The household is the basic unit of analysis in many microeconomic and government models. Microeconomics is a branch of Economics that studies how individuals households and firms and some states make decisions to allocate limited resources typically in markets For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. The term refers to all individuals who live in the same dwelling. "Habitation" redirects here For Habitation at Port-Royal see Habitation at Port-Royal.

Most economic models do not address whether the members of a household are a family in the traditional sense. An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area Family denotes a group of People affiliated by consanguinity affinity or co-residence Government and policy discussions often treat the terms household and family as synonymous, especially in western societies where the nuclear family has become the most common family structure. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings The term nuclear family developed in the Western world to distinguish the Family group consisting of parents most commonly a Father and Mother In reality, there is not always a one-to-one relationship between households and families.

Government definitions

For statistical purposes in the United Kingdom, a household is defined as "one person or a group of people who have the accommodation as their only or main residence and for a group, either share at least one meal a day or share the living accommodation, that is, a living room or sitting room" National Statistics. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For the coarsely ground flour see Flour. A meal is an instance of Eating, specifically one that takes place at a specific time and includes A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge (in the United Kingdom and Australia) is a room for entertaining

The United States Census definition similarly turns on "separate living quarters", i. The United States Census is a decennial Census mandated by the United States Constitution. e. "those in which the occupants live and eat separately from any other persons in the building" [1]. A householder in the U. S. census is the "person (or one of the people) in whose name the housing unit is owned or rented (maintained);" if no person qualifies, any adult resident of a housing unit is a householder. The U. S. government formerly used the term head of the household and head of the family to describe householders; beginning in 1980, these terms were officially dropped from the census and replaced with householder. ^[1]

The official definition from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/meta/long_71061.htm is clearer:

"A household includes all the persons who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms, or a single room that is occupied (or if vacant, is intended for occupancy) as separate living quarters. Separate living quarters are those in which the occupants live and eat separately from any other persons in the building and which have direct access from the outside of the building or through a common hall. The occupants may be a single family, one person living alone, two or more families living together, or any other group of related or unrelated persons who share living arrangements. (People not living in households are classified as living in group quarters. )"

Economic theories

Most economic theories assume there is only one income stream to a household; this a useful simplification for modeling, but does not necessarily reflect reality. Income, refers to consumption opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame which is generally expressed in monetary terms Many households now include multiple income-earning members.

Historical households

In feudal or aristocratic societies, a household may include servants or retainers, whether or not they are explicitly so named. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations A domestic worker, domestic, servingman, servingwoman, or servant is one who works and often also lives within the employer's household Their roles may blur the line between a family member and an employee. In such cases, they ultimately derive their income from the household's principal income.

References

1. ^ U.S. Census: Current Population Survey - Definitions and Explanations

See also

• Household income in the United States
• household consumption expenditures
• household final consumption expenditure
• Medieval household
• Royal Household, the institutions that run the monarchy