Lane, Spencer and McCready (2012) found that the classic extended family was most commonly found among which communities?

• A. Large urban centers
• B. Rural villages
• C. Middle-class suburbs
• D. Small communities of Travellers (Gypsies)

Answer: (D)

The pattern being tested is how family organization varies by community, showing that the classic extended family—where multiple generations and kin live and work together—is most characteristic of Traveller communities. In small communities of Travellers (Gypsies), kinship ties are central to daily life, with grandparents, parents, and children often sharing households and relying on a wide network of relatives for support, childcare, and economic activity. This cultural and economic setup sustains extended, multi-generational living as a norm.

In other settings, the trend is different. Large urban centers tend to foster nuclear families because of housing costs, mobility, and urban lifestyles. Middle-class suburbs emphasize privacy and individualism, again supporting smaller, separate households. Rural villages have strong kin networks too, but the distinctive pattern of a widespread extended family living closely together is less pronounced than among Traveller communities.