Behaviour scientists,particularly family sociologists have utilized the concept of family life cycle(FLC) to classify family units into significant groupings. These groupings have particular relevance to marketing strategies.
STAGES OF THE FAMILY LIFE CYCLE
The family life cycle is conceptualized as a progression of stages through which most families pass,starting with bachelorhood, moving on to marriage (and creating of the basic family unit),to family growth (with the birth if children),to family contraction (as grown children leave the household),and ending with the dissolution of the basic family unit(due to the death of one spouse).
Research have identified nine distinct of life cycle stages (Murphy and Staples,1979). Namely:
1) Bachelor stage: young single people
2) Young married: Couple with no children.
3) Full nest I: Young married couple with children.
4) Single parents: Young or middle aged people with dependent children or child.
5) Divorced and alone: Without dependent children.
6) Middle aged married: Middle aged married couple without children.
7) Full nest II: Middle aged married couple with dependent children.
8) Empty nest: Older married couple with no children living with them.
9) Older single; Single people still work or retired.
