Family and Its Role in the Community

Subject: Sociology
Pages: 2
Words: 402
Reading time:
2 min

A family is a basic social unit or a group made up of parents and children. The unit may be a single-parent family consisting of one adult parent with a child or children or a traditional family made up of parents and children. They may be living together or separately. There are several conceptual frameworks used in family assessment.

For instance, the family-centered service (FCS) is widely used in service delivery for families and children due to the fact that it encompasses a set of integrated ideas, psychiatric services, attitudes, and values that are clinically applicable. Community-based services used to promote health for families in Miami Dade entail counseling for adoptive families, early childhood mental health services, family therapy programs, school-based counseling for children, support services, and outpatient counseling. The availability of adequate nursing skills such as adolescent care, bedside monitoring, and administration of medicine, among others, creates a better and more effective healthcare workforce that can meet various healthcare needs of a whole family.

According to Lundy and Janes, a family may be described as a basic social unit or a group that comprises parents and children. The entity may entail a single-parent family unit comprising of an adult and children or a conventional family comprising of parents and children. They could be residing in one location or in different spots. On the other hand, Berns defines a family as members of a group affiliated by affinity, consanguinity, and nurturing kinship. He classifies a family into a number of categories, namely a single-family, matrifocal, extended, avuncular, or conjugal. The latter is also referred to as a nuclear family.

Families play diverse and significant roles in the development of society. For example, a family unit ensures that the health concerns of its members are well taken care of. One of the roles includes providing education for children. In addition, it is crucial to mention that community development is one of the most important aspects of society because it empowers family members, creates important links with relevant entities, and identifies an effective assessment model that facilitates a family’s general development. A general consensus is evident among scholars and authors on interlinks generated by community development. The latter creates a strong platform for identifying key problems, and evaluating and using the best available alternatives in addressing emerging challenges in society.