Final answer:
In the Dominican Republic, the central family unit often extends beyond the nuclear family to include a broader kinship system. Matrifocal arrangements are common, where the mother and her children form the core unit, and other relatives and fictive kin play a significant role in the family structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of the family unit varies across different cultures and societies. In the Dominican Republic, as in many Latin American countries, there is a strong emphasis on extended family structures, which often transcend the nuclear family model commonly seen in Western societies. Historically, these family units may revolve around a matrifocal setup where the mother and her children form the central unit, especially in situations where paternity is not emphasized, or in cases where economic or social structures lead to the absence of the father figure.
The 'nuclear family' that includes a married couple with their children is a common depiction in many cultures, but it does not comprehensively represent the various family structures that exist. In the Dominican Republic, it is not uncommon to find households where grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and even godparents who are considered fictive kin, play a significant role in daily family life. These affinal and consanguine ties highlight the importance of the broad kinship system over the stereotypical nuclear family.