Is the Nuclear Family Universal

Is the thermo thermo atomic family universal? This essay will seek whether the thermonuclear family is in fact a universal sociological institution. The terminal universal means applicable to solely cases, so, for this to be correct the nuclear family must be found in all families in every auberge. thermonuclear family consist a husband and wife and one or more than children, own or adopted, it is delimit by Murdock and according to him, he believed that the nuclear family is a universal social grouping. Functionalist George Murdock suggested an idea of universality of the family as family is the raw material and vital institution in all societies.He looked at 250 societies and found intravenous feeding the about significant functions of the family sexual, economic, reproduction and socialization. These functions are essential and meet require in all societies and institution who best fits in performing them is family. Murdock defined the family as social group characte rized by common residence, consisting of adults of both sexes and restricted children. There are statistics that suggest the diversity of families is developing, such as cohabiting, single-parent and reconstituted lesbian families. All evidences seem to prove that nuclear family is non the dominant typeface of family.However, living in a nuclear family is a phase that most peck, as children and adults, go through in the course of their life. The Government seems to be more preferable to nuclear family, as the nuclear family can be a nurturing environment in which to raise children as long as in that respect is love, time spent with children, emotional support, low stress, and a static economic environment. So, although there is an increasing diversity of family, nuclear family is still universal. The nuclear family is promoted by politicians and media. For example, Labour policy Supporting Families (1998) suggested different ways of all types of families.However Labours also pointed out that preferred type will be nuclear. Media created metric grain packet image of the family where it was promoting ideal nuclear family. People be influenced by media and politicians start seeing other types of households undesirable or abnormal. However there is an opponent view to Murdocks theory that goes against the idea of the nuclear family being universal. In 1959, Kathleen Gough provided a detailed insight of the Nayar society. This culture was mainly centred on the woman and greetn as a matrifocal family. In this society, when the woman r distributivelyes puberty, she is marry to her Tali husband.This is a sacred and traditional marriage but although they are hook up with by law the husband and wife have no obligations to each other, the woman is then allowed to take on up to 12 see Sandbanhan husbands who must come afterwards tea and the stay the night and depart from before breakfast the next morning. Husbands and wives didnt form an economic unit. Also , husbands were not expected to maintain the wives and it was frowned upon to do so. Moreover, he didnt bond, look after or socialize with the children. Another opposing view of the universal nuclear family is the IK culture.This tribe lives in Africa were each member shows now emotional nexus with one another. Family, to them, means very little and each member of that society fends for themselves, showing no maternal instincts. If a new baby shows signs of failing and disability, it will be disowned into the wilderness. The same happens to an elderly member who has no take in the society. The experience and lifestyle of the IK suggests that family life across the world is characterised by diversity. However, in the UK definitions are dominated by the nuclear family.However, there is a lot of support for Murdocks theory of the universal nuclear family. superstar argument is that statistically, the female-headed family is not the norm either within black communities or in the soc ieties in which they are set. Also, some sociologists believe that the mainstream model of the nuclear family is valued by blacks and regarded as the ideal. However, there are many opposing views to his theory. The supposed harmful effects on the children of the matrifocal family are far from proven, and, we know that children from a nuclear family are some generation abused or neglected.Looking almost at all the evidence I have explored in this essay, I conclude to find that the nuclear family is not universal. Families are simply groupings of people brought together by blood, marriage or some kind of connection. By looking at groups such as the Nayar society and the IK culture, it shows that the nuclear family is not applicable in all circumstances. Finally, in British culture the times are changing and there is a more diverse take to the woods of families in our society today.