CHAPTER II: FAMILY STRUCTURE

Family is the most basic form of social living, and it is also a basic unit of social structure. Since the reform and opening up, the majority of Chinese families have been nuclear families, but numbers are diminishing due to the diversification of family types. Empty-nest families, DINK (dual income, no kids) families, single-parent and separated families, and floating families without permanent homes are examples of these distinct, growing family types. Within the family, the husband and wife have equal rights and the relationships across generations are independent. The economic functions of families are gradually recovering and being reinforced, while the importance of the reproductive function is being reduced and pressure on the dependency function has doubled.