Do you think traditional two-parent, nuclear family is the BEST family type for fulfilling the functions of the family?
A nuclear family constitutes of a father, mother, and children living in a household, and it is considered the ‘typical’ family structure. However, perceptions and ideas about the various family types keep changing as the social landscape varies. Every family structure has its pros and cons. The concept of the nuclear family is surrounded by extensive controversy and ambiguity, and the debates are mostly centered on three key questions. First, is the nuclear family the only family structure that can perform the vital functions of the family unit or are the other family patterns (single parents or same-sex families) workable units that can sufficiently fulfill these functions? Secondly, is the nuclear family a universal structure that is found in all human societies? Finally, what are the links that exist between the nuclear family unit and the industrial society? In the old days, did children and their parents live under the same roof with their grandparents and other relatives? Why did the nuclear family break away from the extended family system?
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Since the early twentieth century, there has been extensive debate regarding the necessity and universality of the nuclear family. According to anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski, the nuclear family is universal because it fulfills the biological need for protecting and caring for young children and infants. He asserted that the survival of any culture is dependent on the birth of children being linked to both the father and mother in a legally based parenthood. George P. Murdock further emphasized the essentiality and universality of the nuclear family claiming that this family structure exists as a strongly functional and distinct functional group in all societies. According to the post-WWII era sociologist, Talcott Parsons, the nuclear unit is essential in the fulfillment of the emotional needs of children and adults in this impersonal and competitive world. Scholars argue that political, social, and economic changes have resulted in changes in family life, resulting in a “closed domesticated nuclear family” characterized by strong emotional attachments and domestic privacy among the members. The idea of the nuclear family is deeply rooted in Western culture (ValueOptions, 2019) . However, the family ideal held by a given culture is not essentially a clear depiction of the social realities of the family structure. For instance, the notion of the nuclear family remains the most preferred despite the fact that the proportion of the nuclear family units is continually declining.
In any given place and time, family systems are increasingly being varied from what is considered to be the ‘ideal’ family structure (e.g. the blended family, the two-job family, and the empty nest couple that has grown children). I personally feel that the nuclear family is not the best family type for fulfilling the functions of the family. An extended family environment provides a richer experience of upbringing and socialization in terms of finance, security, nurturing, and education. Reflecting on research by various scholars, it is evident that sociologists consider the nuclear family structure as being ideal because it offers an environment that upholds the moral and traditional values of family life and marriage. However, I think that that fact that evolution within species is a way of bettering and improving, then the evolution of the society to diversify the family unit is an improvement that the society needs to better itself. The nuclear family seems ideal because of the old-fashioned traditional values. Modern statistics show that society can thrive in the absence of a nuclear family system and so it is no longer vital when it comes to the achievement of a functioning society.
Briefly describe the history of African American family, Arabs and White Europeans. Discuss family types, marriage forms, etc. i.e., monogamy, polygamy, exogamy, endogamy, homogamy, patrilineal, matrilineal, bilineal, patrilocal, matrilocal, neolocal, patriarchy, matriarchy, egalitarianism, kinship systems, consanguine relatives, conjugal relatives, etc.
Every family system has had its fair share of ups and downs. The American family system has seen booms and busts for the longest time now especially due to the cultural and racial ( African American family, Arabs and White Europeans ) diversification observed. A report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows that the economic downturn in 2008 resulted in a drop in the birth and marriage rates to an all-time low. This drop was after the birth of 4.3 million babies in 2007 (which was the highest number ever). The family institution in the U.S. has been undergoing a slow but steady evolution since the nation was founded.
In the 1700s, the family structure in the U.S. was mainly egalitarian, where both the husband, wife, and their children worked in the farms and maintained agrarian productivity ( Coontz, 1992) . During the industrial revolution, workers began migrating to the urban areas, and for the first time, they separated work from home. Wages started rising, children started being considered as economic burdens instead of contributors, and the idea of the man being the breadwinner rose. The Great Depression in the 1930s resulted in a sharp drop in the birth rate, which then rose with the onset of WWII. The post-war prosperity period saw the baby-boom generation with stay-at-home moms and nine-to-five fathers. However, the feminist movement in the ‘60s-‘70s resulted in a rise in the number of women at the workplace, and it led to a rise in dual-income but absent-parent families (Douglas & Michaels, 2004) .
The nuclear family today has been largely annihilated. There are several gay couples that adopt children, single-parent households, women having either delayed childbirth or fewer children and the concept of the modern family being widespread. Recessions still remain the consistent determinants of the American family size with very common instances of interracial marriages and families (ValueOptions, 2019) . I am a perfect example of this kind of family structure, having come from Middle Eastern (Arab) and German (White European) family heritage.
Compare and contrast these theories; family ecology theory, structural functionalism, conflict theory, feminist theory, social exchange theory, symbolic interactionism.
There are several theories that seek to explain the sociology of family and describe the manner in which humans interact. The Family Ecology Theory aims at explaining the behavioral interaction between human beings and their environment. It argues that the environment in which human life is bound to affect their behavior and interaction with other humans (Bronfenbrenner, 2005) . The theory argues that humans change with the environment to allow for an amicable relationship between the two. The Family Ecology Theory focuses on an individual being a separate entity from the environment and other human beings. On the other hand, the Structural Functionalism Theory considers the society (human beings and their environment) as a combined entity where everyone has a responsibility to facilitate continuity. The Conflict Theory is often contrasted with the theory is structural-functionalism. This theory argues that society is not a complex system that strives for equilibrium. Rather, it is comprised of individuals who are in competition with each other. This theory brings out the limitations of structural-functionalism, a theory that argues that society is always striving for equilibrium at the expense of facilitating social change. The conflict approach argues that society is in constant conflict over resources.
On the other hand, the Social Exchange Theory considers society as a system comprised of unequal groups, and this consistently results in change and conflicts. The Feminist Theory is drawn from the concept of social conflict, and it is a perspective that brings out the inequality that exists in society and seeks to achieve equality for both sexes. In contrast to all these rather broad approaches towards society, the theory of Symbolic Interactionism seeks to understand the relationship between human beings and their society. This theory argues that humans have an explanation for all their actions, and it seeks to uncover these reasons.
References
Bronfenbrenner, U. (2005). Making human beings human . Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. (From “soc103 chp 2 theories.ppt,” Slide 2).
Coontz, S. (1992). The way we never were . (From “soc103 chp 3 history ethnic families.ppt,” Slide 20).
Douglas, S., & Michaels, M. (2004). The mommy myth . New York: Free Press. (From “soc103 chp 3 history ethnic families.ppt,” Slide 23).
ValueOptions. (2019). The Traditional Generation. Retrieved from http://www.valueoptions.com/spotlight_YIW/traditional.htm (From “GENERATIONAL_DIVERSITY.ppt,” Slide 9).
