Final answer:
The U.S. Census Bureau defines a family as a group of two or more individuals related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together. This definition, however, is quite rigid and does not encompass the full diversity of family structures recognized by societal views, which often include children as a deciding factor for classification as a family.
Step-by-step explanation:
The United States Census Bureau defines a family in a specific way.
According to the Census Bureau, a family is "a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together".
This definition is used to track family-related patterns consistently over the years but does not account for the diversity of family structures such as cohabitating unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples.
In contrast to the government's definition, societal perspectives on what constitutes a family are more inclusive.
Surveys show that many people consider various arrangements as families, especially when children are involved. It is essential to understand that while traditional notions of family, such as the nuclear family, remain dominant, the actual composition of families in the U.S. is varied and continues to evolve.