Family is regarded as the basic unit of society. It consists of a father, mother, grandparents and children all living together under one roof. Family forms an essential part of our life. It is the first institution of the children and thus inculcates the moral values in them so that they may grow up to become good citizens of the society. There is the existence of several types of families in the society like Joint family, Nuclear family, single-parent family, etc. Every type of family has its own merits and demerits.
1) A nuclear family is one which consists of a mother, father and their children.
2) Nuclear family is a small family, also referred to as a conjugal or elementary family.
3) The concept of the nuclear family originated from England in 13th century.
4) A nuclear family consists of only two generations.
5) The trend of nuclear families gained popularity in the 20th century.
6) In a nuclear family, all the members are free to make their own decisions.
7) Privacy of members is well protected in this type of family.
8) However, children are deprived of the love of their grandparents.
9) Nuclear families are free from unnecessary quarrels and disagreements.
10) Urbanization and modernization are the main causes of increase in nuclear families.
These days the concept of the nuclear family is rising in society and so I have elaborated a long essay on the merits and demerits of the nuclear family. I hope that it might be an aid to students of all classes i.e. 1-12th in writing an essay, assignment, and project on this topic.
Introduction
We cannot imagine our life without our families. It is the one that makes us feel secure, helps us in making decisions during difficulties and celebrates our joy and festivals. Many of us might be a part of extended families while many of us would belong to nuclear families. India is a nation where a joint family system has been common but nowadays it is being replaced by the concept of the nuclear family in most of the urban areas. We will be discussing below the concept of the nuclear family, its rising trend in India and its advantages and disadvantages.
What is meant by a Nuclear Family?
The nuclear family is stated as a small family that consists of father, mother, and children. It is also called an elementary family or conjugal family. The number of people in the nuclear family is very less as compared to the number of members of a joint family. The children after marriage leave their families and settle with their wife and children. In other words, a married couple with their biological children or adopted children lives together as a small family called a nuclear family.
In a nuclear family, mother and father are only the head of the family. These families do not have any elder members like that of extended families. Thus the married couples are free to make decisions according to their own will. They live an independent life with any number of children.
Concept of Nuclear Family
The concept of the nuclear family is considered to have originated in the 13th century in England. This concept emerged in England after proto-industrialization. There was no concept of extended families having people of many generations living together. They adopted the concept of shifting into single families after marriage.
However, the term and trend of the nuclear family became popular in the 20th century. This family structure trend became more popular in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. Later the trend of nuclear families started decreasing in America and people shifted to other types of family structures.
The Reason for calling it a “Nuclear Family”
The term nuclear family came into existence in the 20th century. Some sources state that the term originated in 1924 and 1925. This age was termed as the atomic age and thus the term nuclear has its connection with the noun ‘Nucleus’. The term nucleus means the core or center of something. Therefore, in the same context, a nuclear family means a family whose all members are part of one common core. This gives it the name nuclear family.
The Framework of the Nuclear Families
Nuclear family, unlike joint families, consists of members of two generations i.e. the one in which they are born and the second in which they marry. The other generation is not possible until and unless they marry their children in some other families. The nuclear family is basically formed of two types of nuclear families to exist in one single family.
Rising of the Concept of Nuclear Family in India
A nuclear family is a very simple structured family that consists of a small number of people as compared to the Joint family. The term family when discussed in India it commonly refers to the Traditional or Joint family. The joint family has been a part of Indian culture and tradition from ancient times. Nowadays, the trend of nuclear families is rising in the urban areas of India.
This is happening at a fast pace in the cities. The children do not want to live under the supervision of their elders after their marriage. They want to live an independent life with full privacy and without any type of disturbance. The factors like modernization and urbanization are promoting the people to practice the concept of nuclear families in the cities rather than being a part of traditional families.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Family
There are several types of family structures prevalent in society and the nuclear family is one among them. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear family enlisted below:
Advantages
Disadvantages
Nuclear Family v/s Joint Family
A joint family is one that consists of people up to three generations living together under the same roof while a nuclear family in contrast is small and simple with very only mother, father and children. There is the existence of mainly two types of family structures in India namely joint and nuclear families. The joint family also referred to as the traditional family has been in existence since ancient times in India. Earlier the people in India were confined to the villages and they were involved in the occupation of agriculture. Thus, they preferred to live together and the male members of the family were involved in the same family business. The concept of the nuclear family is however not a new concept but the structure of this kind of family was more prevalent in the western culture. It has become common in India at present because of modernization and changes in the lifestyle of people.
Is Nuclear Family A Perfect Family?
Every type of family structure present in society has its own benefits and drawbacks. Some of us desire to be a part of a nuclear family while others are a joint family and alternatives. It is wrong to say that the nuclear family is a perfect family. It depends upon the individual what he or she desires. There are conflicts, love, problems, etc in every type of family. It is we the members of the family who make the atmosphere of the family a peaceful and loving one.
According to me, both joint and nuclear families are good structures of families in society. I have always been a part of a nuclear family so I have a habit to dwell in the nuclear family but I had always felt the absence of my grandparents and other relatives too. The enjoyment of any type of celebration or festival in joint families is very interesting rather than the nuclear families. Therefore, being a part of the nuclear family I always have missed the warmth and love of a joint family. We can be part of nuclear families but remain in touch with our other family members and develop the habit of visiting our grandparents at a fixed interval of time.
Conclusion
The type of family that we desire to have is our individual choice. The nuclear family trend is rising but the importance of joint families is always felt. The love and care of different members in the joint family is really amazing. Moreover, the presence of grandparents in the joint families is a boon for the children as they teach them good values and morals. Children are also very close to their grandparents because of the love and affection they receive from them.
I hope this information would be helpful for you to know about the merits and demerits of Nuclear Family in a very convenient way.
Ans. The word nuclear family came into existence in the thirteenth century.
Ans. The word family has been derived from the Latin word ‘Famulus’ that means servant.
Ans. The term ‘Nuclear family’ was coined by George P. Murdock, an anthropologist.
Ans. The love between the family members is stated as Storge(empathy bond).
Ans. Argentina is a country in the world that has the prevalent concept of nuclear families.
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