AN EXPLORATION OF PERCEPTIONS OF ALTERNATIVE FAMILY STRUCTURES AMONG UNIVERSITY-STUDENTS

A study teas conducted with 462 university students to ascertain their perceptions of ''family.'' Participants were asked whether or not each of 16 scenarios represented a ''family.'' Results showed that all respondents considered the traditional nuclear unit as a family, and the majority perceived marital status and parental status to be important features when defining a family. Moreover, although respondents considered many of the examples presented to them as families, they tended to exclude cohabiting couples without children, same-gender partners, and certain extended groups. Females were more likely than males to consider the scenarios as families.