Nuclear family

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 6

Nuclear family

Background, media, culture

How would you define a "nuclear family"?

Definition nuclear family

(noun)

a couple and their dependent children, regarded as a basic social unit. (Dictionary)

A nuclear family, elementary family, atomic family, cereal-packet family or conjugal family is a family group consisting of parents and their children, typically living in one home residence. It is in contrast to a single-parent family, the larger extended family, or a family with more than two parents.

(Wikipedia)

Definition

The family is a social group characterized by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction. It contains adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults.

(George Murdock)

US family structures 1960-2012

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Nuclear families in media

Early sitcoms - nuclear families

Leave it to Beaver  (1950s)

The Brady Bunch (1970s)

Seventh Heaven   (1990s)

What TV shows with families can you think of (nuclear or not?)

- Full House

- Fresh Prince of Bel Air

- The Cosby Show

- Malcolm in the Middle

- Family Guy

- The Simpsons

- Gilmore Girls

- Modern Family

- Friends

- Family Matters

- Arrested Development

- All in the Family

- Roseanne

- Everybody Loves Raymond

- Married...with Children

- The Wonder Years

- Happy Days

- The Beverly Hillbillies

Assignment: Google your sitcoms. Nuclear family? What family structure? Why (humor?)