WHAT IS A FAMILY? CONSIDERATIONS ON PURPOSE, BIOLOGY, AND SOCIALITY

Abstract

In this article, I examine and analyze paradigmatic conceptions of the family that are based upon a number of assumed primary purposes that the family serves for its members. In doing so, I argue that existing paradigmatic conceptions of the family do not capture the unique primary purpose of the family. I then suggest that a reconceptualization of the family is necessary to move away from inadequate paradigmatic conceptions and toward a more robust conception of the family. The approach taken in this article requires an examination into the way(s) the family has been defined descriptively—specifically, how families have been defined historically—as a means to determine what a normative theory of the family might look like. The goal of this inquiry is to define the family in normative terms, which consequently moves the definition of the family to a new conceptual landscape. Last, I present my own account of familial relations that aims to capture a normative understanding of the unique primary purpose of the family.