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The founction of nuclear family
The rise of the nuclear family
The Nuclear Family And Its Problems
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The term “nuclear family” refers to “the part of a family that includes only the father, mother, and children” (Miriam-Webster, n.d.). In comparison, William Bennett, author of “Reversing The Moral Collapse of the American Family, The Broken Hearth” defined the nuclear family as “a monogamous married couple with their children” (2001, p. 12). I agree with both definitions, but choosing Bennett’s definition as the key to rebuilding a troubled society. To begin, the philosophical reason of why the two-parent nuclear family is best for society, Bennett credits research stating children raised in two-parent families tend to have better outcomes in being “…physically, emotionally, psychologically, educationally, and financially” stable (2001,
p. 15). Haskins (2015) author of “The Family Is Here to Stay—or Not” reports drastic, negative changes occurring since 1970, such as “the rapid decline in marriage rates for most but not all demographic groups and, due in part to the decline in marriage rates, the rapid increase in nonmarital births” (Haskins, 2015, p. 131). Biblically, a two-parent family was God’s way of structuring a society. In Genesis 1:25, it reads that “man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh” (New International Version). Then, God instructed “them” to “Be fruitful and increase in number…” (New International Version). In Matthew 19, Jesus explains the role of the male and female being created for marriage, as well as his hatred of divorce. Next, Bennett agrees with Sar Levitan, economist and coauthor of “What’s Happening to the American Family?” (1980) about the crisis the family is in and how it will ultimately affect the quality of life as well as the public (Bennett, 2001, p. 16). The United Nations (UN) outlined the importance on protecting the family in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights document by proclaiming, “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State (Article 16; section 3)” (UN.org, 1948). Child Trends (2015), a nonprofit national research organization, reports that “Children living with two married adults (biological or adoptive parents) have, in general, better health, greater access to health care, and fewer emotional or behavioral problems than children living in other types of families” (p. 2). Children are vital in any community because they are the future of humanity. But to be clear about it, their family environment dictates how their roles will shape civilization.
Census Bureau, the definition of family consists of two or more individuals related by blood, marriage, or adoption living in the same home. The authors define family as a social group whose members are bound together with legal, emotional, or biological ties, or any combination of the three. The definition of the U.S. Census Bureau seems a little outdated and confined. This definition seems to more define nuclear families and not those who break the norms. Many relationships are long distance, same-sex, or practice cohabitation. This definition leaves out many contemporary families, similar to the ones just discussed. This is the exact reason that the authors prefer their definition over the U.S. Census Bureaus. The textbook definition is more open-minded to contemporary and nuclear families the same.
One definition is “a significant social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children.” While such definition is a good starting point, some modern family structures are excluded by such definition. In her essay, “Family: Idea, Institution, and Controversy,” Betty Farrell apparently assumes that the traditional family has dramatically changed, and the dynamics of change—altered the definition of a “family.” A family is no longer a picture of a particular image of the mythic past, referring to the golden days of the “1950s.” It is no longer a father, mother and their biological children living together under one roof (and certainly not with the a breadwinner father and a stay-at-home mother). In today 's modern society, it is now common to see women raising their children by themselves without their husbands’ help; unmarried couples living together; and gay and lesbian couples—while far from being universally accepted—adopting and raising children to complete their families. Therefore, despite the children living in one-parent households, or they do not live with their “married-heterosexual-biological-parents” under the same roof—does not necessarily mean they are not families. Farrell states that “a family is defined not so much by a particular set of people as by the quality of relationships that bind them together.” In other words, Farrell believes that a “family” is more than just a collection
Nuclear Family. Noun. A couple and their dependent children, regarded as a basic social unit (Abate and Jewell, The New Oxford American Dictionary). This definition has changed in both meaning and prevalence over time; it used to signify just a father, a mother, and their children, but now it’s become more inclusive to families who didn 't quite meet that description. Also, this set-up is far less common that it was, since rates of single parents have skyrocketed over the past 50 years (Tenenbaum, “Honor Thy Mother”). Despite this, the nuclear family is still the basic foundation of all familial relationships today. The novel Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns is based on the lives (and deaths) of each member of a nuclear
In his 1943 work, “Sex Roles in the American Kinship System,” Talcott Parsons addresses his beliefs that the individual gendered roles in the nuclear family are essential to creating a functioning family dynamic. During this time period, the United States was in between wars and working to recover from the Great Depression. These significant events greatly shaped society not only at the time, but for future generations as well. It is almost impossible for a theorist of this time, such as Parsons, not to be influenced by such drastic social conditions and changes.
“In the 1950’s, 86 percent of children lived in two-parent families, and 60 percent of children were born into homes with a male breadwinner and a female homemaker” (Conley 451). In contrast, “in 1986, fewer than 10 percent of U.S. families consisted of a male breadwinner, a female housewife, and their children, a figure that has since fallen to 6 percent” (Conley 455). Modern families come in all shapes and sizes. They no longer follow the strict nuclear family layout. There are many reasons why the nuclear family is no longer the most common family type. Some of these reasons include increased divorces, increased acceptance of different sexual orientations, increased amount of couples choosing not to get married/common-law marriages, increased amount of people choosing not to have children (rise of birth control methods), increased amount of families with both parents working/needing to work, etc. Personally, I do not believe the decrease in the nuclear family model is a bad thing. By definition a family is just a group of people who are related or married/in a relationship and it can still be a healthy and well-functioning unit no matter the size or combination of people it is made up
Over the past decades, the patterns of family structure have changed dramatically in the United States. The typical nuclear family, two married parents with children living together in one household, is no longer the structure of the majority of the families today. The percentage of single-parent families, step-families and adopted families has increased significantly over the years. The nuclear family is a thing of the past. Family situations have tremendous influence upon a child’s academic achievement, behavior and social growth.
Family structure and stability have constantly evolved and been researched in aspects of sociology. Following World War II, the family ideology in the 1950’s was brought to the attention of Talcott Parsons and Robert Bales (1955) whom demonstrated how transitioning from an agricultural society to that of an industrialization one played an important role in altering family life and structure. Parsons and Bales further expressed how gender role specialization was vital in the continuous of family solidarity. The “instrumental” male father role as the leader of the family responsible for providing the income and support as the “expressive” role which is that of the female mother delivers her contribution to the family through house work and nurture
The nuclear family. The idea of a completely perfect family consisting of a man, a woman, a girl and a boy. This idea was most popular in the 1950's to the 196...
Over the years, research has shown that children tremendously benefit when raised in an intact family by both parents. Such children are always less likely to opt for divorce in future as adults. According to research most people who always result to divorce as the first option lacked role model parents as they were growing up. Most adult always view their adult lives as an extension of their parents lives and hence if their parents had a happy intact marriage they will always look forward to have the same (Ackerman, & Kane, 2005). Unfortunately those who grew up with their parents having separated also hope to have successful marriages but when challenges kick in, they are mostly inclined to divorce as the
The slightest dysfunction in a family structure can be detrimental to a child’s development. Children often act out and take part in delinquent activities. In order to increase a child’s chance to succeed in life, they must be raised in a stable environment involving two parents. This helps them to feel included in the family and will help build their confidence and independence later in life.
The family discussed in this paper is a traditional nuclear family. The family composition of this nuclear family unit consists of a mother (MD) age 28 and father (KD) age 26 in a monogamous marriage with four children (DD, MD, ED, and BD), whose ages are 7, 6, 5 and 18 months respectively, two dogs and a cat. The father and the mother are the children’s biological parents. Both father and mother act as the family’s head and decision makers.
Are two parent household or one parent household better? Even though each person has a different opinion of which parent household is better for me two parent household is better and I am going to prove why? Today I 'm going to prove why two parent household are better than one. Some people believe that one parent household is better because recently there are more single parents than two recently. But what they don’t know is that one parent household struggle more in providing a child’s need than a two parent household. Knowing that each person has a different aspect to which parent households is better to live in. Still one parent household can be difficult for the children to live
Which behalf is the best side, the single parent versus the traditional family? A traditional family is defined or described as two parents working together to solve anything that goes on in their house. The advantage of a traditional family is that they are going to have a more stable income that will buy them a reasonable house or an apartment. “The traditional families have two parents, the mom and the dad, jointly raising kids with help and advice from each other” (Magnier). An accustomed family also expresses their feelings towards one another and has respect among others in their home. A dysfunctional family is usually described as conflicted adults living on their own. Although a dysfunctional family may sound inadequate, it is quite reputable. “ Single parenting is already becoming a rapidly growing trend in the society” (Magnier). Single parents are very common in the US. Statistics say that one out of every two children in the US will live in a single parent household at one point before they reach their adult age. “The situations of single parents vary greatly: it may be that you are divorced, widowed or never married” (all-about-motherhood.com/advantages). Being a single parent states that an individual is strong enough to carry the parts of two roles in a house. Single parents are a good influence on their children and any other individuals because they can take care of their financial problems, have greater control over their kids, and the children tend to have greater independence when living with a single parent.
In a nuclear family, one has two parents who work together to produce one unit. The nuclear family is the traditional type of family structure. This family structure consists of two parents and children. “The most prevalent type of family structure in which children in the United States are raised today is the traditional one, in which both biological parents are present in the home and married. But in the past 30–40 years, it has become increasingly common for children to experience alternative family structures, such as living with the mother with no father present, the mother and a stepfather, and
What does the term “American Family” connote? When referred to as “traditional”, it pertains to the idea of the nuclear family structure, with a family that consists of married, heterosexual, usually Caucasian, parents, and their children, who all live together under the same roof. In comparison, the idea of the “modern family” encompasses a greater range of lifestyles, such as LGBT and interracial relationships, and the term is reflective of the increasing divorce rate, as well as the increase in children born out of wedlock. In 2016, the modern family is more prevalent in America than ever before, and this has prompted some to ask if the American family is in decline. As a child raised in a modern family, I do not believe that the American family is in decline, instead, I believe that the rise of the modern family is a result of a shift in the desires and needs of American culture.