Nuclear and Extended

From Merriam-Webster (Retrieved January 2018):

Nuclear Family : a family group that consists only of parents and children

Extended Family :a family that includes in one household near relatives (such as grandparents, aunts, or uncles) in addition to a nuclear family

These are the two common definitions we hear about family structure. Considering these family units are a good way to organize yourself as you think about your ancestors. Think about each family as a cluster of people whose time in history they would have experienced together. These family clusters often create their own interactions that help tell a family’s story. Often a brother or sister would help raise a sibling’s child. An unmarried sister listed in a census with her siblings can disclose a maiden name. Long before social services, family clusters were the support networks during times of death, disease, mental health issues, or unemployment. While this can still be true today, with other supports and educational resources to lean on, the close-knit family and extended family communities are not as ubiquitous as they once were.

The family unit still is a defining way we live in society, but the definition of what family was and is, is continually shifting. The typical family of 1900 or 1850 is not the typical family of 2018. Larger environmental contexts and cultural beliefs continue to shape and guide how we define this very personal word. It is important to consider what beliefs about family your ancestors may have held – better understanding their perspective brings you closer to knowing what it would be like to know them.