Family and homeThe word family derives from the Latin familia which means home. This seems appropriate since both seem synonymous. In the dictionary the definition of family is a group of individuals living under the same roof and usually under a single head or a group of people of common descent. Family units are defined as those who live under the same roof and make up a family or a social unit made up of those who live together in the same house. The definitions are also very similar, yet in our modern world they have come to mean two very different things. As time evolves, so does the clarity of what constitutes a family and the function of the family and the nuclear family. “Families are influenced by and, in turn, influence the values ​​and structure of the society in which they are inserted” (Haviland 2002). : 245). This statement says a lot about what families are and why they differ so much from one culture to another. They meet the needs of each particular group. In America the "family" has changed radically in recent decades, just as the country itself has changed. In the 1950s and 1960s, the roles of each family member were more distinct and defined. The mother and father were a married couple who were together. The mother did not work outside the home, except in extreme circumstances or cases. She took care of the children and the house. The father was the “bread winner” and did very little work around the house. Today, most families have both parents working or are single-parent families or families divided by divorce. Changes in what comprises our families have also evolved to include families with gay parents; having two mothers or two fathers or combined families resulting from new marriages with stepparents and siblings. In these families their function is to raise independent children who will grow up to be better than the generation that preceded them. And in many cases they also function as mutual emotional and monetary support; helping each other achieve their independence goals. In many other cultures their definition of family is very different from that of Americans. In most of these cultures the family plays a more important role, that of survival. These family groups usually represent… the center of the card… value along with the irrelevant. Our families provide us with the tools necessary to survive and transition our people from one generation to the next. I learned that the definitions of family and household are broad and diverse and that knowing one does not mean knowing another. What constitutes one of these two things concerns the culture and society in which we live. But it also made me realize that no matter how divergent our families and nuclear families, they all seem to satisfy the same basic need for survival. . We just do it in different ways. So no matter where you live or who you live with, you are still learning to live and that's what we all have in common. Works Cited Abrams, I. R., & Bishop, J. (Producers). (1994). “Family and home”, Faces of culture [video cassette]. Fountain Valley: Coast Community College District.Haviland, William A. (2002) Cultural Anthropology. Fourth value: HarcourtCollege Publishers.