The Modern Nuclear Family: Headed for a Meltdown?
Upper Iowa University
February 17, 2012
The Modern Nuclear Family
What is a nuclear family? A nuclear family generally consists of a father, mother and their children, either adopted or biological. The nuclear family historically has been the basic unit of the larger family structure and is where the basic family values such as love, tolerance and coexistence are learned.
The major characteristic of nuclear families is the monogamous relationship between the mother and the father. The mother and father are married and live together in the same household. The effects of industrialization on the monogamous relationship are quite tangible. Whereas couples used to get married, live together, and have children, now many couples do not get married but cohabitate or live together rather than getting married. Another change is that many times people now have children out of wedlock and these children grow up in single parent homes. Another change is that some have refrained from even having children as “childlessness among married couples has been increasing in recent years” (Tischler, 2011, pg. 278).
In a nuclear family, the mother and father are solely responsible for running and supporting the household. Historically, the most common are the patriarchal families where the man works outside the home and controls and supports the household. However, some households are matriarchal where the mother does. With industrialism there is a dramatic change of more and more women in the workforce. “Nearly 72 million women had paying jobs in 2006, representing more than a 200% increase in 50 years. (Tischler, 2011, pg. 279). In addition, not only are more women in the workforce, but there has also been a rise in the number of men that stay home and tend to the children.
Whereas people used to have large families, American households have noticeably decreased in size. According to...
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