be a leader in some respects, and the wife in others; in some life situations, even growing children can become leaders.

Participation in the production of both spouses, their relatively equal contribution to the common economy, the legal equality of family members contribute to the formation of egalitarian relations in the family. The modern nuclear family is becoming egalitarian(from the Latin word "egalitare" - an equal union, i.e. with an equal share of the rights and responsibilities of all its adult members, with a fairly independent position of children).

13. Depending on special conditions for organizing family life: student family (both spouses study at the university) and "distant" family (separate residence of marriage partners due to the specifics of the profession of one of them or both: families of sailors, polar explorers, astronauts, geologists, artists, athletes, etc.).

14. By the quality of relationships and the atmosphere in the family: prosperous ( spouses and other members of the family highly appreciate each other, the authority of the husband is high, there are practically no conflicts, there are own traditions and rituals), sustainable(practically have the same features as prosperous families), pedagogically weak(low educational characteristics, preference is given to the physical condition and well-being of the child); unstable family(high level of dissatisfaction of both spouses with family life, including their role and position in the family, which leads to unpredictable behavior); disorganized(a pronounced lag in family relations from the general level of development of society is manifested: drunkenness, archaic relations of rude dictate; there is practically no internal unity and contacts between family members); socially disadvantaged(low cultural level of family members, alcohol consumption by one or both spouses or parents); problematic(lack of reciprocity among spouses and inability to cooperate); conflict ( the presence of psychological incompatibility among spouses or family members); disintegrating family union (an excessively aggravated conflict situation in the family, in fact, the marriage has already broken up, but the spouses continue to live together, which is considered the most traumatic source for the child due to the duration of the stressful situation and leads to disturbances in the development of his personality); disintegrated family - a situation where one of the parents lives separately, but to some extent retains contacts with the former family and performs some more functions.

15. By composition of spouses in a nuclear family: full(includes father, mother and children) and incomplete(one of the parents is missing)  . The so-called functionally incomplete Families: Professional or other reasons leave spouses little time for family.

incomplete a family is formed as a result of the dissolution of a marriage, the birth of a child out of wedlock, the death of one of the parents or their separation. In this regard, the following types of incomplete families are distinguished: orphaned, illegitimate, divorced, broken up.

Depending on the presence of the main parent, maternal and paternal single-parent families are distinguished. According to the number of generations in a family, incomplete downtime(mother or father with a child or several children) and incomplete extended: mother (father) with one or more children and other relatives.

16. By social role characteristics stand out traditional, child-centric and married families. Most researchers single out three “pure” family types according to this criterion, which, on the one hand, have a historical character, since they developed chronologically sequentially, from the first to the third type. On the other hand, in modern reality, these types exist in parallel, to a greater extent already mixed, although retaining the main features of a certain “ideal” type.

The first type is traditional family". In more or less pure form, such families are common in developing countries, and in our country - in Central Asia and some regions of the Caucasus. In such families, the core of the system is not interpersonal, but socially and culturally defined relations between its members.

In Russia, such a family is well described in Domostroy, which clearly defines the requirements for all family members depending on their social role. The rights and obligations of the husband - the head of the family in relation to his wife, children and parents are described in detail; all other family members in relation to each other.

The place of children in such a family is obviously determined by the whole way of life, it is the smaller, the younger the child. Children should not interfere too actively in the life of the family, respecting and strictly observing the requirements of the elders, they seem to stay on the periphery of the family system, filling, but not defining it. The main influence here is “vertical”: from top to bottom, the requirement for the subordination of the younger members of the family to its older representatives.

Such a family system is stable as long as the child does not offer serious resistance. With excessive rigidity of parental requirements, which are not so easy to fulfill, such children, rather than in other families, develop deceit, aggressiveness, cruelty, or vice versa: lack of will and apathy.

The second type of family that has historically developed in Europe in the 18th-19th centuries is the so-called " childcentric family". Here, interpersonal relationships, the desire to form close and warm emotionally saturated contacts are, as it were, squeezed out by the primacy of the common over the personal in the sphere of relations between parents and the child, characteristic of the traditional family. Despite the fact that the relationship between the spouses remains set from the outside and, as it were, does not depend on whether they love each other, it is “allowed” to spread the feeling of love to the child.

If in a traditional family the basis of relationships is respect for authority, then in a child-centric family, “the happiness of the child” acts as such a link.

Thus, from the very beginning, the child occupies a central, dominant place in such a family. Parents live for him, consciously or subconsciously assuming that in the future he will live for them.

The main influence in such a family is “vertical”, but not from the top down (as in a traditional family), but from the bottom up (from the child to the parents). The child has a certain power over the parents and can even control them to some extent.

An unconscious motive for the appearance of a child in such a family may be a feeling of dissatisfaction with the spouses about their relationship and a desire to fill the emotional vacuum.

If the idea of ​​"everything for the child" is too pronounced, the result may be a "family idol" upbringing. In the future, this is fraught with sharp conflicts with other people and wounded ambition.

The third type is the famous sociologist S.I. The hunger called married family, the basis of which is the relationship between spouses. Their relationship is a relationship of equal partners based on trust, acceptance of another person, respect for each other, tolerance, goodwill.

Such a family is created not because “it’s customary” or “it’s time to get married”, not in order to have children, but by free mutual choice. In this family, unlike families of the other two types, there may not be children at all, there may be only one child or several. All this does not interfere with the main type of relationship, including with a child, communication with which, as with adults, is also built taking into account the personality and mutual interests.

17. By the nature of communication and emotional relationships in the family marriages are classified into symmetrical, complementary and metacomplementary.

IN symmetrical In a marriage union, both spouses have equal rights, none of them is subordinate to the other. Problems are solved by agreement, exchange or compromise. IN complementary marriage one disposes, gives orders, the other obeys, awaits advice or instructions. IN metacomplementary In a marriage, a leading position is reached by a partner who realizes his own goals by emphasizing his weakness, inexperience, ineptness and impotence, thus manipulating his partner.

Depending on the characteristics of emotional communication between parents and children in the structure of family relationships, the American psychologist L. Wursmer distinguishes four types of families, the basis for the functioning of which are certain types of pathology (disturbances) in family communication.

1. Families with "child trauma". People who have experienced childhood abuse may then identify with either the perpetrator or the victim. But in both cases, feelings of pain, shame, horror, helplessness after violence, especially from parents, can become the causes of alcohol and drug abuse in adolescence and adulthood.

2. "Obsessive family." In such a family, parents impose themselves on the child, obsessively control his behavior, which can cause him to feel shame and anger. Parents in such a family often have grandiose, unrealistic expectations for their children. Under such conditions, false identity masks, hypocritical roles that children use to protect themselves, may arise. False identities, mismatch with one's true I, may compensatory lead to the use of alcohol and drugs.

3. "False family." As a result of the constant lies cultivated in her, shame becomes the dominant emotion in the child, depersonalization occurs, and the sense of reality is lost. Growing alienation, falsity of relationships in the family can become one of the factors of initiation and consumption of psychoactive substances.

4. " inconsistent, unreliable family". In it, what is approved today is condemned tomorrow, what the father praises, then the mother scolds. As a result, the stability of the super-ego is disturbed. This can be one of the reasons for the child's desocialization and substance abuse.

The Czech demographer and sociologist K. Vitek, on the basis of his own scientific research on the emotional tone of marital relations, identifies six types of families - from an ideal marriage to a marriage in the stage of divorce. Each of them has its own socio-psychological characteristics.

1. " Ideal» Marriage is characterized by the maximum mutual affection of the spouses, the desire to be together, unconditional observance of moral principles, a feeling of complete satisfaction and happiness.

2. Marriage "generally good", stable is characterized by devotion to a partner and family. Despite the disappointments sometimes experienced, the spouses strive to revive and enrich their relationship as much as possible. This type also includes a marriage that persists mainly because of children, without much emotional attachment. Nevertheless, separation from a partner or the loss of him would be felt as a heavy blow of fate. A marriage that exists by inertia, by mutual agreement, can also be stable. The departure or loss of a partner in this case would not feel like a heavy blow of fate. In some families of this type, delight and disappointment constantly alternate, but the spouses do not feel the need to part forever.

3. Marriage emotionally disturbed, but with the potential for continued existence, it may be accompanied by constant quarrels and claims.

4. Emotionally dysfunctional marriage with conscious infidelity. Every lives their interests , and spouses do not seek to spend free time together.

5. Married on the brink of divorce it is common for spouses to mutually realize that there is no more marital balance.

6. disintegrated marriage is a family union that has actually ceased to exist.

American psychologist and psychotherapist K. Whitaker identifies the following types of families:

1. Biopsychosocial family - here relate So called natural families, which consist from two steam senior generations , couples of parents and children. Similarities and coincidences between grandparents, parents and children are as strong as they are inevitable. The uniqueness of the situation lies in the fact that, as soon as one member of the family peers into the face of another, he immediately discovers in it certain physical and symbolic components of his own personality. And this raises even more deep tension.

2. Psychosocial family - a family in which there is no blood relationship, but there is a spiritual relationship, emotional and psychological closeness. Family members are close to each other in terms of psychological and social characteristics, they are social relatives. For example, spouses and adopted children. Marriage can be defined as the decision made by one whole person to associate himself with another whole person with the guarantee of the inseparability of this connection, although the possibility of a break is not excluded. If such a gap occurs, then it will be possible to eliminate it, and the family becomes even stronger. Investments made in family life are non-refundable as an irrevocable contribution. No one has the right to the main capital, partners can only use interest, at their discretion, either replenishing the initial capital with them, or transferring them to a separate account.

3. Social family. The family here means only that there is a relationship between partners, due either to common interests, or professional activities, or the need to maintain contacts at the level of a business partnership. Emotional attachment may not be, meeting from case to case. Relations in this kind of family inevitably have an end, which is formalized on the basis of a peaceful agreement using the already existing, well-known principles of social settlement of such situations. Negative dynamics may arise within the social family, but, as a rule, it does not turn into a war, since corporate interests come first, and the duration of the union is obviously limited by time frames. To some extent, this union resembles a foster family.

Many scientists note that the most progressive and most relevant to modern conditions is egalitarian a family that assumes full and genuine equality of spouses in all matters of family life without exception. However, the creation of an egalitarian union is now becoming more and more difficult due to the wide variety of family forms and the significant divergence of the marriage and family ideas of partners about the terms family happiness. An egalitarian family implies, firstly, a thorough and scrupulous description of the rights and obligations of the spouses, and secondly, a very high culture of communication, respect for the personality of the other, mutual awareness and trust in relationships. At the same time, such a family retains some elements inherent in patriarchal and matriarchal family structures. The division of family power (their main element) envisaged by these ways of life may well be realized in modern unions, but only on condition that this division suits both spouses. Currently, the issue of patriarchy and matriarchy is a problem of intra-family leadership. In a neopatriarchal family, the husband is the strategic (extra-family) and business leader, and the wife is the tactical (intra-family) and emotional leader. In a neo-matriarchal marriage, the spheres of leadership of the husband and wife are reversed.

Based on the fact that egalitarian marriage in its purest form is quite rare, its can be considered only as an ideal version of the relationship of spouses, the American sociologist P. Herbst came to the conclusion that in the modern model of an egalitarian family there are always elements of a patriarchal or matriarchal family structure. Depending on the degree of manifestation of these elements in the modern family, P. Herbst identified four leading types of marriage.

1. Autonomous sample. In such a family, the husband and wife have different attitudes to life and different value orientations. Decisions are made jointly, are of a compromise nature and are a "triumph of heterogeneities." The difference in characters and worldviews does not play a negative role here, since it is assumed by the very system of relationships that arise in such a family.

2. During family The husband plays the leading role in the relationship. Features of his personality, worldview and attitude to life are decisive for all family members. The role of the wife turns out to be noticeably less important here and is mainly outlined by the circle of "female" duties.

3. Type of family in which the wife plays a decisive role. However, the significance of the husband here is greater than that of the wife in the second type, since he is not limited to performing purely "male" duties, but performs some purely "female" functions.

4. "Syncretic family", according to the typology of P. Herbst, is an ideal model of marriage. Roles in such a family are distributed evenly, and the decision is made on the basis of recognition of the independence of each of the spouses (and not on the basis of compromise).

In a separate group should be allocated in a separate group dysfunctional families. The scientific literature does not give a clear definition of the concept of "family trouble", since the cause of its occurrence and the forms of manifestation are quite diverse. Different meanings are put into the content of this concept and such families are called differently: “unfavorable”, “difficult”, “destructive”, “dysfunctional”, “uncontrollable”, etc.

Dysfunctional families are different in their social attitudes, their interests, But myself life style these families adult behavior, their mood are such that they lead to deviations in the moral development of the child. Taking into account social attitudes, prevailing interests, lifestyle and behavioral characteristics of adults, psychotherapist V.V. Yustitsky distinguishes such types of family and marriage unions, How "distrustful family", "frivolous family" And "cunning family". It is with these metaphorical names that he denotes certain forms of hidden family trouble.

"Untrustworthy Family" A characteristic feature of such a family is an increased distrust of others (neighbors, acquaintances, colleagues, employees of institutions with which family members have to communicate). Family members deliberately consider everyone unfriendly or simply indifferent, and their intentions towards the family are hostile. Even in an ordinary act, some intent, a threat, self-interest are found. Such a family, as a rule, maintains weak contacts with neighbors, and the relations of family members with relatives and colleagues often become acutely conflicting. Most often this is due to the imaginary infringement of the interests of one of the members of this family.

If a child commits an offense or comes into conflict with friends or teachers, in all cases the parents consider him right, or at least lay most of the blame on others. Even if parents cannot deny the direct guilt of their son or daughter, in conversation they focus not on guilt, but on their pedagogical efforts, which turned out to be useless due to the lack of support or the unfriendly attitude of others. Such a position of the parents also forms in the child himself a distrustful and hostile attitude towards others. He develops suspicion, aggressiveness, it is increasingly difficult for him to enter into friendly contacts with peers. At school, a child from such a family begins to conflict with teachers and educators, never admits his mistakes and does not admit his guilt, and his parents take his side. It turns out a vicious circle: these conflicts, on the one hand, are generated by the views perceived by the child in the family, and on the other hand, they further increase the distrust of the family itself, the aggravation of its relations with the social environment.

Children from such families are most susceptible to the influence of antisocial groups, since the psychology of these groups is close to them: hostility towards others, aggressiveness. It is not easy to establish spiritual contact with them and gain their trust, as they do not believe in sincerity in advance and are waiting for some kind of trick.

« Frivolous family"is distinguished by a carefree attitude towards the future, not caring about what consequences today's actions will have tomorrow. Members of such a family gravitate towards momentary pleasures, their plans for the future are, as a rule, uncertain. Even if someone expresses dissatisfaction with the present and a desire to live differently, he does not think about how this can be done. In such a family, they do not like to talk about what and how they should change in their lives, they are more inclined to “get used to” any circumstances, they are not able and unwilling to overcome difficulties.

Here, as a rule, they do not know how, and do not seek to organize their leisure in an interesting way. Preference is given to activities that do not require any effort. The main entertainment is watching TV shows (they watch inattentively and indiscriminately), organizing parties and feasts. Drinking as the easiest and most accessible means of obtaining momentary pleasure is easily inculcated in families of this type.

The “frivolous family” is almost constantly in a state of internal discord, contradictions very easily turn into numerous conflicts. Quarrels instantly flare up over any trifle.

Children in such families grow up with an insufficient level of volitional regulation and organization, they are drawn to primitive entertainment. They commit misconduct most often due to a thoughtless attitude to life, lack of firm principles and insufficient ability to show their strong-willed qualities.

IN " cunning family" First of all, they value enterprise, luck and dexterity in achieving life goals. The main thing is the ability to achieve success in the shortest way, with a minimum expenditure of labor and time. At the same time, members of such a family easily cross the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Laws and moral norms are something relative for them. Family members may engage in various activities of dubious legality.

Another characteristic feature of such a family is the desire to use others for their own purposes. This family knows how to impress the person they want, and is concerned with how to create a wide circle of useful acquaintances.

These features of family psychology are easiest to notice when it comes to the work activity of adult family members, plans for the future for children. Entrepreneurial parents also awaken the spirit of adventurism in their children. Moral assessments of the actions of children in such a family, as a rule, are shifted in a peculiar way. If a child has violated the rules of conduct or legal norms, parents tend to condemn not the violation itself, but its consequences. As a result of such an "educational" attitude, the same attitude is formed in him: the main thing is not to get caught.

Of course, this list does not exhaust the typology of families in which the negative features of the lifestyle are so clearly expressed. There are many varieties of family life, where these signs are somewhat smoothed out, and the consequences of improper upbringing are not so clear. However, these negative consequences do exist. One of the most noticeable is the mental loneliness of children in the family. This fact is taken into account in the Richter-Spivakovskaya typology.

1. Outwardly "calm family" is different topics , What events V her flow smoothly. From the outside it may seem that the relations of its members are ordered and coordinated.

But in such family unions, behind a prosperous “facade”, negative feelings for each other are hidden for a long time and strongly suppressed. The containment of emotions often has a detrimental effect on well-being, spouses are prone to persistent mood disorders, often feel morally and physically tired, powerless people. Often there are prolonged bouts of bad mood, melancholy, depression.

This type of relationship is unfavorable for the development of the child: when family relationships are built on the basis of maintaining visible benevolence, designed to hide irreconcilable contradictions and mutually negative experiences, the child feels helpless and constantly fears. His life is filled with an unconscious feeling of constant anxiety, the child feels danger, but does not understand its source, lives in constant tension and is unable to ease it.

2. " Volcanic" family: in this family, relationships are changeable and open. Spouses often disperse and converge, scandal, quarrel, in order to soon love tenderly and confess their love for the rest of their lives. In this case, spontaneity, emotional immediacy prevail over a sense of responsibility.

How does such a family climate affect the well-being of the child?

In families whose emotional atmosphere pulsates between extreme poles, children experience significant emotional overload. Quarrels between parents acquire catastrophic proportions in the eyes of the child, this is a real tragedy for him. The child does not have a sense of stability, constancy, he is afraid of the future, distrust of everything.

Thus, whether parents want it or not, whether they are aware of their marital relationship or not, the prevailing emotional atmosphere of the family has a negative impact on the personality of the child.

Already on the example of these types of families, one can observe a feature that always accompanies disharmonious unions. It consists in a certain inertia, stereotyping of relations. Once and for all, a spontaneously developed style is fixed, and remains unchanged for many years. As a rule, the developed stereotype of relations to some extent strengthens the marriage, increases its stability, although not on a harmonious basis. Therefore, the attempts of one of the spouses to change the style of communication often encounter resistance from the partner. To harmonize relations in the family, joint conscious efforts are needed.

3. Family - "sanatorium" - typical example of family disharmony. One of the spouses, whose emotional reactions are expressed in increased anxiety in front of the outside world, the demand for love and care, creates a specific limitation, a barrier to new experience. Such protection makes it possible to reduce the feeling of anxiety in front of the uncertainty of the surrounding world. All family members, including children, are gradually drawn into a narrow, limited circle. The behavior of the spouses takes the form of a "resort", efforts are expended on a kind of collective self-restraint. Spouses spend all the time together and try to keep children near them. Attempts of some separation are perceived as a threat to the very existence of the family, the circle of contacts is gradually limited, contacts with friends are reduced, as a rule, under the pretext of differences in views and values. The family only outwardly seems solidary, in the depths of the relationship lies the disturbing dependence of one of the partners. The union becomes not freely equal in rights, but symbiotically dependent. This means that one of the family members (both adults and children can become them) limits his duties, forcing loved ones to surround him more and more with attention.

The position of children in such families can be different. In the case when the family turns into a "sanatorium" for mother or father, children are usually deprived of the necessary care, they lack maternal acceptance and love. As a rule, they are involved early in housework, experience physical and nervous overload for years, become overly anxious and emotionally dependent, while maintaining a warm, loving and caring attitude towards their parents. In those cases when brothers or sisters, grandparents, as well as one of the other relatives are surrounded by a "sanatorium" relationship, the child's intra-family position changes. The limitation of the family to care, internal relationships leads to a constant fixation of attention on health (children may experience a fear of illness, which, under certain adverse situations, can lead to the formation of a personality in which caring for health becomes a particularly significant activity), emphasizing all kinds of dangers, intimidation . The need to keep the child in the family leads to the discrediting of social values, to the depreciation of the communication of the child, his friends and preferred forms of spending free time. Petty guardianship, tight control and excessive protection from real and imaginary dangers are characteristic signs of the attitude towards children in families of the "sanatorium" type.

Such parental positions often lead to excessive overload of the child's nervous system, in which neurotic breakdowns, emotional characteristics such as hypersensitivity, irritability occur. With increased control and guardianship in children, especially in adolescence, reactions of protest and a desire for early departure from the family intensify.

4. Family-"fortress": such unions are based on ideas about the threat, aggressiveness and cruelty of the surrounding world, about universal evil and people as carriers of evil. Often such ideas are reinforced by the need to bring negative emotions that arise in the family beyond its borders. In such cases, mutually hostile impulses are transferred to the external world as a whole: to individuals, to groups of people, to certain forms of worldview. The spouses have a pronounced strengthening of the sense of "we". They are, as it were, psychologically arming themselves against the whole world. Behind this behavior is often a lack of genuine psychological tendencies that naturally hold the family together.

Often in such families there is unconditional dominance of one of the parents, all family life is strictly regulated and subject to certain goals, the ossified fixation of certain family roles creates the appearance of intra-family solidarity, although the emotional atmosphere within the family is devoid of natural warmth and immediacy.

The attitude towards children in such a family is also strictly regulated, the need to limit ties outside the family leads to the rigid fixation of all kinds of restrictions, to the prescription of the implementation of strict rules, which are declaratively explained by the need to take care of the unborn child. There are families in which the spiritual indifference to the child, the callousness of one of the despot parents is unsuccessfully compensated by the excessive guardianship and petty care of the other. However, the need to hold the family together on the part of the subordinate parent makes custody inconsistent, deprives the relationship of emotional openness and sincerity.

Love for a child is becoming more and more conditional, a child is loved only when it justifies the requirements placed on it by the family circle. Parents love not so much the child himself, but rather the image of the Self that is generated by family positions and imposed on the child. Such a family atmosphere and type of upbringing lead to an increase in the child's self-doubt, lack of initiative, sometimes intensify protest reactions and provoke behavior of the type of stubbornness and negativism. In many cases, the concentration of the child's attention on his own inner experiences is fixed, which leads to his psychological isolation, causes difficulties in communicating with peers. The "fortress" family puts the child in a contradictory position, a situation of internal conflict caused by a mismatch between the demands of the parents, the social environment and the child's own experience.

5. The theater family: such families maintain stability through a specific "theatrical" lifestyle. The focus of such a family is always play and effect. As a rule, one of the spouses in such families experiences an acute need for recognition, constant attention, encouragement, admiration, he is acutely experiencing a lack of love.

The entire scenario constructed by the family unconsciously serves as a defense against the realization of the illusory nature of past ideas, unfulfilled desires, and expectations that were not justified in the marriage union. "Family Theater" is designed to maintain the appearance of well-being and maintain the necessary close distance.

In dealing with children, prohibitions and encouragements are quickly declared and are also quickly forgotten. Demonstrated love and care for the child to outsiders does not save children from the feeling that parents are not up to them, and their fulfillment of their parental duties is only a formal necessity imposed by social norms. Often in the "family theater" contact with the child, attention to his life is replaced by the provision of special improved material conditions.

In the theatrical way of life of the family, a special attitude towards the child often arises, associated with the desire to hide his shortcomings and imperfections, to cover up difficulties by demonstrating imaginary virtues and achievements. All this leads to a weakening of self-control, a loss of internal discipline. The lack of genuine closeness with parents forms the selfish orientation of the individual.

6. The "third wheel" family. This type of family arises in cases where the personal characteristics of the spouses and the style of their interaction is of particular importance, and the need to take on parental roles is unconsciously perceived as an obstacle to marital happiness. This happens with the psychological immaturity of one or both parents, with the unpreparedness of their personal development for the performance of parental functions. As a result, a style of relations with the child arises according to the type of hidden rejection.

Often, in contacts with a child, parents tend to inspire children with a sense of inferiority, endlessly fixing their attention on shortcomings and imperfections. Raising children in such situations leads to the formation of self-doubt, lack of initiative, fixation on weaknesses, children are characterized by painful experiences of their own inferiority with increased dependence on their parents. The resulting dependence burdens adults, provoking an increase in latent rejection. In such families, children often fear for the life and health of their parents, they can hardly endure even temporary separation from them, and they do not adapt well in children's groups.

7. "Family with an idol": This type is quite common. Relations between family members lead to the creation of a “family idol” when raising a child is the only thing that holds together marital relations and caring for a child becomes the only force that can keep parents together. The child turns out to be the center of the family, becomes the object of increased attention and care, inflated expectations of parents. Many of his actions are perceived without proper criticism, the slightest whims are immediately satisfied, real and imaginary virtues are exaggerated.

The desire to protect the child from the difficulties of life leads to a restriction of independence, which is largely facilitated by the unconscious tendency to slow down the growing up of the child, since the decrease in guardianship threatens to break the family group. The child is brought up in conditions of effeminacy, weariness, universal admiration and tenderness. With such upbringing, children become dependent, activity is lost, motives are weakened. Along with this, the need for positive assessments increases, children lack love; clashes with the outside world, communication with peers, where the child does not receive the desired high marks, become a source of more and more new experiences. The demand for recognition at any cost gives rise to a demonstrative style of behavior. Critical awareness of one's own personal qualities is replaced by negative assessments of others, a sense of injustice and cruelty of others.

8. Family-"masquerade". Building their lives around differently understood values, serving different gods, parents put the child in a situation of different demands and inconsistent assessments. Education takes on the features of inconsistency, and the world for the child appears as different, sometimes contradictory sides. The flickering of "masks" increases the feeling of anxiety. Inconsistency in the actions of parents, for example, the increased demands of the father with excessive guardianship and forgiveness of the mother, causes the child to be confused and split his self-esteem. Exaggerated claims, combined with insufficient capacity for volitional efforts, give rise to internal conflict and constant dissatisfaction with oneself and others.

The described forms of family trouble are quite common in our society. Their destructive influence on the development of the personality of not only a child, but also adults is obvious.

From the point of view of the negative influence of elders on the personality and behavior of minor children, F.S. Makhov singled out three main groups of families. First group It is characterized by acute conflict relationships between all family members and low social activity of parents both in the sphere of work (service) and in the sphere of free time. Unscrupulous attitude to work, everyday promiscuity, drunkenness, constant family scandals lead these families to actual disintegration. "Male" and "female" education in them is characterized by extreme negative manifestations: cruelty and licentiousness, rudeness and cynicism.

Co. second group Families distinguished by external decency of intra-family relations and rather high business (industrial, service) activity of parents are included. However, their daily family life is disordered due to official or eternal employment, due to the indifference of spouses to each other and children. Outwardly regulated relations in these families are supported by the parents' conviction of the need to preserve the family for the sake of some mercantile or prestigious considerations. Children in such families often experience a lack of parental love, affection and attention. Sons are especially neglected and ill-bred in such families, since their fathers devote a lot of time and energy to their “other” life.

For third group families, a low social orientation of the personality of the spouses is typical with positive relations between them. In such families, parents, often taking a responsible attitude to the education of their children and their material support, are indifferent to other areas of their life. They care mainly about their own well-being, which leads to the formation of selfishness in children. In the educational team, adolescents from such families often experience difficulties in communication, are distinguished by arrogance, intolerance towards teachers and students. They often painfully experience the success of their comrades, react sharply to changes in the attitudes of their peers towards themselves. Boys, as a rule, are distinguished by social passivity, while girls are distinguished by increased attention to their appearance and female vanity.

For all three groups of "difficult" (unfavorable) families, for all their differences, the lack of interest of parents in the inner spiritual life of children is characteristic.

Among the functionally insolvent families stand out conflict families characterized by unfavorable socio-psychological factors (primarily chronic exacerbation of relations between spouses), and pedagogically untenable families with a low psychological and pedagogical culture of parents, the wrong style of parent-child relationships.

Although, in general, each functionally wealthy family can be characterized by several risk factors at once that adversely affect the upbringing of children, at the same time, by the nature of the prevailing, dominant adverse effects exerted by the family as an institution of socialization on the personality of the child, one can single out families with the so-called direct and indirect desocializing influence. In other words, families where patterns of asocial behavior and antisocial orientations, the beliefs of parents are directly demonstrated; and families who lead healthy lifestyle life, are positively socially oriented, but, due to various socio-psychological difficulties of an intra-family nature, have lost their influence on children, are not able to perform the socializing functions of transferring social experience and raising children. Such an approach to the typology of functionally insolvent families is offered by psychologist S. A. Belicheva, who uses the nature of the desocializing influence exerted by families on their children as the main criterion.

Families with direct desocializing influence demonstrate antisocial behavior and antisocial orientations, thus acting as institutions of desocialization. These can be attributed criminal-immoral and immoral-asocial families.

Families with indirect desocializing influence experiencing difficulties of a socio-psychological and psychological-pedagogical nature, expressed in violations of marital and child-parent relationships. These are the so-called conflicting and pedagogically untenable families, which more often due to psychological reasons lose their influence on children.

The greatest danger in terms of their negative impact on children is criminal and immoral families. The life of children in these families is often under threat due to abuse, drunken scandals, sexual promiscuity of parents, lack of elementary care for the maintenance of children. These are the so-called social orphans (orphans with living parents). They very early begin to wander, run away from home, they are distinguished by complete social vulnerability both from cruel treatment in the family and from the criminal influence of criminal formations.

These families are not only socially disadvantaged, but also criminally dangerous. Around such families, as a rule, whole companies of neighbor children arise, who, under the influence of adults, become involved in alcohol, vagrancy, theft and begging, and a criminal subculture.

TO asocial-immoral families most often include families with open acquisitive attitudes and interests, living on the principle of “the end justifies the means”, in which there are no moral norms and restrictions. Outwardly, the situation in these families may look quite decent, the standard of living is quite high, but due importance is not attached to spiritual values, which ultimately can lead to an orientation towards satisfying primitive needs and setting base goals with very indiscriminate means to achieve them. Such families, despite their external respectability, also have a direct desocializing influence on children, directly instilling in them antisocial views and value orientations. In relation to such parents and their children, corrective methods based on the principles of “reverse socialization” are most applicable, when through maturing children, who quite clearly reflect the internal appearance of their parents, parents rethink their own positions. However, a significant drawback of reverse socialization methods is their belatedness; insight often comes too late to significantly change something in the child's personality.

conflict the family is characterized by the fact that, for various psychological reasons, the personal relationships of the spouses are built not on the principle of mutual respect and understanding, but on the principle of conflict, alienation.

Conflict families can be both noisy, scandalous, where increased tones, irritability become the norm of relations between spouses, and “quiet”, where relations between spouses characterize alienation, the desire to avoid any interaction. In all cases, a conflict family negatively affects the formation of a child's personality and can cause asocial manifestations.

In conflict families, the desocializing influence does not manifest itself directly through the patterns of immoral behavior or antisocial beliefs of the parents. There is an indirect desocializing effect here, which is exerted due to chronically complicated, unhealthy relationships between parents, which will certainly affect their attitude towards children. Moreover, children can often be elected as "family arbitrators", when each of the spouses, in order to further annoy the other, tries to "pull" the child to his side. Thus, children from witnessing family conflicts become their direct participants, forming a coalition with one of the parents against the other.

Pedagogically incompetent families, How And conflict, do not have a direct desocializing effect on children. In these families, under relatively favorable conditions (healthy family atmosphere, leading a correct lifestyle and caring parents), relationships with children are formed incorrectly, serious pedagogical miscalculations are made, leading to various asocial manifestations in the minds and behavior of children. The formation of unhealthy life attitudes in children in such families occurs because due to pedagogical errors, a difficult moral and psychological atmosphere, the educational role of the family is lost here, and in terms of the degree of its impact, it begins to yield to other institutions of socialization that play an unfavorable role.

So, the family is a complex system of relationships in which each member occupies a certain place, participates in the performance of certain functions, satisfies the needs of others with his activity, and maintains an acceptable level of interpersonal interactions. Violation of family relations leads to failure to fulfill these functions, they are shifted up to distortion. When the structure and functions of the family are violated, psychological tension and conflict in intra-family relations arise, parents are not able to manage the upbringing of children, instill in them the positive social qualities necessary for becoming a full-fledged member of society.

The presented typology of families would be incomplete if it did not include atypical families. Unfortunately, models of atypical marriages are not presented in any classification. In addition, despite the emergence and spread of such families in modern society, scientists almost do not connect their research interests with their study. Therefore, many problems concerning these families are still unknown to the general public. However, such non-traditional marriage unions exist, have their own characteristics, lead their own way of life, which sometimes differs significantly from generally accepted ideas about marriage and family.

What is an atypical family? It is rather difficult to answer this question, because non-traditional marriages are as diverse as traditional ones. At the same time, these family and marriage unions differ from those generally accepted within a particular culture by some unusual forms of structure and relations between representatives of different sexes. Atypical families can also include those that do not differ in any way from traditional ones in their functions and structure, but in modern society have not yet received wide distribution and recognition among representatives of different social strata. Initially, the essence of the concept of "marriage" was defined as a socially sanctioned form of relations between the sexes, including the relationship to offspring. That is, the marriage union was a kind of means of regulating sexual relations and the reproduction of the population. In this regard, some models of atypical families are not sanctioned by modern society, but in the history of the development of civilization they were not only common, but also an officially accepted, legalized form of family unions. Therefore, such families as, for example, dating family, can be considered as a kind of "modernized" model pair marriage, existed about 25-24 thousand years ago. This marriage was not connected with social laws and was not subject to them; the basis of its creation and duration of existence was only the good will of the partners.

Some non-traditional forms of marriage for Russian culture are at the same time officially permitted in other countries. For example, among some Muslim peoples of the East, a common form is polygyny(polygamy), in which a man is simultaneously in several marriages with different women. For Russia, such a marriage is not typical, although recently it has begun to be introduced, according to Muslim customs.

What are the varieties atypical families meet V conditions of modern Russian reality? Among these are the following:

1. meeting family: the marriage is registered, but the spouses live separately, each of them has their own housing. Even the appearance of children is not a reason to unite and live in a “common home”. Most often, children stay with their mother or are given to be raised by the closest relatives (parents) of the husband or wife. Such a family gathers together either on holidays and weekends, or during the holidays of the spouses. The rest of the time, spouses can meet from time to time, without burdening themselves and each other with family problems and worries, each of them believes that he has the right to “live for his own pleasure”, not caring about how children feel in such a family.

2. intermittent the family is characterized by the fact that the marriage is officially concluded, the spouses live together, but consider it acceptable to part for a while and not run a common household.

3. Unregistered marriage(so-called civil) - an increasingly spreading form of the family, which in our country was legalized by V.I. Lenin and canceled by I.V. Stalin; this also includes trial marriage. Such informal marriage unions are also called extramarital and cohabitation.

Analyzing the reasons for the popularity of extramarital unions, some experts associate them primarily with the crisis of the modern family, the fall of its social prestige. It is assumed that the traditional distribution of household chores, characteristic of official marriage, is violated in an extramarital union. In this form of cohabitation, men do not have the socially sanctioned power to determine the division of household labor, so women "do not cook, wash or darn." The duration of such a marriage does not have a strict framework, because the form of living together in an extramarital union provides each partner with individual freedom, which he can use at any time. Sometimes the need to formalize the relationship arises in connection with the birth of a child, so as not to subject him to legal and social discrimination as an illegitimate child.

As for the future of trial (civil, unofficial) marriages, most researchers come to a unanimous opinion: this form of living together, perceived as integration by both the partners themselves and society, will be further spread. This is facilitated both by the objective conditions associated with the modern social division of labor (later than before, the economic independence of young people), earlier physical, including sexual development, and the ongoing process of breaking the strict generally accepted framework in the field of sexual morality, the dominance of freedom in establishing extramarital sex. Finally, psychological factors play an important role in the growth of extramarital unions. An increasing number of young people (and even their parents) consider it necessary to go through a trial period in cohabitation before a "real" marriage - to get to know each other's character and habits better, to test their feelings, sexual compatibility. Supporters of civil marriages are convinced that a family union concluded after such a check is usually stronger.

4. open the family is distinguished by the fact that, openly or secretly, the spouses allow relationships outside of marriage.

In many ancient societies, there was a custom of sexual hospitality, when the host "lent" his wife to a dear guest, or when the union between men was sealed by the exchange of wives. The consent of the wives, of course, was not asked.

The modern open family, contrary to the moral norms of society, is trying to revive this custom in a slightly different form. Some married couples in search of sexual diversity, by mutual voluntary consent, establish sexual relations with some other, one or more couples. Unlike carefully hidden extramarital love interests, in which the spouses have fun on the side independently and mostly without the knowledge of each other, such relationships, called swinging, suggest "co-marital" sex: the legal, social and emotional bonds of legal marriage are preserved, but the marriage loses its sexual exclusivity. In "closed" swinging, each of the spouses has fun with a representative of the other couple in private, in private. "Open" swinging is group sex; heterosexual games and caresses are sometimes supplemented by homosexual ones.

Some swingers not only make love together, but jointly organize and spend holidays, have fun, help each other raise children, and solve household problems together.

In such a "marriage" there are a number of moral, psychological and sexual problems. Since swinging involves voluntariness and equality of spouses, it is more honest than usual adultery, there is no deceit and adultery. Nevertheless, it certainly contradicts the norms of Christian morality and monogamous marriage.

With the abandonment of sexual exclusivity, marriage loses much of its intimacy. Purely recreational, hedonistic sex does not satisfy many, and the emergence of a strong emotional attachment between husband and wife from different couples inevitably undermines their original marriage alliances. Despite mutual agreement reached in advance, swinging often generates feelings of shame, guilt and jealousy that can destroy a marriage. It also increases the possibility of a contraceptive error or negligence, which can lead to a dramatic situation about the establishment of biological paternity.

5. Muslim family - polygamy legalized by religion. One man may have four official wives, who usually live under the same roof or in separate houses built for them by the husband. If all wives and their children are in the same household, household and family responsibilities are strictly distributed between them. The husband is the sole master of all household members, obedience to him is obligatory for all members of this family - from young to old. He single-handedly makes decisions and determines the future fate of aging wives and growing children.

6. " Swedish» A family is a family group that includes several representatives of not only females, but also males. Legally, relations in such a family can be formalized only between partners of one couple, but this does not prevent all men and women included in the family union from considering themselves spouses of each other, maintaining a common household, and having a common family budget. Children are also considered common.

7. Homosexual the family consists of marriage partners with the so-called "non-traditional" sexual orientation. If this is a purely male or purely female marriage couple, within such a family there is a division of partners into “husbands” and “wives” and a corresponding distribution of family roles and responsibilities. Quite often, relationships in a homosexual family are established according to the type of traditional nuclear family. At the same time, the norms of intra-family life are determined by the “spouses” themselves in accordance with the male and female roles existing in society.

To date, scientists find it difficult to clearly establish the causes of homosexuality. The formation of an unnatural sexual orientation is associated by some with genetic anomalies, while others are associated with family upbringing errors that lead to deformations of the child's sexual identity. Therefore, there are no radical means by which it would be possible to reorient the direction of the sexual desire of an adult homosexual. Modern society has begun to treat people of "non-traditional" sexual orientation more tolerantly. In some countries (in particular, in Sweden and Germany) legal registration of homosexual marriages is officially allowed. Some families, after a thorough examination of both marriage partners for their legal capacity (state of physical and mental health) and an examination of the financial and economic conditions of family life, are allowed to adopt children. Of course, the issue of the formation of a child's personality in same-sex families remains controversial, since a violation of his sexual identity is possible, which ultimately will lead to the replenishment of the ranks of homosexuals. However, even a homosexual (most often female) family is much better for a child than no family.

8. Limited time marriage: the creation of a family union is considered as a kind of a kind of transaction. If the spouses, after a certain period of time, which they agreed upon earlier, do not declare their desire to extend the “contract”, they are automatically considered complete strangers to each other.

Usually, a "marriage deal" is legalized so that the spouses fulfill their obligations and do not lose their rights when it expires. In all other respects, such a family lives an ordinary life, characteristic of a traditional nuclear family.

In all atypical families discussed above, there is a model of relations between spouses that is not characteristic of traditional marriage. In addition, such relationships are often not accepted and condemned by society in terms of the moral and ethical standards that exist in it. Such marriages are quite rare, so they should be considered as a kind of exception to the generally accepted established rule.

Along with such or similar atypical families, there are forms of marriage unions that differ little or almost nothing from the modern nuclear family either in structure or in basic family functions. However, these families have characteristic features, which allows them to be classified as atypical. If the first group of atypical families is distinguished by an unusual and even unacceptable style of marital relations for most people, then the second category, on the contrary, is very close to the traditional family in this regard. Its main originality can be associated either with the presence in the family group of non-native (adopted, adopted, consolidated) children and parents (stepfather, stepmother) who are not consanguineous with children, or with the limitation of the legal capacity of some family members (both adults and children) . Such families are becoming more and more widespread in our society, however, in relation to the traditional understanding of the family and marriage union, they are atypical, since they do not act as the main model of existence. modern family.

The group of atypical families of this plan includes mixed families formed by divorced parents and their remarried partners; families who are raising adopted children; families raising other people's children; extended community-type families; families with disabled parents; families with chronically ill and disabled children.

Consider the features of each type of atypical families. An alternative form of family life, which has much in common with the traditional family, which unites members of the family clan, is family so-called community type. In such a family, the upbringing of children is carried out jointly by all adults. Although in some communities the responsibility for raising children is assigned to specific people, yet in most of them children turn to various adults to solve their various problems.

Among the benefits of this kind of upbringing, as a rule, there is an increasing sense of family in children and a readiness to fulfill various roles traditionally inherent in adults. Growing up in such families is easier because children learn from an early age to take responsibility for life in the community. Perhaps, excessive indulgence of children can be considered a flaw in family education, but this favorably affects the establishment of emotional contacts between adults and children, and children in such families experience a feeling of alienation much less often.

Any family, no matter how prosperous it may be, is not immune from the fact that over time, the feelings of the spouses can cool so much that the question of the expediency of further life together turns into a statement: it is impossible to live together. And then trouble comes to replace family happiness, the spouses decide to divorce. Unfortunately, the number of people going through the divorce process is growing rapidly. And at the same time, the share of remarriages is increasing, and this leads to an increase in the number of families in which stepsons and stepdaughters are brought up. In some cases, children from previous marriages of each of the spouses are in the same family. Since the number of mixed marriages is quite significant, it makes sense to touch on the problems of raising non-native children. First of all, it should be noted that children from a first marriage can have a negative impact on consent in a new family. The foster father has problems in communicating with them, with their upbringing, which is much more difficult for him to do than for his own father. He can be perceived by children as an uninvited guest, taking away some of their mother's love from them. They may not perceive his attempts to get closer and even deliberately ignore any signs of attention on his part. A wife in this situation may feel especially hurt when her husband criticizes the behavior of "her" children. In addition, it is necessary to respect the rights of the natural father, which increases the uncertainty of the adoptive one. Sometimes the adoptive father relieves himself of responsibility for the children, loses authority, feels superfluous in the family. He leaves the problems of raising “her children” to his wife, and when she does this, in his opinion, it is wrong, she criticizes her or suppresses her impulses, which leads to tension, the appearance of negative emotions. Tension sometimes eases or is removed with the birth of one's own child, but in some cases it can intensify, problems arise in the relationship between "her" and "their" children.

Such an atmosphere in blended families may be due to certain traits that are usually inherent in stepsons and stepdaughters. First, they love one of the parents more. Secondly, they feel injustice more acutely. Thirdly, they strive to follow the example of their own mother or father, and not their stepmother or stepfather. This is especially common in cases where the child does not accept the stepfather (stepmother), treats him hostilely while maintaining a close emotional connection with his own father (mother).

Naturally, a non-native parent initially cannot completely replace a natural father or mother. He is forced to share his educational duties with him. Children often have unrealistic expectations, which is explained by their spiritual impulses, needs, as well as certain social factors. Strong rivalry between stepchildren often leads to an aggravation of the tense situation in a blended family.

At the same time, remarriage has some advantages over the first for harmonious relations between spouses. First of all, partners no longer count on "eternal", romantic love and approach marriage more rationally. Remembering the bitterness that often ends with the first marriage, the partners feel gratitude for all the good that the second marriage provides them, and they try to save it, protect it more actively. If disharmony in family relations reappears, the partners are more prepared and motivated to cooperate.

A blended family, in the presence of mutual understanding between spouses, can easily cope with the problem of adaptation of non-native children to the changed conditions of their life. It is those non-native parents and children who are able to realize the essence of the new relationships they enter into, who can predict actions and analyze the process of upbringing, which ultimately leads to a creative and successful family life.

Intra-family relations are built somewhat differently in families with adopted children. The attitude to the adoption process in different countries depends on cultural traditions, on a variety of customs. In some nationalities, a newborn is presented as a gift. In the Polynesian islands, almost one in three children is adopted. In this case, a complete break with the mother occurs at an early age. In modern developed countries, parents who have abandoned a child are condemned, and the question of their psychiatric usefulness is often raised, and adoption is sometimes considered by the public almost as a feat.

The tasks of raising adopted children are similar to the tasks of raising relatives, especially if the child is adopted in infancy. Experts say that the older the child, the more dangerous for the mental development of his adoption. It is assumed that the child's desire to find his true (biological) parents plays a big role in this. According to a number of experts, approximately 45% of adopted children develop mental disorders due to the child's constant thoughts about his real parents. Therefore, families adopting children should be aware of the specific skills that they need to learn in the first place. Adoptive parents need the skills to establish and maintain links with adoption agencies. In addition, they must be able to interact with legal authorities in the course of adopting a child.

Foster parents need the ability to create a favorable family environment for the child. This means that they should not only help the child adapt to new conditions for him and feel like a full member of the family that adopted him, but also help him understand his family of origin and not interrupt contact with it, since quite often it is very important for children to know that they still have natural parents, who are, as it were, integral part their ideas about themselves.

Adoptive parents may need skills to interact with older children if they lived in some kind of child care facility that replaced their family before adoption. They could have individual emotional problems, which adoptive parents can cope with only with the help of special knowledge and parenting skills. The adoptive parents and the adopted child may belong to different racial and ethnic groups. Appropriate parenting skills will help adopted or adopted children cope with feelings of separation and isolation from their former world.

Sometimes adopted children may not know how to communicate with foster parents due to poor relationships in the family of origin. They expect to be severely punished for minor infractions or that adults will not care what they do as long as they are not interfered with. Some children may be hostile towards adoptive parents. It seems to them that everyone conspired to take them away from their family. Children cannot deal with the anger, fear, and hurtful feelings they have for their own parents. Children may be hostile to themselves and do things that harm themselves in the first place. They may try to hide or deny these feelings by withdrawing from their adoptive parents or showing complete indifference to them.

The feeling of confusion that children experience, on the one hand, because of the feeling of love and longing for their family and, on the other hand, hatred of their parents and themselves for imaginary and real actions, is very painful. Being in a state of emotional stress, these children may commit aggressive actions against adoptive parents. All this should be known to those who have decided to take a serious step in adopting a child who has parted with his own family.

In addition, the child may have mental, mental and emotional abnormalities, which will also require specific knowledge and skills from the adoptive parents.

A variety of atypical families in which children are brought up by non-native parents are also family-educational groups. This completely new form of children's living arrangement for Russia consists in the fact that a child from an orphanage is sent to a specially selected family, where he temporarily lives and receives the necessary care and attention. For potential parents, the time spent caring for children is included in the length of service, i.e. caring for and raising disadvantaged children (mainly orphans or those whose parents are deprived of parental rights) is a kind of work for which those who agreed to such a serious step receive a salary and allowance for the maintenance of each child. In the future, the possibility of registration of guardianship is not excluded. Such experience in organizing family-educational groups has not yet become widespread, but as a kind of family model, it has already been used since the beginning of this century in our country.

A special category is families with disabled members. Among them, in turn, are families with disabled parents or chronically ill adult family members. The family environment in such cases becomes stressful, destabilizes the interpersonal relations of the spouses and creates a specific social and psychological background around the child, which cannot but affect the formation of his personality.

A sharp deterioration in the health of a parent or any other family member can happen, as it most often happens, completely unexpectedly, and precisely at the moment when the family is not able to effectively resist the impending disaster. Often, the costs of paying for medical care and staying in medical institutions place an unbearable burden on families and their depleted budget. It may happen that if a sick parent is hospitalized, then there is no one to look after the child. Severe chronic illnesses can deprive a parent of the opportunity to take care of a child for a long time.

A parent's mental illness can cause behavioral responses in the parent that are dangerous to the child. Symptoms of mental illness are indifference towards the child, which increases the risk of an accident. Wild scandals with a spouse or with neighbors negatively affect the physical, mental and emotional state of the child.

A parent who is addicted to alcohol or drugs may also ignore the child's needs and threaten the child's safety. The parent may be suffering from neurosis or psychosis. The disease can be so serious that child abuse becomes sadistic, criminal.

A peculiar psychological climate develops in families with chronically ill and disabled children, which determines the classification of such families as atypical families. The stay of such children in the family creates many difficulties that can be divided into two groups: the first - how the family affects the condition of the sick child; the second is how the condition of a chronically ill child changes the psychological climate in the family.

If a child has mental or physical limitations, then he needs special care, and parents cannot always provide it at home. If there are other children in the family, and it is experiencing difficulties, then the parents simply may not have the mental or physical strength necessary to meet the specific needs of a sick child. In addition, the parents of a sick child may show various forms of emotional response to the message that their child is physically or mentally handicapped, which has a huge impact on the psychological situation in the family.

The most typical initial reaction of parents to a doctor's diagnosis of their child's mental or physical retardation is negation, disbelief in the existence of the disease, a desperate hope that the initial diagnosis is erroneous and a consultation with another specialist in this field will allow him to be removed. After some time, the realization of the true state of the child comes and anger reaction. Usually it arises on the basis of a feeling of helplessness, hopelessness and disappointment both in oneself and in one's child. In some cases, the anger of the parents is justified, especially if the specialists in vain reassured them and were not frank with them in matters relating to the child's condition. On the other hand, this condition becomes unnatural if it lasts too long or is unfairly directed at the child. The family atmosphere is destabilized to such an extent that a once quite prosperous family becomes emotionally hostile towards each other. Such a family either breaks up, or spouses continue to live under the same roof out of a sense of "duty" to sick children or because of their unwillingness to burden themselves with unnecessary troubles and troubles associated with divorce, and not having a strong motivation to destroy their formal status. inappropriate guilt - it is also a common reaction of parents to a doctor's report of a severe incurable illness of their child. Often it develops into all-consuming suffering and worries of parents about misconduct and mistakes, which, as they believe, led to the child's illness. Parents who see the cause of the child's illness in themselves try to control even what is impossible to control in principle. Such a state, accompanied by mental anguish and worries, greatly complicates the already tense family atmosphere.

Parents often experience sense of shame due to the birth of a sick child. They worry about possible judgment from others, and they are convinced that their child will be treated as inferior. Sometimes parents may have such a reactive state as accusation - attempts to shift responsibility for the condition of their child to others in order to hide their true feelings. Parents may blame the teacher and the school for bad teaching, the doctor for wrong prenatal care, the bad heredity of the husband or wife.

The next reaction of parents to a child's illness may be overprotection, which arises due to the fact that they consider it impossible due to the disease to communicate their child with other children. They fear that when playing with healthy children, their child will become the object of ridicule, that he is in danger of injury, because "other boys play too rough", etc. Denying the right of their child to be just a child and to associate with other children, parents only emphasize his mental and physical disabilities more strongly.

The final stage in the peculiar habituation of parents to the grief that has befallen them is emotional adjustment. It is at this stage that parents "with mind and heart" accept the illness of their child; by this time they have already developed positive attitudes both towards themselves and towards their child, which allows them to develop such skills that will help them secure his future in the future.

However, parents do not always manage to come to terms with the idea that their child has a congenital pathology or a serious illness. Moreover, such children are very restless and often “transmit” their anxiety to their parents. Parents become irritable and transfer their irritation to the marital relationship. This especially affects the husband, as a result of which he tries to stay at home less.

A similar hopeless situation develops in a family with disabled or terminally ill children (for example, with children suffering from leukemia). In such cases, the husband tries to be at home less often, avoids communication with the child, while the wife becomes strongly attached to the sick child, often to the detriment of the other children and the spouse. Such a situation can not only negatively affect the peace of mind and balance of parents, but also the psychological climate of the family as a whole. As researchers of similar family problems note, usually fathers cannot stand being together with a seriously ill son or daughter, they start drinking or leave the family altogether. The child, already deprived of fate, also turns out to be without a father. It is clear that the mother has more problems, she becomes irritable, which injures the child even more.

A sick child needs a special attitude from his parents, since he can develop character traits caused by experiences of his defect, a kind of inferiority complex arises. We must not forget that a child with a certain pathology is in an appropriate social environment that affects him. Therefore, if such a child is treated badly, beaten, scolded, not understood, if the parents are ashamed of a sick child, he may develop various neurotic and characterological disorders that are not directly related to his illness. On the one hand, his physical capabilities are limited, and he sometimes makes excessive demands on others, and on the other hand, those around him may run out of patience to constantly satisfy these requirements, which further increases the risk of conflicts.

From childhood (or even from birth), a child suffering from a serious illness usually spends a lot of time in hospitals. Growing up, he begins to closely observe the attitude of close people towards him, becomes overly distrustful. It seems to him that no one needs him, that continuous failures await him and he is a burden to his parents. He is afraid that his parents have cooled off towards him, carefully analyzes their every gesture, every parental word. Therefore, with such a child, you need to be very careful.

Any child, and even more so a sick one, should feel that he will not be left in trouble, that he will always be helped, and then it will be easier for him to withstand various life hardships. Moreover, chronically ill or disabled children, due to the peculiarities of the social situation in which they are forced to stay, become emotionally sensitive and vulnerable. These children are often worried, offended and crying. They are characterized by poor tolerance of any grief, a tendency to lower mood and sadness. They experience an increased need for security, love and sympathy, which is accompanied by feelings of their own helplessness, worthlessness, uselessness and loneliness in the family. Naturally, this does not affect the general family atmosphere in the best way. Parents, especially if there are other children in the family, cannot always be near a sick child, and he cannot understand and accept this, demanding closer attention to himself. Therefore, a mother, torn between pity for a sick child and the need to simultaneously take care of other family members, may have well-founded emotional stress, the discharge of which is achieved by “taking it out” on her husband or older children. As a result, all family members, and not just a sick child, experience conflict, frustration.

A specific type of modern family, which has recently become quite widespread in Russia, are refugee families. Interethnic and local military conflicts have deprived hundreds of thousands of people of their homeland, who, together with their children, are forced to change not only their place of residence, but also their lifestyle in general. It is quite difficult to describe the psychological characteristics of such a family, because it can simultaneously combine the characteristics inherent in many types of both traditional and atypical family and marriage unions, with the only difference being that these characterological features do not depend on the personal attitudes of the spouses, but on complex objective (primarily socio-economic and political) conditions. It is they who influence to a greater extent both the structure and the psychological climate of the family, the physical and mental health of its members. The fate of children is especially tragic in such families, since it is always harder for them than for adults who are already hardened by their life experience and who are able to more actively and purposefully defend themselves from the blows of fate.

Any natural (earthquakes, floods) or social (wars, interethnic conflicts) cataclysms leave a trace in the psyche of people for a long time. The death of loved ones, the inability to start a new life after a disaster, etc. - all this significantly affects, first of all, overly sensitive and impressionable children and adolescents. The character of any person, and even more so of a helpless child, who is more sensitive to adverse living conditions, gradually begins to change under the influence of external circumstances: irritability increases, irascibility appears, excessive vulnerability, or, conversely, isolation, indecision, shyness, timidity; some have pedantry, envy, exaggerated conscientiousness, and so on.

Children react to natural disasters and social upheavals in the same way that close adults react. If mothers and fathers hold on courageously, do not cry and do not fuss, nothing may happen to the child, sometimes he will not even notice that something out of the ordinary has happened. The child copies adults and realizes that if adults are calm, then nothing threatens him. In such cases, no mental shocks will occur to him. Therefore, parents and other adult members of refugee families are in the first place in need of psychological assistance. Finding moral peace by them is important not only in terms of maintaining morale in order to continue to live on, but also in terms of their influence on children, whose inner world is very fragile. And it depends only on adults whether their children will be able to find peace of mind or not.

The above typology of modern families does not claim to be complete and complete. The book considers only some of them, with special attention paid to the varieties of dysfunctional and atypical families, because they give rise to the bulk of social and psychological problems in our society, often have a desocializing effect on the formation of the personality of children brought up in such families.

Of course, real families - objects of study or assistance - have not one, but several features according to the selected criteria, which are not exhaustive. In this regard, the same family can be assigned to several groups at the same time and characterized on different grounds. In addition, it is difficult to establish which of the criteria are grounds for typification, and which only describe the so-called family forms, including alternatives to traditional marriage. And yet, in spite of everything, the family is always important for any person. It is to our family, whatever it may be, that we owe our birth and personal development, we are at a crossroads in front of it, choosing our own answer to the question of marital status, we consider it almost the main measure of our own independence.

However, as noted above, many young people prefer a long romance, "guest marriage" or other similar forms of free relations, not wanting to lose personal freedom and burden themselves with the bonds of legal marriage. For supporters civil marriage unions a test is offered to help them better understand their attitudes in life and their possible consequences.

Instruction. You need to carefully read the proposed questions and answer them by choosing one of the options indicated answers.

Your parents had you...

A) older child

B) an only child

C) the middle child in a large family;

D) junior.

Would you like your relationship with your partner to develop in principle the way your parents did?

A) it is best to live your own way;

B) by no means, only not this;

C) this is hardly possible, because we live in a different time;

D) yes, my parents are a worthy role model.

What qualities do you value most in a partner? (Choose one, the most preferred answer).

A) self-confidence, independence of judgment, self-sufficiency;

B) outstanding sexual virtues;

C) good character, decency, devotion;

D) the ability to understand, empathize, the ability to listen and find a common language.

Do you think that partners should share common interests, tastes and passions?

A) it’s even better the other way around - when completely different people converge;

B) not required

C) the main thing is common life values, and tastes may differ;

D) Yes, it is very desirable.

What strengths do you think your partner appreciates the most?

A) independence;

B) special virtues and skills that are manifested in the intimate sphere;

C) a bright mind, the ability to solve business and everyday problems;

D) good character.

What do you think should be a fair distribution of household responsibilities?

A) life is a boring routine, the less both partners pay attention to it, the better for their relationship;

B) everyone does what he can and what he wants;

C) it depends on specific people, you just need to come to a mutually acceptable agreement;

D) is ready to take on most of the household chores in order to give the partner the opportunity for creative, professional self-realization.

How do you feel about the prospect of having a common child?

A) not yet the time to think about it;

B) it is excluded, an extra burden is absolutely useless;

C) in principle, why not?

D) Sometimes I think that it would be great.

Have there been divorces in your family (parents, close relatives)?

A) yes, and it taught me to be on my guard;

B) parents did not dare to divorce, but it seems - in vain, they only poisoned the life of themselves and me;

C) yes, like many others - this is a common occurrence;

D) no, my parents lived their lives in a single marriage, and I don’t remember divorces from relatives.

How will a sharp deterioration in the health or financial situation of a partner affect your relationship?

A) I'm afraid that this can ruin the relationship and force you to part with him;

B) I am not going to babysit a disabled person or a loser;

C) the problems of close people are common and we will try to solve them together;

D) I consider it my duty to carry this cross, no matter how hard it is.

10. How do you feel about the romantic formula "They lived happily ever after and died on the same day"?

a) I am afraid that I am not capable of this;

b) I do not believe that this happens;

c) a wonderful ending for a fairy tale, but life bears little resemblance to a fairy tale;

d) I secretly dream that one day they would say the same about us.

Count up , what type of responses - a B C or G- you see most often. The predominance of one or another type of answers characterizes your partner attitudes.

A is an independent type. You are one of those people who are usually called self-sufficient. Above all, you value independence, independence, the right to manage your own life. And I must admit, you have enough reason for this. You are purposeful, energetic, able to achieve your goals, relying mainly on your own strength. In this regard, your self-esteem is a little overestimated, and claims are not always realistic. But it's not that bad. It is much worse when a person underestimates himself and sets small goals for himself. It doesn't threaten you.

Your strengths should also include the ability to take responsibility. And you, on the contrary, do not like to obey the waters. Do not stand it when they try to manipulate you, put pressure on you. Because of this heightened sensitivity, sometimes you see attacks on your independence even where there is no question of this.

All these qualities, valuable in their own way, can complicate relationships with others, including with the opposite sex. Establishing close, trusting, truly intimate relationships is not easy for you. The one you call a close person will be close only to a certain extent. The myth of searching for your "soul mate" makes you ironic, because without any other half you feel like a whole person. Therefore, a civil marriage with a significant degree of mutual freedom and a minimum of mutual obligations seems to you the best partnership option. Perhaps that is how it is today. But one day you may feel that you lack the intimacy, affection, even addiction that you are so avoiding today. And having accustomed your partner to the distance, it will be very difficult to reduce it. Think about it. It's easy to live for today if today suits you. But do not forget the saying: "He who does not think about the future has no future."

B - Consumer type. You are a practical person who knows how to take everything from life. And the surrounding people serve as a means for this. This does not mean that you treat them badly, cruelly, unkindly. On the contrary, you know how to get along with people if they can be of some use to you. Many consider you a sweet and likeable person, and perhaps you really are.

The bad thing is that in a relationship with a loved one, you voluntarily or involuntarily adhere to the same strategy. You can be nice, kind, even ready to make some sacrifices, but admit it - not selfishly, counting, it will pay off handsomely. As long as it pays off, you are satisfied with the partner and living together. But if a selfless sacrifice is required of you, it begins to weigh you down. You are not ready to meet halfway, not anticipating a generous return. Therefore, the partnership for you is a kind of joint venture in which you expect to receive large dividends on your contribution. In fact, this is not even a marriage, but an alliance for mutual use. In such an alliance, when a partner loses "consumer qualities" or ceases to "pay contributions", he is subject to replacement. Think about it: after all, you can experience such an attitude sooner or later for yourself.

B - Compromise type. You are a flexible, accommodating person who knows how to find a common language with almost everyone. It is likely that your relationship with your partner will develop or are already developing in a friendly and calm manner. You know how to firmly, but delicately insist on your own in matters of principle, but are not inclined to argue over trifles. You can, however, assume that your relationship is not colored by strong feelings. If you happen to part, it will happen without anguish, "intelligently", and it will not be difficult for you to find a partner who is full-fledged, in your opinion, a replacement soon. Is it because you have not yet managed to find the only, irreplaceable one? Admit it to yourself: you would really like this. But here everything depends not on a happy accident, but only on you. Maybe this person is already next to you, but you still do not realize this, carried away by considerations of common sense and reasonable expediency. Listen to your feelings. If a partner is simply better than an empty place for you, then in fact it is no better, this is an empty place. And if you understand that this place can only be occupied by him, you will soon recognize that the formalization of relations will serve you not as fetters, but as a support.

G - Dependent type. By nature, you are a conservative person, committed to centuries-old values. A civil marriage for you is a surrogate for a “real” marriage, it is either a test of yourself or a rehearsal. Deep down, you are set for a long-term strong relationship, but something is holding you back from legalizing it. In fact, you're just following the old "feelings check" formula in the spirit of the times. And how long do you think it takes? By stretching this test, you risk not so much sorting out your feelings as completely confused. Moreover, you may have got a type B partner who is satisfied with your complaisance and indecision. In this case, you run the risk of eventually becoming an object of his use, without having legal grounds to object to this. If you seriously think that at this stage of your life a civil marriage is preferable, try to decide: what is at least the duration of this stage. Otherwise, over time, the farther, the stronger you will begin to feel dissatisfaction, dissatisfaction with yourself and your partner.

If your answers are scattered randomly and no one type predominates among them, then you probably just don’t realize what you want from life and just go with the flow. It is impossible to say whether the current will take you to beautiful distances or to a musty swamp - anything can happen in life. Therefore, re-read the test questions once again. This, if it does not help you finally understand yourself, then at least it will make you think seriously, but for you it is useful.

Antonov A.I. Family: functions, structures. - M., 1993.

Vasilyeva A.K. Family structure. - M., 1988.

Interaction of specialists in working with a dysfunctional family: Method. recommend. / T.I. Shulga, L.Ya. Oliferenko. - M., 1999.

Whitaker K. Midnight Reflections of a Family Therapist. M., 1998.

Raising children in an incomplete family / Ed. N.M. Ershova. Per. from Czech. - M., 1980.

Druzhinin V.N. Family psychology. - M., 1996.

Navaitis G.A. Family in psychological counseling. - Moscow-Voronezh, 1999.

Nartova-Bochaver K.S., Nesmeyanova M.I., Malyarova N.V., Mukhortova E.A. Whose am I - mom or dad? - M., 1995.

Plotnieks IE Psychology in the family. - M., 1991.

Help parents in raising children. Per. from English. / Common ed. and foreword. V.Ya. Pilipovsky. - M., 1992.

Family through the eyes of a psychologist. - M., 1999.

Stepanov S.S. The naked truth about women. - St. Petersburg, 2002.

Tseluiko V.M. Incomplete family. - Volgograd, 2000.

Tseluiko V.M. Modern family: Information and methodological materials. - Volgograd, 1999.

Chernikov A.V. Introduction to family psychotherapy. - M., 1998.

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Introduction

1. The concept of the family, functions and structure

1.1 Definition of family

1.2 Functions of the family

1.3 Typology of family structures

2. The social essence of the family

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The family is one of the most ancient social institutions: it arose in the depths of primitive society much earlier than classes, nations and states. The social value of the family is due to its "production and reproduction" of immediate life, the upbringing of children, the formation of their individual consciousness.

In the process of historical development, the relations of the family and society, family and individual, were constantly changing under the influence of the mode of production that prevailed in a given society, the way of life and social relations. The progress of society was largely associated with the regulation of relations between men and women, with a decrease in discrimination against women in production, in the social and spiritual spheres, with a significant change in the functions of the family, the creation of conditions for improving marriage and family relations, increasing their educational potential.

The institution of the family at the present stage of human development is undergoing serious changes, and according to some researchers, a crisis. family sociology social society

Let us try to pay attention to some problems related to the family within the framework of sociology. Consider the concept, structure and functions of the family, trends in the historical change of the family, as well as the social essence of the family.

1. The concept of the family, functions and structure

The family, from whatever point of view it is considered, is such a multi-layered social formation that it is not surprising that it is mentioned in almost all sections of sociology. It combines the properties of social organization, social structure, an institute and a small group, is included in the subject of study of the sociology of education and, more broadly, socialization; sociology of education, politics and law, labor, culture, etc., allows you to better understand the processes of social control and social disorganization, social mobility, migration and demographic changes. Without turning to the family, applied research in many areas of production and consumption, mass communications is unthinkable; it is easily described in terms of social behavior, decision-making, the construction of social realities, etc.

Interest in the family, in addition to the actual meaningful study of its multifunctionality, is supported by a cognitive interest in its unique intermediary role, due to its sociocultural nature as a phenomenon that is borderline in its essence, located at the intersection of structures in any construction of society and at the border of macro- and microanalysis. The family has the ability to reduce social processes to the results of the social behavior of the microenvironment, and allows deriving global trends from empirically researched facts.

Proceeding from this, the definitions of the family should strive to combine different-quality manifestations of family universality and, above all, the definitions should combine, and not oppose each other, the signs of the family as a social institution and as a social group. By resorting to ideas about family-wide activities or family behavior, one can obtain satisfactory definitions of the family that combine the different qualities of family, marriage and kinship.

1.1 Definition of family

Family definition. There are many definitions of the family that single out various aspects of family life as family-forming relations, ranging from the simplest and extremely expansive (for example, a family is a group of people who love each other, or a group of people who have common ancestors, or live together) and ending with extensive lists of family traits. Among the definitions of the family, taking into account the criteria for population reproduction and socio-psychological integrity, the definition of the family "as a historically specific system of relationships between spouses, between parents and children, as a small group whose members are connected by marriage or family relations, common life and mutual moral responsibility and the social need for which is due to the need of society for the physical and spiritual reproduction of the population, "given by A. G. Kharchev.

The family is created by the parent-child relationship, and marriage is a legitimate recognition of those relations between a man and a woman, those forms of cohabitation or sexual partnership that are accompanied by the birth of children. For a more complete understanding of the essence of the family, one should keep in mind the spatial localization of the family - housing, house, property - and the economic basis of the family, the family-wide activities of parents and children that go beyond the narrow horizons of everyday life and consumerism.

Thus, the family is a community of people based on a single family-wide activity, connected by bonds of matrimony-parenthood-kinship, and thereby carrying out the reproduction of the population and the continuity of family generations, as well as the socialization of children and the maintenance of the existence of family members.

Only the presence of the triune relationship of matrimony-parenthood-kinship allows us to speak of the construction of the family as such in its strict form. The fact of one or two of these relationships characterizes the fragmentation of family groups that were formerly proper families (due to the maturation and separation of children, the breakup of a family due to illness, the death of its members, due to divorce and other types of family disorganization), or which have not yet become families (for example, families of newlyweds, characterized only by marriage and, due to the absence of children, do not have parenthood (paternity, motherhood) and consanguinity of children and parents, brothers and sisters).

The presence of such relationships (i.e., families in the strict sense of the word) is found in the vast majority of families in the country. On the other hand, the non-family population consists of those who are a parent but are not married, or are in de facto or legal marriage without children. For all these fragmented, "splintered" forms of the family, the term "family group" is better suited, which means a group of people who lead a joint household and are united only by kinship, or by parenthood or marriage.

Usually, a married couple is considered the "core" of a family, and all statistical classifications of family composition are built depending on the addition of children, relatives, parents of spouses to the "core". From a sociological point of view, it is more correct to take as a basis the most common type of family in the population with a trinity of named relationships - the main type of family, and those family associations that are formed by subtracting one of the three relationships, it is better to call family groups. This clarification is due to the fact that in recent years in the sociology of the family in the West and in our country, a tendency has become noticeable to reduce the essence of the family to any of the three relationships, most often to marriage, and even partnership. It is no coincidence that in the American Encyclopedia of Marriage and the Family by M. Sasmen and Susan Stenmets, a number of chapters are devoted to "alternative forms" of the family, i.e. what is more accurate to call family groups, although in fact these chapters refer to marriage, rather even to partnership or cohabitation.

1.2 Functions of the family

The vital activity of the family, directly related to the satisfaction of the needs of its members, is called the function of the family. The fulfillment by the family of its functions is important not only for its members, but also for society as a whole.

The family performs a variety of important social functions. features:

1. reproductive, i.e. biological reproduction of the population;

2. socialization of children, educational, cultural reproduction of society;

Secondary functions:

1. communication in different aspects - within the family and with the outside world,

2. regulatory - regulates the behavior of its members,

3. accumulation and transfer of property and status,

4. recreational - material and moral conditions of rest.

These functions in one form or another and volume take place in families, in each family their ratio is different. Historically, some functions die off, for example, production, other functions are strengthened. There is a gradual transition from a patriarchal family with the undeniable authority and power of the father to an egalitarian family, in which the man ceases to be the sole creator of the material base of the family. The role of the breadwinner is performed by both the woman and the man. The recreational function of the family existed both in the 19th and 20th centuries only in its infancy, since within the framework of the family not so much recreation was carried out as joint production. Now productive activity has been withdrawn mainly from the family, and the family has become the main place of recreation. In general, a change in functions, the loss of some and the emergence of others is called dysfunction. The result of family dysfunction is the emergence of new types of families. This process has always existed, but in the second half of the 20th century the change in functions occurs so rapidly that almost all functions have changed, including the reproductive function.

From the point of view of the functions of the family in sociology, problems are considered - the discrepancy between the functioning of the family and social needs: low birth rate, high divorce rate, low educational potential, etc.

1.3 Typology of family structures

Today, the predominant type of family is simple nuclear families, consisting of spouses with or without children. There are 2/3 of such families in the structure Russian Federation. The second largest place is occupied by incomplete families - one of the parents with children. There are about 15% of such families. An incomplete family can become either as a result of a divorce, or as a result of widowhood, or when a child is born to a single woman. If three generations live under one roof: a pair of ancestors (or one of them), adults, children and grandchildren, we are talking about about the extended (multi-generational) family. A combination of a complex and incomplete family is possible.

The predominance of nuclear families is the result of a rather stable and long process caused by the increase in the mobility of the population and mass urbanization, the expansion of housing construction and the emancipation of adult children from the traditional power of parental authority.

As already mentioned, a significant part of the families are incomplete families. These include families consisting of a single mother with a child (children), a divorced woman (man) with children, a widow (widower) with a child (children). Incomplete families, which, due to objective or subjective reasons, are in a difficult life situation and need the support of the state system of social protection, are classified as a group of social risk. If such families do not receive timely assistance, then they move into the category of dysfunctional families.

Of particular importance is the typology of families, which contains information about the structure of power in the family, about the predominant family functions of men and women, and about the specifics of intra-family leadership. In accordance with these criteria, the following types of families are distinguished: traditional patriarchal, traditional matriarchal, neopatriarchal, neomatriarchal and egalitarian.

In a traditional patriarchal family, the husband is its indisputable head, the dependence of the wife on the husband, and the children on the parents, is pronounced. The role of the owner, earner, breadwinner is assigned to the man. In a traditional matriarchal family, personal headship belongs to a woman. The division of family power is also realized in modern married couples. In order to prevent destructive conflicts, it is necessary that such a separation suits both spouses and contributes to the fulfillment of the family's functions. The traditional model of the family may be quite acceptable if the spouses' positions regarding the power structure are consistent. Applied to the family, the famous question of power is the question of family leadership, or more precisely, headship. The head of the family combines both the leader and the manager.

In a neopatriarchal family, the husband is the strategic and business leader, and the wife is the tactical and emotional leader. The spouse determines the long-term direction of the family, and the spouse develops short-term plans that are easily and quickly correlated with the specific actions of family members. The wife finds life support in her husband.

In the neo-matriarchal family, the opposite is true. common feature of these types of families - the joint leadership of husband and wife in the division of their spheres of influence.

The egalitarian family assumes complete and genuine equality of husband and wife in all matters of family life without exception. It is this type of family that is approved by the current legislation of the Russian Federation.

The modern family in the industrialized countries of the world has significant potential for the development of a bi-career family. This is a type of family in which the professional interests of husband and wife are equally significant, and both spouses successfully combine the values ​​of creating their own family and building a career in their chosen profession.

Another criterion for the typology of marriage and family is the number of marriage partners. In this case, monogamy is distinguished - a marriage concluded between one man and one woman, and polygamy - a marriage that includes several partners. Polygamy is divided into two variants: polygyny (polygamy) - the marriage of one man with two or more women, and polyandry (polyandry) - the marriage of several men with one woman.

The existence of polygamy can be explained from the standpoint of sociobiology, which sees in such a marriage an evolutionary genetic continuity with the mating behavior of higher primates.

Monogamy prevails in most known societies, is a socially progressive form of marriage, and has significant evolutionary material. The development of marriage took place along the line of accumulation of normative restrictions on sexual freedom, and, consequently, a decrease in the number of persons with whom an individual could have sexual relations. Classical monogamy is lifelong monogamy, a separate couple enters into marriage once and for life, binding themselves with mutual obligations.

Researchers also distinguish serial monogamy, or sequential polygamy, which suggests that at a certain period of time a man (woman) is married to one partner, but during the life of such marital unions he (she) has more than one. The prospects for this type of marriage are associated with the stability of the life strategy of remarriage in an individual.

2. The social essence of the family

Sociology studies the family as an integral attribute of the life of society, as the "family coordinate" of the social system. The efforts of society are aimed at maintaining their own existence in constantly changing living conditions, incl. influenced by human activity.

The existence of a social system has two sides: the existence of social relationships, social structure, together with the bearers of social statuses, people, and reproduction, re-creation social networks and structures, as well as the people themselves as individuals, the numerical replacement of some generations by others, which allows filling places in the hierarchical organization in connection with the retirement or physical death of status and role bearers. With ??? m nothing is said about the reproduction of people as individuals - a person as a system of social, psychological and physiological qualities is unique, therefore, irreproducible. Why in sociology and demography they talk about the reproduction of the population (generations), and not about the "reproduction" of people. In the event that the essence of the personality???has moved towards the instrumental personification of status and functioning as a performer of social roles, then there would be no mention of any social changes, there would be no history - the repetition of the past would triumph, copying of what has already been created.

Since the change of generations is accompanied by the socialization of the individual, the formation, "making" of the human I, primarily in the family, changes in behavior, lifestyle, in the performance of old roles and changes associated with the innovations of the structures themselves are observed. Thus, the reproduction of the population is characterized by the birth of individuals, the quantitative replacement of holders of statuses and roles. The reproduction of the population creates the demographic environment of society, while the social processes leading to the formation and functioning of individuals not only maintain existing structures and institutions, but also change them. These changes in society in turn affect demographic processes, as a result of which the mode of population reproduction may turn out to be less or more favorable. The same applies to the family processes of socialization and maintenance of children.

The foregoing makes it possible to understand by no means the passive significance of the institution of the family. The family is not doomed to exclusively adapt to changing historical conditions, to the way of life and the social order. The family occupies a key position among social institutions in terms of its existential essence - to maintain the existence of family members and, by birth, to socialize children. The family will be such an evolutionary invention of mankind, which harmoniously combines its own existence with the extension of the family clan, surname, and thereby provides other social institutions with status-role performers, contributing to their survival and the existence of society as a whole. The intermediary significance of the family acquires another dimension - through the existence and continuity of family generations, the reproduction of the population in society, the reproduction of labor resources and bearers of social roles is achieved.

Based on all of the above, we come to the conclusion that the social necessity in the family will be a condition for the functioning of the entire social structure, society itself.

Conclusion

The family is a complex social phenomenon in which diverse forms of social relations and processes are intertwined and which has numerous social functions. It is difficult to find another social group in which so many diverse human and social needs would be satisfied. It is such a social group in which the basic processes of human life unfold and which is so connected with the life of each individual that it leaves an imprint on his entire development. Therefore, the family is the social group that a person most easily identifies with himself, with his interests and in general with his existence. All this leads to the fact that in relation to the family it is not at all so easy to undertake an objective scientific study. As the American sociologist W. Good noted, “we know too much about the family to investigate it objectively.”

So, the family as a cell of society is an inseparable part of society. And the life of society is characterized by the same spiritual and material processes as the life of a family. The higher the culture of the family, therefore, the higher the culture of the whole society. Society consists of people who are fathers and mothers in their families, as well as their children. In this regard, the roles of father and mother in the family, and in particular the educational function of the family, are very important. After all, how parents teach their children to work, respect for elders, love for the environment and people, depends on what kind of society our children will live in. Will it be a society built on the principles of goodness and justice, or vice versa? In this case, family communication is very important. After all, communication is one of the main factors in the formation of the personality of a child, a member of society. And therefore, in family communication, moral principles are very important, the main of which is respect for the other.

The consequences of bad communication in the family can be conflicts and divorces, which cause great social harm to society. The fewer divorces in families, the healthier the society.

Thus, society directly depends on the health of the family, just as the health of the family depends on society.

The family helps to reveal the creative potential of the individual, contributes to its creative self-realization. It does not allow a person to forget about values ​​of a different kind. And it is natural that “in general, people who are married are happier than those who are not married (not married), divorced or single as a result of the death of one of the spouses.”

Marriage, from the point of view of the social reproduction of society and its moral purity, is the most ingenious invention of mankind. According to Christian morality, true love begins only in marriage, where the individual is completely liberated and trusted in another.

The family is an integral unit of society, and it is impossible to reduce its importance. Not a single nation, not a single civilized society could do without a family. The foreseeable future of society is also not conceivable without a family. For every person, the family is the beginning of the beginning. Almost every person associates the concept of happiness, first of all, with the family: happy is the one who is happy in his home e. The family is both the result and, to an even greater extent, the creator of civilization.

The family is the most important source of social and economic development of society. It produces the main social wealth - man.

List of used literature

1. Antonov A.I., Medkov V.M. Sociology of the family. - M., 2010.

2. Markovich D. "General Sociology", R-on-Don, 2012.

3. Osipov G.V., Kovalenko Yu.P. "Sociology", M., 2012.

4. Radugin A.A., Radugin K.A. Sociology. - M., 2014.

5. Family: 500 questions and answers / Ed.-comp. L.V. Proshina. - M., 2010.

6. Toshchenko Zh.T. Sociology. - M., 2013.

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