Murdock’s definition of the universal nuclear family
Murdock’s definition of the universal nuclear family
Murdock’s definition of the nuclear family is that it’s some sort of social group that symbolizes a common household; financially contribute together and reproduce to have offspring. This includes different sexed adults together, at least two of them having some sort of sexual relationship and one or more children. These children can be adopted or biologically belong to the adults.
Murdock based his definition on a sample study of small families, large ones too, which came from 250 different societies. Stating the common denominators within a nuclear family is: man, woman and one child or more. Anything other than this was considered to be an ‘extended’ family in Murdock’s eyes. This is good because he gave an average on what the families were like- making it accurate at the time when the experiment took place.
It’s helpful for sociologist’s to define the aspects of social lives, such as the family in order to help prove and understand things like diversity. Also, demonstrating how identity works so others can learn and build themselves on it.
However, Murdock’s definition may have been appropriate at the time when he was writing but today there are many examples of family lives that contradict parts of his definition. For example, “It contains adults of both sexes” – this quote states that both the adults have to vary in gender, not considering those of a civil partnership or marriage. Back in the time when Murdock was writing it was highly uncommon, in fact illegal, to be in a homosexual relationship - hence Murdock not having mentioned them in his family description. Another family household which is not represented in Murdock’s definition is a Couple, themselves and others in society would consider them as a household in this era but again, when Murdock was writing the point of ‘living’ was to have children for many reasons, including using them as an income by sending them off to work, resulting in a
Murdock’s definition of the nuclear family is that it’s some sort of social group that symbolizes a common household; financially contribute together and reproduce to have offspring. This includes different sexed adults together, at least two of them having some sort of sexual relationship and one or more children. These children can be adopted or biologically belong to the adults.
Murdock based his definition on a sample study of small families, large ones too, which came from 250 different societies. Stating the common denominators within a nuclear family is: man, woman and one child or more. Anything other than this was considered to be an ‘extended’ family in Murdock’s eyes. This is good because he gave an average on what the families were like- making it accurate at the time when the experiment took place.
It’s helpful for sociologist’s to define the aspects of social lives, such as the family in order to help prove and understand things like diversity. Also, demonstrating how identity works so others can learn and build themselves on it.
However, Murdock’s definition may have been appropriate at the time when he was writing but today there are many examples of family lives that contradict parts of his definition. For example, “It contains adults of both sexes” – this quote states that both the adults have to vary in gender, not considering those of a civil partnership or marriage. Back in the time when Murdock was writing it was highly uncommon, in fact illegal, to be in a homosexual relationship - hence Murdock not having mentioned them in his family description. Another family household which is not represented in Murdock’s definition is a Couple, themselves and others in society would consider them as a household in this era but again, when Murdock was writing the point of ‘living’ was to have children for many reasons, including using them as an income by sending them off to work, resulting in a