Functional relationships in the nuclear and extended family: A 16-culture study

This study investigated the relationship between culture, structural aspect s of the nuclear and extended family, and functional aspects of the family, that is, emotional distance, social interaction, and communication, as wel l as geographical proximity. The focus was on the functional aspects of fam ily, defined as members of the nuclear family (mother, father, and their ch ildren) and the extended family (grandmother/grandfather, aunt/uncle, cousi ns). Sixteen cultures participated in this study, with a total number of 25 87 participants. The first hypothesis, that the pattern of scores on the ps ychological measures and the behavioral outcomes are similar across culture s, an indication of cultural universality, was supported. The second hypoth esis, that functional relations between members of the nuclear family and t heir kin are maintained in high-affluent and low-affluent cultures, and tha t differences in functional relationships in high- and low-affluent culture s are a matter of degree, was also supported by the findings. The results s uggest that it is less meaningful in cross-cultural family studies to ask q uestions about the structure of the family, than to ask about the functiona l relationships between members of the nuclear family and their kin. In loo king only at the nuclear family, one focuses only on those residing in the household, but ignores those important members of the extended family who m ay reside nearby and their significant relationships with the members of th e nuclear family.