Family values, sometimes referred to asfamilial values, aretraditional or culturalvalues that pertain to thefamily's structure, function, roles, beliefs, attitudes, and ideals. Additionally, the concept of family values may be understood as a reflection of the degree to which familial relationships are valued within an individual's life.

In the social sciences and U.S. political discourse, the conventional termtraditional family describes thenuclear family—a child-rearing environment composed of aleading father, ahomemaking mother, and their nominally biologicalchildren. A family deviating from this model is considered anontraditional family.

Several online dictionaries define "family values" as the following:

• "themoral andethical principles traditionally upheld and passed on within a family, as fidelity, honesty, truth, and faith."^[1]
• "values especially of a traditional orconservative kind which are held to promote the sound functioning of the family and to strengthen the fabric of society."^[2]
• "values held to be traditionally taught or reinforced within a family, such as those of high moral standards and discipline."^[3]

Familialism orfamilism is theideology that puts priority onfamily and family values.^[4] Familialism advocates for a welfare system where families, rather than thegovernment, take responsibility for the care of their members.^[4]

In the United States, the banner of "family values" has been used bythe US political right to express opposition toabortion,pornography, non-abstinence sex education,divorce, LGBTQ validity,same-sex marriage,feminism, gender diversity,secularism, andatheism. American conservative groups have made successful inroads promoting these policies inAfrica since the early 2000s, describing them as African family values.^[5]

The phrasefamily values originated with the 1992 Republican National Convention, for their "Family Values Night", featuringBarbara Bush as the keynote speaker. In the short term the phrase was widely panned, and at the time the staying power of the idea was underestimated.^[6]

Interpretations ofIslamic learnings andArab culture are common for the majority ofSaudis. Islam is a driving cultural force that dictates a submission to the will ofAllah.^[7] The academic literature suggests that the family is regarded as the main foundation of Muslim society and culture; the family structure and nature of the relationship between family members are influenced by the Islamic religion.^[8] Marriage in Saudi culture means the union of two families, not just two individuals.^[9] In Muslim society, marriage involves a social contract that occurs with the consent ofparents or guardians. Furthermore, marriage is considered the only legitimate outlet forsexual desires, andsex outside marriage (zina) is a crime that is punished under Islamic law.^[10]

The Saudi family includes extended families, as theextended family provides the individual with a sense ofidentity. The father is often thebreadwinner and protector of the family, whereas the mother is often thehomemaker and the primary caretaker of the children.^[11] Parents are regarded with high respect, and children are strongly encouraged to respect and obey their parents.^[12] Often, families provide care for elders. Until recently, because families and friends are expected to provideelderly care,nursing homes were considered culturally unacceptable.^[13]

In sociological terms, nontraditional families make up the majority of American households.^[14] As of 2014, only 46% of children in the U.S. live in a traditional family, down from 61% in 1980.^[15] This number includes only families with parents who are in their first marriage, whereas the percentage of children simply living with two married parents is 65% as of 2016.^[16]

These groups are associated with "family values". Many of them are also listed as hate groups by theSouthern Poverty Law Center as a result of theiranti-LGBT activism.

• American Family Association^[17]
• Family Research Council^[18]
• Family Research Institute^[19]
• Focus on the Family^{[citation needed]}
• Traditional Values Coalition^[20]
• World Congress of Families^[21]

• Bennett, William J. (ed.) (1997).The Book of Virtues for Young People: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories (illustrated, reprint). Simon and Schuster.ISBN 978-0-689-81613-0.
• Bork, Robert H. (2010).Slouching towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline (revised edition). HarperCollins.ISBN 978-0-06-203091-7.
• Coontz, Stephanie (1992).The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap (illustrated, reprinted ed.). Basic Books.ISBN 978-0-465-09097-6.
• Coontz, Stephanie (2008).The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms with America's Changing Families. Basic Books.ISBN 978-0-7867-2556-4.
• Coontz, Stephanie (ed.) (2013).American Families: A Multicultural Reader (2nd edition, revised). Routledge.ISBN 978-1-135-77691-6.
• Coontz, Stephanie (2006).Marriage, A History: From Obedience to Intimacy, or How Love Conquered Marriage. Penguin.ISBN 978-1-101-11825-2.
• Gairdner, William Douglas (2007).The War Against the Family: A Parent Speaks Out on the Political, Economic, and Social Policies That Threaten Us All. BPS Books.ISBN 978-0-9784402-1-3.
• Good, Deirdre (2006).Jesus' Family Values. Church Publishing Inc.ISBN 978-1-59627-163-0.
• Shapiro, Ben (2005).Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism is Corrupting Our Future.Regnery.ISBN 978-1-59698-686-2.
• Stacey, Judith (1996).In the Name of the Family: Rethinking Family Values in the Postmodern Age (reprint). Beacon Press.ISBN 978-0-8070-0433-3.