Definition
According to Radcliffe Brown, the family unit consisting of a man, his wife and their children is ‘elementary family’. This is the core group which constitutes a fundamental social unit in all societies. Ralph Linton prefers to call this unit ‘conjugal family’ since it is essentially based on the relationship between the husband and wife (In contrast to the consanguinal family based on the relationship among brothers where blood ties are more important). G.P. Murdock applied the term ‘nuclear family1 to die man-wife-children unit. Me termed it nuclear since this unit constitutes the nucleus of even the larger kinship units like the extended family and lineages.
Structure of Nuclear family
“The nuclear family consists typically of a married man and woman with their unmarried off-spring although in individual cases one or more additional persons may reside with them /’-(Murdock 1949: Social Structure, New York: Macmillan company)
Organization of Nuclear Family
The dyads involved are
- 1- That of husband and wife.
- 2- That of father and mother.
- 3- That of son and daughter.
- 4- That of brother and sister.
- 5- That of mother and son
- 6- That of father and daughter.
- 7- That of father and son.
- 8- That of mother and daughter.
According to Lloyd Warner, the family into which a person is born is his family of orientation hence it provides the basic orientation to an individual) and the family which he sets up by marrying and having children is his family of procreation. At times, there may be conflict of loyalties between the two.
a typical conflict situation would be when a married wage earner helps his parents financially as it happens in India. He may find it difficult to reconcile the two sets of demands those of his own parents and his wife and children.
Functions of Nuclear family
- Sexual function
- Reproductive function
- Economic function
- Educational function