The family is a vital point of reference for any child who in adulthood becomes aware of the value of the roots and during childhood, grows up in an environment of protection, care and love. The nuclear family refers to that nucleus of personal intimacy. That is, although a family group can be very broad as it is made up of grandparents, uncles and cousins, on the contrary, the nucleus is reduced only to parents and children.
It should be pointed out that a couple without offspring is also considered a nuclear family member. Or also, the cases of a single parent who exercises the role of father and mother in the care of children are included in this classification.
It should be added that the family, far from being a static and immovable entity, is in constant motion. The process of forming a home is also conditioned by the circumstances of the cultural environment.
Dominant family
Today, in industrialized settings, the age at which couples decide to marry and have children has been delayed. Religious customs have also changed as more and more couples form a home without having gone through the altar.
On the other hand, the nuclear family also faces an important difficulty: the increase in the number of divorce cases that brings with it new forms of family in the face of the evidence that love is no longer for life (or in many cases , it is not). The increase in life expectancy has also marked a new difficulty in living together as a couple.
The extended family
This model has been the dominant one in the West. It should be noted that the extended family refers to the group made up of the integration of other loved ones and relatives. For example, it is common for the extended family to attend weddings and events of this type that are held in that group.
On the contrary, living together at home represents the nucleus of intimacy in which only parents and children live. Family relationships are marked by love as parents offer unconditional support to their children throughout life. The family is a form of social structure that has its own laws (rules of coexistence).
Photos: iStock - Dragan Radojevic / sturti
