Types of family based on size and structure

Nuclear family
Concept of nuclear family
• A nuclear family, elementary family or conjugal family is a family group
consisting of two parents and their children (one or more)
• It is known as nuclear family, because this type of family consist of core
members of family. Parents and their unmarried are the core member of any
family.
• Nuclear family consists of at least two adults of the opposite sex (in few
countries context might be different) living in a socially/legally approved
sexual relationship along with one or more of their own or adopted children.
Clarification: Typically, but not always, the adults in a nuclear family are
married. Although such couples are most often a man and a woman, the
definition of the nuclear family has expanded with the advent of same-sex
marriage.
• In patriarchal and patrilineal society, the father is the head of the nuclear
family and rest of the family subsistence depend upon the economy earned by
the father. (in changing role mother can also support the living of the family)
• Along with the urbanization process, less dependency on agriculture
occupation nuclear family system has become practiced in Nepal. They
popular in urban context due to their feature of financial stability.
• Nuclear families are more financially stable than joint families and can provide
children with better opportunities in life. Finances get sorted more easily.
Since it's a smaller family, the expenses are considerably lesser, which means
better financial stability.
• These days in some part of the world, due to higher divorce rates and other
social, economic and political reasons the number of single parent family is
also increasing. A single parent family has one parent and their child. It is
most likely the single parent to be mothers.
 Merits of nuclear family
• Less stress for the earning person in the family.
• Less space is required for comfortable living. Privacy of couples can be maintained
which can help in conjugal satisfaction.
• Less resources are required for survival.
• A better possibility of family planning. Independence in taking decisions related with
family planning.
• Prevention of intra family problems which can cause due to more numbers of family
member.
• Fewer family members, so low changes of conflicts
• Deep love, intimacy and affection among members
• Good understanding and communication among family members
• Comparatively better freedom in making family decisions
• Promote small family
 Demerits of nuclear family
• Extended Family Exclusion: The nuclear family unit provides a strong bonding
experience for immediate family members. The smaller family size allows
individualized attention towards partners and children which creates lifelong
bonds. However, the nuclear family unit can isolate people from other relatives
and relationships. This breakdown of the extended family unit, won't be
beneficial in hard times. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins have a place
within a family structure, but the nuclear family doesn't always foster these
relationships.
• The Realities of Burnout: Family members, particularly mothers, have a tendency
to burn out from attempts to meet every person's needs. The focus on children
can be overwhelming and leave little room for parents to take care of themselves.
Without help from extended family, parents may need to take off work to care for
sick children. The struggle to balance the demands of work, family and
friendships without outside assistance leads to stress, depression, anxiety or
other problems.
 Demerits of nuclear family
• Conflict Resolution Skills: While less conflict and decreased family stress is an
advantage of the nuclear family, it also puts the family at a disadvantage.
Conflict is a part of life, and conflict resolution skills are beneficial in school,
the community and the workplace. Nuclear families can develop like-minded
thinking, leading to fewer arguments within the family unit. However, it can
increase the disagreements with extended family members. Extended family
with differing opinions and ideas can help families see alternate viewpoints
and learn to deal with outside opinion and conflicts.
• Small support system: Emergency situations, such as an accident or even a
time of illness, can leave small nuclear families in crisis. The Preserve Articles
analysis points out how extended family structures offer built-in help for these
scenarios. In a nuclear family where both parents work and have young
children, the ability to meet all expectations and needs solely within the
family unit is not always feasible. Multi-generational households offer
assistance as needed.
• Self-Centered Worldview: According to the Concordia University - St.
Paul, the traditional nuclear family is child-centered. This means the
focus is on the immediate family, children in particular, for all facets of
life. The family unit strives to meet its own needs and places
secondary emphasis on others. This viewpoint can lead children to
selfish tendencies and thinking. It can also create a narrow worldview
where the greater good of society gets little consideration.
• Lack of value, assumption and tradition of old generation. Children
can become deprived of learning socio-cultural values.
• Low supervision of children in the case if the both father and mother
happen to become job holder.
• Over freedom can sometime result to breakdown in the family.
Western world is facing the problem of single parents.
Joint/ extended family
 Concept of Extended family

• Extended family, family in which members of a unilineal descent group (a

group in which descent through either the female or the male line is
emphasized) live together with their spouses and offspring in one home and
under the authority of one of the members.
• The extended family is an extension of the nuclear family (parents and
dependent children), and it typically grows when children of one sex do not
leave their parents’ home at marriage but bring their spouses to live with
them. Thus, a patrilineal extended family might consist of an older man and his
wife, his sons and unmarried daughters, his sons’ wives and children, and so
forth.
• Extended families include at least three generations: grandparents,
married offspring, and grandchildren.
• Joint family: Joint families are composed of sets of siblings, theirs
spouses, and their dependent children.
 Merits of extended/joint family
• A child is Never Lonely: If you are a working mom living in a joint family, you can rest
assured of your child’s daily needs. If you are worried about who will serve him food
or take care of him when he is sick, you need not. As you know in a joint family, there
will always be people to take good care of him.
• Happiness doubles: If you have ever lived in a joint family, you must have
experienced that sharing little joys and achievements with your family members
makes them so happy. Even small achievements are rejoiced by one and all. And in
the moments of sorrow, your family is always there to support you.
• You Learn to Respect: Growing up in a family with so many elders develops a
sense of respect for others. Keeping your tongue in check around elders,
respecting them, and obeying their commands…somehow shapes your
personality. And a person who shows respects and treats others with respect is
always appreciated.
• You Learn The Art of Sharing: If you notice a child raised in a nuclear family
and the one raised in a joint family, you will observe difference in their
behaviour. A kid brought up with many people is obviously more social but he
also has a habit of sharing. Living in a joint family inculcates the habit of
sharing from childhood. If your child has a chocolate, he will know that he
has to distribute it among his siblings and cousins. As a kid, he might not like
to share it, but it only prepares him for the future. The habit of giving and
sharing makes you a person who is liked by all. Living in a joint family makes
you focus on ‘we’ than on ‘me’.
• Education Beyond Books: The education of a child living with aunts, uncles,
cousins, and grandparents is not only restricted to academics and school but
the horizon of his education is much wider. Living with grandparents, a child
gets acquainted with the world of their times. With aunts and uncles, he gets
familiar with their struggles. All in all, living in a joint family makes one
understand that there is more to education than just school books.
• Love and Care: The amount of love and care that one receives in a joint
family cannot be uttered in words. If you are sick or sad, you will never find
yourself alone. There will always be people to take care of you. It is the major
benefit of living in a joint family; the love you receive is immeasurable and
something you can never pay off.
• The Feeling of Togetherness: If you live in a joint family, you can be sure that
your child will never be bored or feel alone. He will always have cousins as his
partners in crime. He will never be deprived of friends as he will always have
his cousins to play with. As he grows, his bond with his cousins will only get
better. In the lonely crowded world, your child will always have someone to
share his problems.
• One Becomes Socially Skillful: A person coming from a joint family knows
how to communicate with people of different age groups. Living with elders,
siblings/cousins, nephews and nieces molds his personality. All these basic
elements of communication which are necessary for living happily in a society
are inculcated in him right from the start when he lives in a joint family.
 Demerits of joint family
• Privacy is Compromised: Lack of privacy is a common complaint among
people who live in a joint family. You are never alone. If you are distressed
and want to be alone and cry to let it out, you’d prefer crying in your bed and
telling your sad stories to your pillow. But that’s not possible if you are living
in a joint family. Everyone knows everything about all the members of the
family and this leads to interference in daily matters. More often than not,
this interference is not appreciated and people end up hiding things so that
others mind their own business. You will always be surrounded by people and
they will try to help you for your sake, but sometimes it gets too much.
• A small Decision Runs by Everyone: The problem of living in a joint family is
even a small decision has to go through and get a green signal by every
member of the family, particularly the head of the family. Whether it is about
going out after 7 at night or a sleepover at a friend’s place. Sometimes, even
trivial matters are given so much attention that it annoys you.
• Financial Responsibility: In a joint family, it is about ‘us’. When it comes to financial
responsibility, usually, the ‘Karta’ (the head of the family) handles financial matters
while other male members of the family contribute. However, many times it
happens that the burden of 2 or more families is on the ‘Karta’ of the family, and
other members become idle and the burden on one person only increases.
• Interference in Parenting: Living in a joint family sometimes deprives you of taking
right decisions for your child. As a mother, you might not get to parent your child
the way you want to, because there will be others in the house who will keep
teaching you about what to do and what not to do. This may create hindrance in
your style of parenting and ultimately it fuels your anger.
• Woes of a Common Kitchen: Generally, in a joint family, all female members cook
together and for all. When it comes to food, everyone has different choices and
catering to the demands of all often makes them tired. Also, people cannot cook
what they want and they have to strictly adhere to the rules of the family. If the
family is a vegetarian one, then it will be very difficult to cook an egg or non-
vegetarian food in the same kitchen.
 Assignment
• Which types of family do you prefer? Give any seven reasons behind
your preference
Family needs:
There are certain things that every family needs. These things include
food, roof, clothes, health service, education, etc. All the people in the
family are satisfied when these things are available to them. With the
increase in the size of the family, the quantities of these things have to
be increased. The head of the family should think whether he is in a
position to increase the quantities. Unwisely increase in the size of the
family can cause economic burden. The effect will be the decline in the
standard of living. The supply of basic needs will be difficult. Apart from
food, house, clothes, education, other things are essential for a happy
family. Each member should be pleased with others. Therefore, mutual
love is necessary.
Maslow’s
Hierarchy
of human
needs
Basic needs of human beings
a. Food
b. Housing
c. Clothing
d. Sex
e. Health
f. Education
g. Security

Size of the family

The total number of persons in a family is the size of the family. According to the Census 2011,
the average family size was 4.8 persons. Nuclear family has a small family size, whereas the
joint family has a large family size. The size of family depends upon the sociocultural values and
norms, education, status of woman and the age at marriage of a woman. The size of family
determines the quality of the family. If the resources are adequate, then a large family can be
useful. If there is the limitation of the resource, then a small family will be a good option. The
income and expenditure depends upon the size of the family. Happiness and well-being are
related to income and expenditure of the family. In a small family, there will be less
expenditure and the saving can takes place easily.
However in a large family, there is little chance of saving. In a large family, the needs and wants
are not fulfilled easily. Consequently, poverty exists in a large family. Thus, the quality of life is
degraded in a large family. In a small family, it is easy to fulfil the needs of family members.
Quality education, quality care,proper nutrition and proper care can be possible in a small
family.
 Question for discussion
a. What are the factors that determine the size of
family?
b. Explain the role of family size in maintaining happy
family.
 Responsibilities of parents in the family:
Concept: Parental responsibilities mean the efforts and contributions made by
them for the children’s physical, mental, social and emotional growth and
development so that they can develop themselves and contribute to the
society and nation.
The circle of parents’ responsibility to the children is very wide. It includes
nurturing children well, providing them with quality education and health
facilities and services. Besides, they should show the children love, affection
and good behaviour. The children today are the future hope of the family,
energetic personalities of the society and strong helmsmen of the country.
Parents must realize their responsibilities and discharge them properly so that
children will become capable and behave like good parents in future. Parents
are intrinsically very sensitive to their children. This sense is found in animals
and birds also. It is a gift of God.
 Few concepts
a. Responsibility of parents
b. Duty of parents
c. Role of parents
d. Participation of parents
e. Differences between duty and responsibilities
 Parental role in the
family
(a) Policy-makers: As the chief of
the family, parents make policy,
decide the goals and implement
them for the betterment of the
family. They identify the problems
and take necessary steps to solve
them. Then, their decision will be
final. It is their duty to rear and
educate children and perform
cultural rites and rituals like
Bratabandha, marriage, etc.
(b) Leaders/Mentors In order
to establish discipline and be
realistic in the family, they
themselves should be role
models. For example, they
should not smoke so that the
children would follow them.
They must follow the norms
and values of a society. Such
ideal parents make an
impression on the children
deeply.
(c) Educators and Guides:
Parents are the first
educators of children.
Mother’s lap and father’s
care teach them a lot.
Children learn the first word
in a mother’s lap and
speaking skills from their
father. Parents are indeed
the moral teachers. Children
learn many things at home
before they go to school.
Therefore, parents are
indeed the first teachers.
(d) Inspirers: Parents are great
inspirers. They inspire the children
to be creative and thoughtful. They
encourage children on many
occasions: when their feelings and
morale degrade, when their moral
determination and dedication lose
strength. They inspire children to
be disciplined and obedient. For
example, when a child fails an
examination and becomes sad, his
parents cheer him up and persuade
him to continue his studies.
• (e) Pals/Friends: Parents are the
true friends of children. Like a
friend, parents attempt to seek the
welfare of children. They do not let
children go astray; on the contrary,
they bring the children on the right
track. They enrich children with
their ideas, experiences and
several kinds of information. Good
parents co-operate with children
on cultural and entertainment
programmes as well.
 Responsibilities of parents towards their children
a. Income management
b. Educational provision
c. Fulfillment of needs of their children
d. Determine the family size
e. Birth spacing
f. Socializing the children
g. Health care
h. Maintain healthy family relation
(a) Income Management: It is necessary to develop economic, social and
emotional aspects of the family members to uplift the family standard.
Parents’ roles, responsibilities and participation are necessary to balance
family size and family income. If such balance is maintained, each family
member can equally utilize available resources and facilities. As a result,
status of family is improved.
(b) Educational Provision: As the mother’s lap is the first school, children learn
communicative language from their mothers. They learn public speaking
from their fathers. Both father and mother’s equal participation is
necessary to teach them good things, words and behaviour from the very
beginning. It is a responsibility and duty of parents to inspire their children
to go to school for the basic education. It is also the responsibility of
parents to make their children self-dependent, able and competent citizen
by providing them quality education. They get adequate opportunities for
self-development as self-dependent citizen with proper education.
(c) Fulfilment of Needs of their Children: Parents’ duty is not just fulfilled
by giving birth to children, but it is obligatory to provide nutritious diet,
clothing, health, environment, fresh water, proper care, good
entertainment for the holistic development of their children. Therefore,
care of family, maintenance of proper sanitation of the surroundings,
rearing the children with values and norms of the society, future planning
of family come under the responsibility of parents. Besides, proper
socialization of their children, providing them the feeling of security from
hunger, insecurity and disease, behaving them according to their needs,
wants and feeling, respecting their human rights come under the parental
responsibilities. Not only the bearing and rearing the children but
maintaining their discipline, happiness, prosperity and quality are equally
important aspects. Similarly, parents’ responsibility and participation can
appropriately guide them to run the family and lead them to optimum
point of success.
(d) Determine the Family Size: If any person wants to perform the roles
of a responsible parent, he has planned his family. Family may run
smoothly if the parents decide timely about the size of their family. Small
family size helps everyone in the family to be happy. For the responsible
parents, it is not only necessary to understand the family problems and
concerns but they must involve in adopting measures to limit the family
size. They have the role to bear the children according to the condition of
resources in their family. In addition, leading the family members towards
right or wrong track is completely related to parents. If the small family
size is maintained considering the various problems of family, we do not
have to get troubled with such problems. As the small family can be
happy family, it is very easy to make the family prosperous. Therefore, we
have to take steps towards it on time.
(e) Birth Spacing: It is the responsibility of parents to enable children to enjoy
the quality life by maintaining proper birth spacing and rearing them in a
friendly environment. Parents must consider birth spacing to uplift the status
of family numbers. About 4-5 years birth-spacing is considered good for
maternal and child health. Besides, it helps in proper caring and education of
the children. The parents can get time to invest for their own professional and
career development. Therefore, it is a serious responsibility of parents to adopt
proper birth spacing.
(f) Socializing the Children: Another important responsibility of parents is to
socialize their children. The children behave in society according to what they
learn in their family. If they are well socialized in family, they can adapt in any
society very well otherwise they may feel problems of adjustment. Therefore,
parents must support them by providing guidelines, directions and training to
adapt in groups ; teach them good discipline, make them follow social rules
and avoid the social problems.
(g) Health Care: Parents should pay attention to get their children
immunized against various diseases, maintain personal hygiene, provide
nutritional diet, take the children to nearby health centres or hospitals for
regular health check up, get them checked and take proper care of them
when they are sick. It helps to make their family members healthy and
efficient.

(h) Maintain Healthy Family Relation: Another very important

responsibility of parents is to maintain healthy family relationship. Good
understanding, faith, respect, emotional feeling, hearty love, etc. help to
maintain healthy family relationship. If there is misunderstanding,
discrimination, conflict and quarrel in the family, whatever we achieve
will be futile and the families will be miserable with low quality of life.
Therefore, healthy family relation is the key to family success.
(g) Health Care: Parents should pay attention to get their children
immunized against various diseases, maintain personal hygiene, provide
nutritional diet, take the children to nearby health centres or hospitals for
regular health check up, get them checked and take proper care of them
when they are sick. It helps to make their family members healthy and
efficient.

(h) Maintain Healthy Family Relation: Another very important

responsibility of parents is to maintain healthy family relationship. Good
understanding, faith, respect, emotional feeling, hearty love, etc. help to
maintain healthy family relationship. If there is misunderstanding,
discrimination, conflict and quarrel in the family, whatever we achieve
will be futile and the families will be miserable with low quality of life.
Therefore, healthy family relation is the key to family success.