Family of Procreation

Abstract The term “family of procreation” is loosely used to refer to a family unit created by two or more people. The concept is juxtaposed to “family of origin,” which refers to the families from which individuals originate. The family of procreation will form unique family values and dynamics. When the family of procreation is narrowed down to the format of a nuclear family, multigenerational factors contributing to stress as well as resilience will filter down to this family form. Socioeconomic factors such as poverty, as well as cultural and ethnic values, can shift from one generation to the next and become more or less pronounced within the family of procreation. The intergenerational continuity of a family system can contribute toward the shelter that an individual or a newly formed couple may seek and experience while embarking on the creation of his/her or their own family of procreation.