Final answer:
Blended families, dual families, and matricentric/matrifocused families represent various non-traditional family structures. Blended families are those where divorced or widowed individuals with children remarry, while extended families include multiple generations living together. Matricentric families are centered on the mother figure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Blended families, dual families, and matricentric/matrifocused families are regarded as examples of non-traditional family structures. Blended families consist of members from more than one origin point, such as when divorced or widowed individuals with children marry, creating a new family unit that includes stepchildren and sometimes children from the new marriage. These families can face unique challenges, including different parenting styles and the blending of different family traditions.
Extended families, on the other hand, typically involve multiple generations or units living together or functioning as a single household. This can include grandparents, aunts, uncles, and multiple nuclear families. These families are often associated with agricultural societies and are prevalent around the world, seen during times of economic transition in the United States. In such families, all adults contribute to the household, providing a robust support system.
The term matricentric or matrifocused families refers to families centered around the mother figure, which can include single-parent households led by the mother or families where the maternal role is particularly pronounced.
Overall, the understanding of what constitutes a family is evolving, with increasing diversity in family forms recognized in society. This includes the families mentioned as well as others structured around cohabitation, same-sex partnerships, or even those with fictive kin.