The concept of nuclear family in Australia has undergone dramatic changes since colonialism to present day. Structural forces such as industrialisation, technology, feminist movement, marriage and multiculturalism have modified the nuclear family to its present state. Institutional forces such as government (legislative), church and education have followed this metamorphosis by incorporating and embracing these changes to its modality. Thus changing structural forces in Australian society have compelled institutional forces to make modifications accordingly.
The nuclear family is the “traditional” concept of a family it consisted of father, mother and their children with the mother not being in paid employment and the father being the sole breadwinner. The family or the household is one of the main institutions in society. It is here that almost all the consumption in society takes place. The make-up of the family is not as "cut and dry" as it once was. Social forces have modified the nuclear family, the structural and institutional forces such as multiculturalism, the feminist movement, education, the church and the government alter the notion of the nuclear family. The nuclear family is as it was, is dead
. . .
As the domestic group or household is the major purchasing unit in the society, the image of family generally conveyed through marketing is also that of the household family. Being smaller, this family form was seen as better equipped than other family forms to operate in the modern economy which revolves around individual achievement and social and geographic mobility (Parsons and Bales 1955). The emphasis in this definition of family is upon the demography of domestic groups. The reality, therefore, is that people define their own families. In 70% of households today there is no single breadwinner. The questions cover financial, practical and emotional, support. Feminism promoted equality and democracy in marriage, encourage women to leave violent and oppressive relationship. In the 1960’s we saw a 'war over the family' waged on one side by those who seek to protect the idealised 'breadwinner' model of the nuclear family against the trend to uphold the rights of individual family members.
Australia’s multiculturalism is a one of the most important sources of family diversity. Finally, the almost total absence of extended family households among Australians born in Australia is confirmed in recent studies (McDonald 1991). From this the family became more diverse this included sole parent, gay families, blended families and so on (Lincoln). While it is possible in theory to take your co-resident spouse to the Family Court in order that he or she provides you with financial support, and it has been done, it is difficult to imagine this approach being used very often in a continuing marriage.
In contemparay Australian society, there has been increasing emphasis on the autonomy of the individual, on romantic love, on the privacy of the couple, fulfilment become more progressive more widespread (McDonald 1988: 40-7: beck 2000: 164-74).
Approximate Word count =
2881
Approximate Pages =
12 (250 words per page double spaced)
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