Familism is the term used to describe a societal norm for family members to prioritize family interests over individual preferences. Its norms capture the rights and obligations that individual family members have in relation to kin and involve family solidarity and integration. Familism has been formally studied since the 1940s. It was originally framed as a cultural deficit, but current evidence suggests that familism is a cultural strength for both collectivist and individualist peoples. This entry reviews the familism construct, four types of familism, historical and contemporary research on familism, and the controversies that have characterized research on this topic. At the end of this entry, current and future directions in the study of familism are described.