The document discusses the characteristics of families, particularly Asian families. It notes that Asian families are typically hierarchical, with males and older individuals having higher status. The role of females is seen as less important than males, with their role being to adhere to their husband's family and perform domestic duties. The male role is to provide for the family, with their primary duty being to their parents as a son. The document also classifies families based on lineage (patrilineal vs matrilineal), residence (patrilocal vs matrilocal vs neolocal), and authority (patriarchal vs matriarchal vs equalitarian).