| Abstract: | The study of de facto families has been neglected, despite the fact that they occur all round the world under various names and among individuals of all social strata. This paper analyses these atypical families in terms of their appearing to be stable social systems with consciously selected partners. Thirteen motives of individual and social provenance are found to be involved in their establishment. Although the older families are preponderantly a result of societal stress, modern atypical families in most cases are a mode expression. |
