MODULE 1

SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH FAMILIES

Definition of Family

Family is a group of person united by ties of marriage, blood or adoption constituting a

single household interacting and intercommunicating which each other in their respective
social roles of husband and wife, father and mother, son and daughter, brother and sister,
creating a common culture

Burgess and Locke

Family is the most important primary group in society. It is the simplest and the most
elementary form of society. It is the most basic of all social groupings. It is the first social
institution which a child is exposed.

Family is the basic institution in a community. It is the primary group in which members are
born, brought up, formed, trained and socialized to play various roles and functions in
society. Hence, it is important that the family maintains its well-being. However, there are
many problems and issues that affect a family. These problems are multifaceted in nature.
The problem or progress of one person affects others in the family. It also presupposes that
the causes of these problems could be located within the family and handling of such
problems also will involve other members of the family. That is why family is treated as a
system and any intervention in family must have this perspective i.e system perspective.

Characteristics of Family:

1. Family is a Universal group. It is found in some form or the other, in all types of societies
whether primitive or modern.

2. A family is based on marriage, which results in a mating relationship between two adults
of opposite sex.

3. Every family provides an individual with a name, and hence, it is a source of

nomenclature.

4. Family is the group through which descent or ancestry can be traced.

5. Family is the most important group in any individual’s life.

6. Family is the most basic and important group in primary socialization of an individual.

7. A family is generally limited in size, even large, joint and extended families.

8. The family is the most important group in society; it is the nucleus of all institu tions,
organizations and groups.

9. Family is based on emotions and sentiments. Mating, procreation, maternal and fraternal
devotion, love and affection are the basis of family ties.

10. The family is a unit of emotional and economic cooperation.

11. Each member of family shares duties and responsibilities.

12. Every family is made up of husband and wife, and/or one or more children, both natural
and adopted.

13. Each family is made up of different social roles, like those of husband, wife, mother,
father, children, brothers or sisters.

Functions of Family:

As a social group and as an important social institution, family performs various functions
that are as follows:

1. Family is a unit through which procreation takes place. Marriage sanctions sexual
relationships, and it also establishes a family, which is further reinforced with the birth of
children.

2. The process of reproduction is institutionalized, regulated and controlled in a family. The

family legitimizes the act of reproduction.

3. Family helps in propagation of human species and perpetuation of human race.

4. Family provides an individual with an identity.

5. It is through the family that every family name is carried on from one generation to
another.
6. Family is responsible for the production and upbringing of children.

7. Family is an important agent of socialization. The primary socialization of any individual

takes place within the family. The immediate family members teach all the basic rules and
norms of social life to a child.

8. Family is also an important agent of cultural transmission. Culture is transmitted from one
generation to another through family. All the aspects of culture are learnt within the family
structure.

9. Family is a great source of strength, emotional and psychological, for its members. All the
members are aware that they can depend upon their family in the times of need.

10. Family provides an individual with a home, and establishes enduring social relationships.

11. The family is the basis of division of labour, where all members have their duties and
obligations towards each other.

12. A family fulfills the economic needs of its members. This function has undergone
transformation, with families moving from being production and consumption units in earlier
times, to becoming more of consuming units rather than a producing one. Now-a-days,
members of a family no longer produce things themselves; rather, they go out and work for
some monetary remuneration or wages.

13. Family is traditionally responsible for the education of the children.

14. Family also has a recreational function. Earlier, most recreation was family- based.
Family gatherings during festivals, functions, family reunions, marriages, brought entire
families together. Now-a-days, taking family members out on holidays or for movies, plays,
dinners, or parties, etc., perform the same function.

Types of the Family

The family is the most important primary group in a society. It is the simplest and the most
elementary form of society. The family as an institution is universal. It is the most permanent
and the most pervasive of all social institutions. Sociologists have spoken of different forms
or types of family. Differrent sociologists have different ways to type the family.
1. Based on Birth:

● Family of Orientation:The family in which an individual is born is his family of

orientation.
● Family of Procreation:The family where an individual sets up after his/her marriage is
his/her family of procreation.

The family of orientation and procreation may live together under the same roof, but can still
be distinguished.

2. Based on Marriage:

● Monogamous Family: This family consists of one husband and wife, including
children and is based on monogamous marriages.
● Polygynous Family: A family consisting of one husband, and more than one wife, and
all the children born to all the wives or adopted by each of them. This type of family
has its basis in the polygynous form of marriage.
● Polyandrous Family: A family made up of one wife and more than one husband, and
the children, either born or adopted with each one of them. This family is based on
polyandrous marriage.

3. Based on Residence:

● Family of Matrilocal Residence: When a couple stays in the wife’s

house, the family is known as family of matrilocal residence.
● Family of Patrilocal Residence:When a family stays in the house of
husband, the family is known as family of patrilocal residence.
● Family of Changing Residence:When a family stays in the
husband’s house for some time, and moves to wife’s house, stays
there for a period of time, and then moves back to husband’s
parents, or starts living in another place, the family is called a
family of changing residence.

4. Based on Ancestry or Descent:

● Matrilineal Family:When ancestry or descent is traced through the
female line, or through the mother’s side, the family is called
matrilineal family.
 ● Patrilineal Family:A family in which the authority is carried down
the male line, and descent is traced through the male line or the
father’s side, is called a patrilineal family.

5. Based on Authority:
● Matriarchal Family: Matriarchal families are generally found in
matrilineal societies. In these families, a woman is the head of the
family, and authority is vested in her. Succession of property is
through the female line, i.e., only daughters inherit the property.

After marriage, the husband resides in the wife’s house and

descent is traced through the mother’s side. Here, children are
brought up in mother’s house. Thus, in matriarchal societies, the
matrilocal system exists. Matriarchal families are found only in
matrilineal societies, which are very limited in number all over the
world. They are found in parts of Latin America, Ceylon, parts of
Africa and India (the Khasis and the Garos).

● Patriarchal Family: Patriarchal families are commonly found in all

parts of the world, since most societies in the world are patrilineal
societies. In patriarchal families, the head of the family is a male,
and authority is vested in him. Descent and property is passed
through the male line and children are brought up in father’s
house. Such families are patrilocal in nature.

6. Based on the Nature of Relations:

● Conjugal Family: The conjugal family is made up of adults among
whom there is a sexual relationship. It refers to a family system of
spouses and their dependent children. The emphasis is placed on
the marital relationship that exists between spouses. In modern
times, the term ‘conjugal family’ is being used for partners, who
have a long- term sexual relationship, but are not actually married.
● Consanguine Family: A consanguine family is made up of members
among whom a blood relation exists, or those who are
consanguineal kin, i.e., a family consisting of parent(s) and
children, or siblings (brothers, sisters, or brothers and sisters).

7. Based on state or structure:

● Nuclear Family:A nuclear family is a small group consisting of a

husband, a wife and children, natural or adopted. It is more or less
an autonomous unit that is not under the control of adults or elders
of the family. It consists of two generations only. In all modern
societies, nuclear family is the most common type of family. In fact,
nuclear family is both the consequence as well as the cause of the
disintegration of joint family.
 ● Joint Family: A joint family consists of three generation, living
together under the same roof, sharing the same kitchen and purse
or economic expenses. It is a family consisting of three nuclear
families living together. According to Iravati Karve, a joint family is
‘a group of people, who generally live under the same roof, who eat
food cooked at one hearth, who hold property in common, and who
participate in common family worship and are related to each other
as some particular type of kindered.’

Changing Trend in Families in India

• Single Parent Families

Single parent families are comprised of a parent/caregiver and one or more dependent
children without the presence and support of a spouse or adult partner who is sharing the
responsibility of parenting. A single parent is someone who is unmarried, widowed, or
divorced and not remarried. The single-parent household can be headed by a mother or a
father.

• Divorced Parent with Children

Divorce is a legal separation and dissolving of a marriage. Depending on the custodial

rights granted to parents in the court order, one parent is the custodial parent and the other
is the noncustodial parent. These titles affect the rights and responsibilities of each parent,
such as who receives and who pays child support among other things. The custodial
parent is responsible for fulfilling the child’s basic needs.

• Separation

Separation, in law, means mutual agreement by a husband and a wife to discontinue

living together. A legal separation does not dissolve the marriage contract but merely
adjusts the couple’s obligations under it in light of their desire to live separately.
Practically, however, separation is often a prelude to divorce. Such agreements usually
contain provisions on the care and support of children.
• Both Parent Working Families

Families in which both parents are working or employed are called both parents working
families. More families are achieving this status as more women are now employed.
 • Caretaker Families

Families in which the day-to-day activities are looked after by a caregiver are called
caregiver families. Some family caregivers give minimal assistance while others provide
full-time assistance and care particularly to families with older people. The terms family
caregiver refer to an unpaid family member, friend, or neighbour who provides care to an
individual who has an acute or chronic condition and needs assistance to manage a variety
of tasks.

Family social work

Family social work is an approach for working with at-risk families. It includes many
programs such as in-home family support, imparting parenting skills, family preservation
skills. It also serves as a basis for learning more advanced skills required for healthy
family functioning.

The objectives of Family social work are:

1. Reinforce family strengths to prepare families for long-term change (or intervention)
2. Create concrete changes in family functioning to sustain effective and satisfying daily
routines independent of formal helpers
3. Provide additional support following family therapies so families will maintain
effective family functioning
4. Build relationships between families and their environmental supports to ensure that
basic needs of members are being met
5. Address the crisis needs of the family so they can effectively address more
longstanding issues
Historical dvelopment of family social work in india

The history of social work with families can be traced back to the 19 th century in Great
Britain and the United States. Up until the mid to late nineteenth century, matters of hardship
and poverty were primarily resolved by the church and communities. However, after the Civil
War in the United States, poverty and social dislocation became more widespread and
concentrated. Similar to the British charity system, the first Charity Organisation Society
(COS) established in the United States was in Buffalo in 1877. In the following fifteen years,
another ninety-one such societies were established throughout the United States and Canada.
The origins of family social work start from the COS because it was the first time that
'workers' from outside a person's familial or immediate social network attempted to establish
a task-oriented relationship with such persons and their families. They were called "friendly
visitors" and these individuals would identify poor families who needed assistance.
Mary Richmond has a profound impact on the development of social work, particularly work
with families. She advocated a practice in which a thorough understanding of the individual
could only occur when a person was seen in the context of the familial, social and cultural
systems in which s/he lived. In 1917, Richmond published Social Diagnosis, which was the
first text on social casework in which she mentions about family social work.

Basic assumptions

1. Home-based support for families

Family social work should be conducted at the home of the family. Home visits allow the
family social worker to identify the emotional climate of the family, its expressions and
the psychosocial status of the family. Compared to office-based assessments, home visits
give accurate and complete evaluation of the family environment.
2. Family centred Philosophy

A central belief of family social work is that treatment (intervention/solution for problem)
begins from family. The problem of the family can be anything from conflict between
parents, delinquent youth, problems between parent and child etc. A family based
intervention will address wider problems than the presented problem.
3. Crisis Intervention

A crisis is a period of stress and confusion. The family social worker provides crisis
intervention during stressful family events. The presence of a family social worker can
reduce risk for vulnerable family members till healthy family functioning and individual
safety have been restored. During a crisis, the worker’s intervention with the family
focuses on problem solving and decision making and the goal is to solve the crisis and
help the family develop adaptive coping skills.
4. Teachability of families

Family social workers often work with family members to increase skills that are integral
to family harmony. Social workers teach families necessary skills such as
• Parenting and child management techniques
• To deal with emotions such as anger, stress and hurt
• Teaching parents to track changes in child’s behaviour
• Development of social skills for parents and children

5. Ecological Approach

Families live in relationship with their larger environment. Social barriers sometimes
prevent families from reaching their potential. Even healthy families if living in
oppressive, stressful and unsupportive environment show symptoms of strain. Family
social workers work with families in their neighbourhoods and communities to expand
the material and social support for families. The families are understood in the social
context in which they live.
6. The family as a special group form

The family is the primary social group in which members share close and personal
relationships with each other that lasts over a long period of time. The family exerts
tremendous influence over its members in terms of behaviour, beliefs, communication
styles, cultural transmission and social skills. The family is also a natural group. As a
child grows, the number of groups (in which the person is a member) also expands.