Nuclear family
A nuclear family is a type of family unit. It is made up of a husband, a wife, and their children. Not everyone agrees on what a nuclear family is. Some people say that a nuclear family does not include stepchildren or adopted children.[1] Others say that a nuclear family may include stepchildren or adopted children.[2] A nuclear family is a part of an extended family.
History
The term nuclear family was first used in 1947.[3] However, people have lived in nuclear families for thousands of years. In 2005, archaeologists discovered four 4,600-year-old graves in Germany. Several adults and children who were related were buried in these graves.[4] Researchers think that this proves that people lived in nuclear families a long time ago.
During and before the medieval period in Europe, large family groups, such as clans, were most common.[5] By the late medieval period, the nuclear family had become most common.[5]
Nuclear Family Media
An American nuclear family composed of the mother, father, and their children, c. 1955
P. E. Svinhufvud, the President of Finland (in the middle), with his family on his 75th birthday in 1936.
References
- ↑ Jackson, Kristy. "Traditional Nuclear Family vs. Blended Family" (web). California State University, Sacramento. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
- ↑ Haviland, William A.; Prins, Harald E. L.; Walrath, Dana (2007). Cultural anthropology: the human challenge (12 ed.). Cengage Learning. p. 219. ISBN 978-0-495-09561-3.
- ↑ Merriam-Webster Online. "Definition of nuclear family".
- ↑ Haak, Wolfgang; Brandt, Herman; de Jong, Hylke N.; Meyer, C; Ganslmeier, R; Heyd, V; Hawkesworth, C; Pike, AW; Meller, H (2008). "Ancient DNA, Strontium isotopes, and osteological analyses shed light on social and kinship organization of the Later Stone Age". PNAS. 105 (47): 18226–18231. Bibcode:2008PNAS..10518226H. doi:10.1073/pnas.0807592105. PMC 2587582. PMID 19015520.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Grief, Avner (2005). "Family Structure, Institutions, and Growth: The Origin and Implications of Western Corporatism" Archived 2015-09-29 at the Wayback Machine.
