Abstract
This article discusses contributions from the social and human sciences on the topic of family and kinship, considering the appropriation of the family as central to public health policies, particularly the Family Health Strategy. Contributions from classical anthropological, sociological, and historical research on the origins, social role, functions, and transformations of the family over time are presented, and include approaches related to family, gender, social class, and other contemporary issues. Specific analyses related to Brazil and the patriarchal family, among other aspects, are discussed along with current demographic data, concluding with comments on the need to expand reflections on the family in the training and guidelines provided to health professionals to strengthen the implementation of public policies.
family; kinship; social sciences and humanities; Family Health Strategy