The family is perceived as a micro social group within a macro social context—a "collection of individuals with shared history who interact within ever-changing social contexts across ever increasing time and space" (Bengtson and Allen 1993, p. 470).
ðə fˈæmɪli ɪz pɚsˈiːvd æz ɐ mˈaɪkɹoʊ sˈoʊʃəl ɡɹˈuːp wɪðˌɪn ɐ mˈækɹoʊ sˈoʊʃəl kˈɑːntɛkst—ˈeɪ "kəlˈɛkʃən ʌv ˌɪndᵻvˈɪdʒuːəlz wɪð ʃˈɛɹd hˈɪstɚɹi hˌuː ˌɪntɚɹˈækt wɪðˌɪn ˈɛvɚtʃˈeɪndʒɪŋ sˈoʊʃəl kˈɑːntɛksts əkɹˌɑːs ˈɛvɚɹ ɪŋkɹˈiːsɪŋ tˈaɪm ænd spˈeɪs" bˈɛŋtsən ænd ˈælən nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti θɹˈiː, pˈiː. fˈoːɹhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti.