Question

Kathy has one son, Mitchell. Six years after her divorce, Kathy marries Dan. Dan has never been married before and has no children. Kathy, Mitchell, and Dan make up what kind of family?

a) Extended family
b) Blended family
c) Nuclear family
d) Single-parent family

Answer 1

Kathy, Mitchell, and Dan form a blended family, as it includes members from more than one origin point with Kathy's son from a prior marriage and Dan as a stepparent.

Step-by-step explanation:

Kathy, Mitchell, and Dan make up a blended family. This is because a blended family includes members with more than one origin point. In this case, Kathy has a son from a previous marriage, and upon marrying Dan, she brings Mitchell into a new family dynamic with a stepparent who has no biological children of his own.

The concept of a nuclear family comprises of one or two parents and their immediate offspring, which is not the case here since Mitchell is the biological child of only one member of the new marital union. Extended families involve multiple family units or generations living together, which does not apply to Kathy, Mitchell, and Dan's situation.

Historically, what constitutes a 'family' has evolved, and television has played a role in reflecting this diversity in family structures, going beyond the traditional nuclear family model. Blended families have become more common, especially in societies that practice serial monogamy.