household
all people who occupy a living unit

• family
• nonfamily

family
household in which at least two people are related

What are some changes in the "typical" American family?

nuclear family
two adults of opposite sex living in a socially approved relationship with their own or adopted children

extended family
the nuclear family plus other relatives, such as the parents of the husband or wife

FAMILY LIFE CYCLE
the idea that families move through a series of stages in a developmental fashion

Stages in the traditional family lifecycle:

young/single==>young/married==>married/children==>empty nester

Each stage presents people with different problems to solve.

Each stage presents the marketer with different opportunities.

How typical is this traditional family life cycle?

Recall the notion of the Buying Center or Decision Making Unit:

• Users
• Influencers
• Deciders
• Buyers
• Gatekeepers

What are some similarities in the roles of these constituents in organizational decision making and in household and family decision making?