The Decline Of The Nuclear Family - 932 Words

Assignment 5: The Decline of the Nuclear Family In college classes, the traditional nuclear family is defined as a family consisting of one or both parents and their dependent children in a single family unit without any extended relatives (Kendall, 2013). Some sociological perspectives suggest that any departure from what is known as the â€Å"traditional,† or nuclear, family indicates a social problem, while others maintain that the definition of family has simply evolved beyond the nuclear family. Some even suggest that the social constructs of marriage and the traditional nuclear family actually undermine the notion of community ties by discouraging any kind of extended family inclusion (Gerstel, 2011). According to Kendall, the concept of the traditional family is rooted in kinship, which encompasses anyone with ancestral or legal ties to the individual (2013). Interestingly, this definition of the traditional family also includes extended family who live both in and out of the home. However, the concept of the nuclear family does not include this extended family. Prior to industrialization, families relied on this family for survival in many ways. Extended family members have reduced familial strain by assisting with harvesting, child care, and other items essential to survival. While industrialization reduced the need for reliance on extended family members in some nations, others continue to rely and thrive on a bigger support system (Kendall, 2013). With risingShow MoreRelatedThe Decline Of The Nuclear Family1084 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Decline of the Nuclear Family† In 1970, 40% of couples were married with children. 2013 marked a new low as only 19% of household were married with children. A nuclear family is usually described as a heterosexual marriage with the average of 2.5 children, became synonymous with the American dream philosophy in the mid-1940s. The nuclear family standard is rapidly on the decline in the United States. These declining number have a range of causes. The causes of the decline of the nuclear familyRead MoreExamining the View that the Traditional Nuclear Family is in Decline1344 Words   |  6 Pagesthe View that the Traditional Nuclear Family is in Decline When evaluating the view that the traditional nuclear family (of two opposite sex married parents living in a household that contains only them and their own dependant children), is in decline, I will be taking various pieces of research and evidence from Sociologists, Journalists and other sources, into consideration in order to try to determine how true this view is. The nuclear family would appear to be foundRead MoreThe Decline Of The Family941 Words   |  4 PagesThe Declining Family Throughout human history individuals around the world, of various ethnic, racial, cultural backgrounds have linked together to form what people call today families. A lot of questions come to mind when contemplating the complex relationship people have. Since families have a direct bearing on society now and on future generations it is essential to take seriously what is happening to the family. Is the American family in decline, and if so what should be done about it? â€Å"TraditionallyRead MoreEssay about sociology and the family1732 Words   |  7 Pagesvariety of family and household types. You will be required to reference your work throughout and produce a correct and current bibliography to demonstrate that you have used different sources to obtain your information. Sociology and the Family The Nuclear Family generally consists of a Mother, a Father and at least 1 child, this image of a family is thought to of come about at the time of the Industrial Revolution. (Willmott and Young) believe that an increase in the Nuclear Family was theRead MoreThe Family As A Social Institution1569 Words   |  7 PagesMalak AL-Raee Dr. Anaheed AL-Hardan Soan 201 March 23, 2017 Families in Lebanon Families vary from time to time and from one culture to the next. However, the family as a social institution exists in all cultures. In general, a family can be defined as any group of people who live together and are emotionally bonded, related by blood, marriage, or adoption. Furthermore, there are many variations in the family from one generation to the other, and this is what happened in Lebanon. LebanonRead MoreHow The Family Is Problematic From The Historical Perspective1606 Words   |  7 PagesExplain and discuss why the definition of the family is problematic from the historical perspective. The family form I am going to be defining is the nuclear and with reference to the historical perspective I will attempt to explain why this definition is problematic. Within this discussion I will also explore whether the nuclear family is a natural family form or whether it is a socially constructed one. According to Munice et al (1995; 10) the nuclear family is a â€Å"small unit produced from the conjugalRead MoreThe Nuclear Family Essay1347 Words   |  6 Pages The Diminishing Nuclear Family Hadar Mustafa Jun29, 2015 Introduction More often than not, stable and functional families serve as a prerequisite to a good society. Hence, the society’s support system for families must be flexible because needs and goals of families vary over time (Loveless, 2007). However, nuclear families face many challenges because parenting, child-rearing, and other economic responsibilities had to be done by two adults only (Bowden Smith, 2010). In thisRead MoreAssess sociological explanations of the nature and extent of family diversity today850 Words   |  4 Pagesexplanations of the nature and extent of family diversity today. (24 marks) In todays society, there are various alternatives from the typical family type. The top examples of these are lone-parent, cohabitation and reconstituted. But there are also some others such as same sex couples, single parent and multi-cultural families. There has been a decrease in the number of nuclear families in the UK and an increase in various other families such as single parent families. But the raise in single parentRead MoreSociology - Part Of Childbearing Essay1637 Words   |  7 Pagesthis kind of relationship is that there is less stigma related to sex outside of marriage nowadays than what there was in 1989 where only 44% of people agreed that premarital sex is not wrong at all and so because of this decline in stigma and secularisation, which is the decline of religious influence, more cohabiting couples will be having sex outside of marriage and therefore producing children. As well as this, there has been a feminisation of the workforce and due to this happening wom en mayRead MoreMarried with Children: The Evolution of the Nuclear Family1396 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"binuclear family† once said, â€Å"Pessimists say that the family is eroding. Optimists say the family is diversifying. Both points of view are right. Families are more diverse and they are more in trouble-but not because of their diversity. The families of today-whatever their size or shape-are in crisis because our economy is failing, our national resources are shrinking, and our governmental policies to support them are inadequate.† This quote gives a perspective of several reasons for the decline of the