This module

• introduces the family as a basic component of society
• offers examples of the variety of families
• illustrates how the nature of the family is determined by social and economic pressures and how these change over time
• explores the functions of the family
• discusses the effects of dysfunctional families
• looks at marital status and how it is related to standardised mortality ratios
• details the different kinds of households that the elderly live in
• concludes that families can be viewed as a microcosm of society