Transformations of the Family - Essay Example

If these alterations are taking (or have taken) place, then the concept of family may come to have an unpredictable impact upon society. An improved understanding of this potential modification will require a comparison of traditional families to contemporary arrangements, as well as the consideration of theories on the subject.

Traditional Families
Many concepts of the family find their roots in creation theories. In the Judeo-Christian-dominated west, the story of Adam and Eve is likely to be a contributor to the concept of the nuclear family. A nuclear family consists of a mother and father (typically married) as well as their children. The entire family would live in the same place of residence as a single social element. The nuclear family was recognized as a strong economic unit during the rise of the Industrial Revolution and it came to gain popularity during that period, though it did not reach its apex of commonality until the mid 20th century. Away from home employment duties in this family may be performed solely by one of the parents, or equally by both.

Extended families may predate the nuclear arrangement, and consist of many members of the same family (other than the parents and children) living in the same residence. The combination of family members may include aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, or even several entire generations cohabitating (this is also known as a joint family). The extended family is common in Middle Eastern, African, Latin American, Asian, and many other cultures (Sarkisian, Gerena, and Gerstel, 40). This arrangement is thought to provide a greater sense of security and inclusion for members, but it has also been noted that extended family members still provide an important support system for those in a nuclear family, even though they do not live in the same household.

New Family Types
As employment and economic conditions continue to change, the traditional forms of the family (nuclear and traditional) appear to be giving way to new archetypes. Among the most popular contemporary family arrangements are the single-parent household, and childfree couples. These structures offer alternative living conditions that may not have been possible in the past due to socioeconomic factors.

Single-parent families may include any amount of children and can be a result of death, divorce, or more commonly, the choice to remain unmarried. Women usually head these families, and they have become the fastest-growing family type in North America (Hornberger, L, R. Zabriskie, and P. Freeman, in press). Single-parent family situations may result in economic hardship, though it is still possible that both parents will contribute to a child’s wellbeing. Even in death, a parent may provide for their child with insurance and other benefits.

A less common, but still rising type of family is the voluntarily childless couple. In both the United States and Japan, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of childless families in recent decades. These observations may be due to the increasingly aged population, but there have also been many couples who decide that children are not what they want. The childless family provides more financial leeway and less responsibility. Childless parents may have more free time as well, and will likely have a variety of alternative interests in comparison to parents. Childlessness may not be a choice, however, and some childless families may be the result of an inability to conceive.

Theories
There are several theories that can be used to evaluate the apparent change in family structure that has taken place in recent decades. Feminists may suggest that gender roles are appropriately changing as women gain power in the workforce and in other social circles, and this change is reflected in the increase of woman-led single-parent families (Egdell and Docka 25). Functionalism touts the role of the nuclear family in achieving the most solidified state of society, but the theory would need to acknowledge the function of other types in order to account for the changing statistics.

Marxism relies on the importance of capital gains such as land in the function of a family. The childless couple will certainly have a better chance of obtaining and retaining capital assets due to the economic relief of not having children, but Marxists may argue that this advantage is an illusion as children would prove to be more valuable in an exponential asset acquisition. The lack of two earners in a single-parent family would also theoretically impair the ability to acquire land and capital.

Conclusion
The family is now and always has been a virtually omnipresent entity in the function of all societies. In the past, extended and nuclear families have existed as the most common arrangements of family members.