The Fall of the Nuclear Family - Research Paper Example

Modern Family: The Fall of the Nuclear Family Jake d’Fonseca This paper will examine the meaning of family and the transformation of family dynamics in modern American society. There will be an examination of what roles the religion and cultural value systems played towards the past growth and current decline of the nuclear family. This essay will argue that as nontraditional mindsets become more culturally accepted, the traditional nuclear family is being replaced by domestic partnerships, matrifocal, and blended families. The aforementioned topics as a whole will also reinforce the idea that family can be much more than an institution based solely on consanguinity, but rather a bond between a parent and a child that runs much deeper than blood. Modern Family: The Fall of the Nuclear Family Meaning of Family A family is a group of people brought together by consanguinity, affinity or co-residence. It is an important institution of the society. The family can be defined in various ways depending on the context of affiliation and the basis of its formation. The traditional mindset defined family as a basic unit of socialization that forms the society. The most common traditional forms of family are the nuclear family and the extended family. The nuclear family comprises of a conjugal scenario comprising of a husband, wife, and children while the extended family comprises parents and children residing with members of one’s parents’ family (Family in sociology, 2013). Families are important care institutions whose diversity is dynamic over time. The main mandate of the family has always been to sustain the basic economic viability of the family members which makes it flexible to the economic changes (Iliadis, Anastassiou, & Wang, 2012). The families also transform due to the cultural aspects and regulations established in order to reinforce them. Time is a factor and thus with its passing, become more complex in order to adapt to the changes in its surroundings. Families traditionally begin with a partnership between a man and a woman who with time procreate to have their children (Luzia, 2013). This human relationship begins, grows and is sustained by the behavioral aspects of emotions and motivation, environmental interaction, imitation and cultural expectations and beliefs. The modern family, which was primarily seen as a nuclear family has transformed. The nuclear family comprises of an entity whereby a man marries a woman with whom the share conjugal rights and have their own children (Luzia, 2013). The man was always the head of the family. The man is responsible for the economic well-being for the family by providing for the needs of the family. The women, on the other hand, took care of the children and performed the household chores. Women were to be at home while men went public to work. This is depicted socially from the masculinity nature of men and the femininity of women. The men were aggressive and rational in nature while the women were supposed to be submissive, domestic and nurturing. With the modernization and economic development the nuclear family has fallen or transformed (Luzia, 2013). The rise of gender equality and freedom has forged in the division of labor while the children have been transformed from their dependency syndrome of the past to self-reliance (Poniewozik, 2014). According to Cherlin (2012), the current family structures in the modern society include the following: Cohabitation De Facto Parenthood Marriage Nontraditional Family Reproductive Technology Stepfamilies Same-sex Couples Marriage has since changed meaning and establishment of family structures has changed from the dominant nuclear model and the domestic arrangements. The current generation has transformed from the nuclear tradition of the family having both biological parents having custody of their children and have embraced single parental custody of children. The legislation is beginning to recognize this new children bond with the single parent and their social acceptance and strengthening. Despite the nuclear family model taking the center stage in the shaping of how the family should be pictured, provisions should be made to the other structures and models accommodated in the society (Luzia, 2013). The role of parents in child-rearing is an important factor in most of the structures of the family. The children play an important role more than anything else in the family. The cases of step parenting and non-biological parenting of children of people cohabiting or married has been on the rise (Luzia, 2013). Same-sex couples have as well taken a center stage in parenting, and some have applied assisted reproductive technologies to have children. Since the conception stage, most individuals are nested in social relationships that dictate the functionality and nature of their hierarchically organized behavioral systems. Any relationship development is shaped by ecological niche that include social environment and physical environment systems (Levinger, 1994). Both systems evolve and influence the development of relationships. Environment shapes the ideas and intentions of an individual. It motivates one to develop a certain relationship attuned to a particular stimulus in the environment. This is because learning takes place primarily through the association of stimulus and response (Kolb, 1984). Transformation of family dynamics in modern American society. The modern American society has transformed from the dormant model and domestic arrangements of traditional families. There have been many transformations resulting in diverse social arrangements. Families were initially a traditional emotional-laden institution, whose norms could not be altered easily, but over time, this has changed and the current trend has completely altered family arrangement (Stanley, 2012). The primary forces which have initiated these changes are the diffusion in cultures, economic development, and the socialist institutions characterized by the social engineering. The family is now characterized by new structures that include the domestic partnerships, matrifocal, and blended families (DiFonzo & Stern, 2013). Families have been gradually reshaped by the economic changes and the advancement in technology. Agriculture and land ownership were among the valued aspects of the traditional society whose inheritance and ownership revolved around the family. The family and kinship were valued, and contractual relationships between men, women and their kinship were forged. The gender played an important role in the ownership of property and sharing of roles (Stanley, 2012). In the modern society, the family is sophisticated by the economic value it holds and its ability to sustain the lives of the members. Anybody in the modern world can own property, and marriage or family establishment has been influenced by the change due to the interactions between the many cultures and religions. Industrial revolution led to the mushrooming of urban centers. People migrated to urban centers to work in the industries and secure a better life in urban centers. The traditional family system was disrupted as the nuclear structure was replaced by cohabitation and single parenthood among other family structures (Stanley, 2012). This was to accommodate for the geographical mobility and the flexibility of labor. The people’s lifestyle change so as to accommodate the concerns of the economic revolution. This promoted the fragmentation and diversity among families. The need for the globalization disrupted the already established nuclear system of the family (Stanley, 2012). The new economic system required flexibility among the people so they could grasp the economic opportunities. The initial postulation of Goode that families would in the modern society transform back into the Western conjugal family experienced in the mid-twentieth century due to the industrial revolution has not yet transpired. The nuclear model has however declined with the people embracing other forms of family structures. Goode also described that in the future the parent’s control over their children will decline (Cherlin, 2012). This decline is evident with the rise of single parenthood and the step-parenting. The spread of the conjugal family was thought to be embraced by those experiencing industrial revolution and those who did not. Goode did not take concern of the globalization that is being experienced in the modern society and has had an effect in the fall of the nuclear family (Cherlin, 2012). The norms of the family in a society are shaped by the lifestyle due to interactions between diverse cultures and religions. In the modern society, children acquisition is a negotiated involvement whereby same sex partners can get custody of their children. The same-sex couples use these unconventional means to have and rear their children (Dempsey, 2012). Paternal or maternal involvement is limited based on the agreement of the parties involved. These situations are sometimes problematic and it may not be easy for children to cope up with same-sex parents. Through the diffusion of cultures, people tend to embrace modernity with its practices, thus hindering the traditional family pattern. This results in the transformation of the traditional ideal conjugal family pattern through the changes in the family norms and adoption of new cultures. The state social engineering has a direct implication in the family pattern and the changes from the traditional mindset of the family. The laws being implemented, and propaganda have a direct influence on the norms of the family. Through the social institutions, the state plans for the changes in the family structures and patterns. The diffusion of cultures and the social engineering have a direct impact on the changes in the family norms and patterns (Iliadis, Anastassiou, & Wang, 2012). In the modern society, the marriage aspect of the family has been considered as an economic partnership between male and female spouses in order to meet the material needs of the family (Stanley, 2012). Thus, men and women initially were free to perform any duties that were geared towards helping the family. Later on, patriarchal rules took center stage but weakened with time due to the economic revolution and the adoption of the ideologies of equality and freedom. Childbearing was seen as a women’s role while the men were the sole guardians who took care of all the children’s needs. This with time changed as a result of the economic improvement due to the industrial revolution. Children no longer rely much on their parents for their survival and women also are becoming economically empowered (Stanley, 2012). The economic transition in the United States, which took almost a century, resulted in the massive changes in the social and family norms. Many people migrated to the urban centers in search for job opportunities, basic goods, and services readily available in the urban centers. The interactions between people of different cultures played a role in the distortion of the traditional practices and beliefs. The nuclear family has been disintegrated and different forms of family setup have been formed. These adjustments had an implication on the stability of the family. Family-based economy changed shape and dependency on the resources of the family changed (Stanley, 2012). The diversity and its effects are evident in the fall of the nuclear family. To date the modern society has a wide range of family structures. The society has no option but to accept these forms of structures due to the diverse nature of cultures and religions. Many people in the modern society have adopted new cultures and religions which permit them to live their ways of life and have family structure that differs from the traditional nuclear model. The social factors and laws have permitted divorce to the married couples thus the long, fulfilling life of nuclear families may be short-lived due to divorce (Stanley, 2012). The dissolution rates of marriages have since risen and does not auger well for the welfare of the nuclear family. This is necessitated by the deaths of spouses, disagreements, and involvement in extra-marital affairs. Childbearing out of wedlock has also contributed to the downfall of the nuclear family. Roles of the religious-cultural value system in the past growth and current decline of the nuclear family Religion is an important aspect of family matters. It plays an important role in initiating or resisting ideological changes. Religion and culture assist in unifying the family members. Different cultures have had their ways of defining family based on their beliefs and cultural disposition. Families have been united by the morals, religion and social rights with which they identify with. In a society, religion and law advocate patriarchy and formal marriage contracts. The Christians, for example, advocate monogamy and marital fidelity between the married couples, a man and a woman, in the traditional society. In the modern world flexibility has been embraced as the church members become victims of same-sex couples and single parenting (Stanley, 2012). The church and state have been seen to be working together by initiating efforts applicable in regulating marriage. This gives the conditions and regulations regarding the marriage discipline and formation of families. They can perform marriage ceremonies and oversee union of individuals. Some of the factors that acted as the basis for marriage include cohabitation, mutual consent, and the sexual consummation of a relationship (Iliadis, Anastassiou, & Wang, 2012). The religion is a binding factor, but the split due to different cultures have made it possible to have different family structures. The traditional nuclear system is now under threat as the upcoming structures tend to accept the practices of the different people. The religion has no capacity to maintain one kind of structure as each religion has its way of doing things. In the modern society the nontraditional mindsets about family have become more culturally accepted, the traditional nuclear family is being replaced by domestic partnerships, matrifocal, and blended families. Luscombe (2014) in his work saw the fall of the nuclear family. The society now embraces of different ethnic groups and cultures, thus typical family model is no longer significant (Luscombe, 2014). Each and every person can in the modern world adopt a family structure that he or she deems suitable. Family in the modern society is free to have different meaning and is adaptable depending on the interest of the parties involved. Modernization and the lack of a universal religious aspect to unify the people has led to the fall of the nuclear family (Iliadis, Anastassiou, & Wang, 2012). The society cannot make binding rules on family since everyone’s belief needs to be accommodated. With the freedoms and entitlement of equality, everyone has the right to perform as he or she wishes. The nuclear family no longer has a religious and civil advocacy thus its public stature is slowly fading (Iliadis, Anastassiou, & Wang, 2012). Children are also likely to adopt the ways of their parents. The children born of the same sex couples are likely to relate with partners of the same sex and not those of the opposite sex. In the future they are likely to be engaged in a same-sex relationship as well. Those with single parents are likely also to have children singly in their future also. In conclusion, the family life pattern has been influenced by the dynamics in the economic, social, and demographic developments. The living arrangements among the families have been a characteristic of individual lifestyle, culture, and religion. Society is becoming more and more flexible to the different family structures. Thus, the nuclear family is facing a decline since most people advocate flexibility and independence. The advancement in technology has made it possible for single parents to have children out of wedlock. Divorce and dissolution of marriages have been on the rise, thus contributing to the fall of the nuclear family structure. The ways children are brought up and their surrounding environment is a determining factor in their future family life as well. Appendix Plate1: Working Family Arrangement (Luscombe, 2014) References Cherlin, A. J. (2012). Goodes world revolution and family patterns: A reconsideration at fifty years. Population & Development Review, 38 (4), 577-607. Dempsey, D. (2012). Gay male couples paternal involvement in lesbian-parented families. Journal of Family Studies, 18 (2/3), 155-164. DiFonzo, J. H., & Stern, R. C. (2013). Breaking the mold and picking up the pieces: Rights of parenthood and parentage in nontraditional families. Family court review, 51 (1), 104-118. Family, in sociology. (2013). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1. Iliadis, A., Anastassiou, D., & Wang, X. (2012). A unified framework for haplotype inference in nuclear families. Annals of Human Genetics, 76(4), 312-325. Kolb, D.A. (1984) Experimental Learning: Experience as the source of Learning and Development. Levinger, G. (1994). Figure versus ground: Micro- and macro-perspectives on the social psychology of personal relationships. In R. Erber & R. Gilmour (Eds.), Theoretical frameworks for personal relationships (pp. 1-28). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Luscombe, B. (2014). There is no longer any such thing as a typical family. Time.Com, 1. Luzia, K. (2013). ‘Beautiful but tough terrain’: The uneasy geographies of same-sex parenting. Childrens Geographies, 11(2), 243-255 Poniewozik, J. (2014). The one with the post-nuclear families: Why friends still matters. Time.com, 1. Stanley, T. (2012). The changing face of the American family. History Today, 62(11), 10-15. Stjernström, O., & Strömgren, M. (2012). Geographical distance between children and absent parents in separated families. Geografiska Annaler Series B: Human Geography, 94(3), 239-253. Read More