(i) Economic institutions, political institutions and changes related with culture definitely affect the membership of family, residence pattern of family members and even the mode of interaction between family members and due to migrations. All aspects of family, its economic position, political situation and cultural pattern also go under changes.

(ii) In fact no other social institution appears more universal and unchanging as we find family.

(iii) Sociology and social anthropology have over many decades conducted field research across cultures to show how the institutions of family, marriage and kinship are important in all societies and yet their character is different in different societies. They have also shown how the family (the private sphere) is linked to the economic, political, cultural, educational (the public) spheres.

(iv) Due to economic change in the field of industries our joint family system has been disappearing and unclear families are taking their place in urban areas particularly and in rural areas generally.

(v) The family, the household, its structure and norms are closely linked to the rest of society and an interesting example is that of the unintended consequences of the German Unification.

(vi) During the post unification period 1990s Germany witnessed a rapid decline in marriage because the new German state withdrew all the protection and welfare schemes which were provided to the families prior to the Unification. 

(vii) With growing sense of insecurity people responded by refusing to marry.

(viii) Family is thus a subject to change and transformation due to macro-economic processes but the direction of change need not always be similar for all countries and regions. Moreover, change does not mean the complete erosion of previous norms and structure. Change and continuity co-exist.

(ix) Cultural change like language script, literature, music, dance, style, religion, etc. change the membership of family, residence pattern and even the mode of interaction among the members of family. If the members of the family love more individualism and personal liberty. The joint form of the family as well as traditional type of discipline day by day disappears from the family. Income of the family, profession of the family, duty hours of the family, politics of the country or new progressive laws and acts definitely affect the pattern of family and even position of the family. The migration of members of the family to foreign countries affects the total membership of the family. The area of residence changes even the mode of interaction changes as people who had gone outside the country interact with the other members of the family on telephone or internet or send. e-mail etc.