Nuclear family

function of families in contemporary UK society The definition of the term ‘family’ has somewhat gone through radical changes over the past few decades in the UK, some 30 years ago a family was defined as being father, mother and children. Some referred to this as the “cereal box family” as this was typically the type of family to be shown on television commercials for cereal. This stereotype is more correctly known as the nuclear family, however changes over the years has meant that this “nuclear family”

Family as a Site of Belonging and Contestation A family is something that comforts and includes others. It is an environment where people can feel like they belong. Although in societies eyes the family is much more. We depict who is fit enough to support a family and question if the family is functioning properly. In both articles, Homeplace: A site of Resistance by Bell Hooks and “Family” as a Site of Contestation: Queering the Normal or Normalizing the Queer? By Michelle K. Owen, both authors

The British family is changing. Traditionally the family was not diverse, specific family types were very much associated with the time period, eg, pre industrial Britain the family type was the unit of production and 1850 - 1950 we had the classic extended family. 1950’s to 1970’s was the nuclear family. However in recent times there is evidence to suggest that this has changed. There is still the nuclear family which is usually a small family, with independance stable employment very much able

views on the diversity of family life” Postmodern sociologists support the view that family has become diverse in contemporary UK. They see that people have become fragmented and identities are more individualistic, meaning everyone is different and let them be. Family life is different for everyone. Stacey (1996) says that the family no longer progresses through a range of stages. Meaning everyone is diverse, and that there is no longer a dominant type of family. This is similar to the Rapoports

of a family, the first definition that comes to mind is the nuclear family. Some people would agree with the notation. However, others have a different interpretation of the definition. The definition that should describe a family is a group of people that loves each other and where someone can share their good and bad times. With the definition of a family being a group of people that cares for each other and can be there in the time of need, it is opposite of the well-known nuclear family. A nuclear

sexuality and family commitments. Therefore Beck and Beck-Gernsheim argue that such choice and diversity has led to a renegotiation of family

They work hard to feed their families. They value the idea of a family and working together. That is why their leisure time is so important. Leisure time is used to spend time with the kin and friends, the foraging societies believe (Nowak and Laird, 2010). They work hard to find food and hunt for

we have families that consist of different family structures. For instance, before the 1960’s the only family structure that people were familiar with was the nuclear family which is a typical family household consisting of a mom, dad and child. Over time, families have been exposed to different family structures. Although it is still common to see your traditional nuclear family, there are also other common families such as, single parent families, extended families, blended families, childless

The family structure in the UK has changed dramatically over the past 100 years. Society is ever-evolving and certain issues are generally more accepted now than they were previously. I am going to focus on the changes towards marriage and family life. The four sociological views I am going to revolve my essay around are Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism and Post-modernism. The ideal function of the family is to aid and care for the next generation to simply guide them through childhood. During

The article Family and Social Memory: Why History Matters mentioned the concept of the nuclear family. The ideal white-picket fenced family, with a mother, father and children who happily live together in privacy. It was during the postwar era when technological discoveries were rapid and mind-blowing, an era where hope was renewed and the ideal family was remodeled. It involved a father being the head of the house, and the mother being the primary caretaker. It was this notion that reigned as the