The Demise of the
(NEXT SLIDE) The 1950's saw the rise of the "traditional" nuclear family, illustrated in television shows like "Ozzie and Harriet" and "Leave it to Beaver". These families redefined society's notions of the household and led to the mistaken view that the „nuclear family' is the norm. Today many people cling to that view, despite the fact that other varieties of families have risen, like the proverbial phoenix, from the ashes of the Nuclear family. Raise your hand if you currently live with both your biological father and mother. Now leave your hand up if your father is the main breadwinner and your mother the homemaker of the family. You chosen few, whose hands I still see have made your home in the 1950's institution known as the „Nuclear Family'. Looking around you could be forgiven for thinking that the Nuclear Family was alive and flourishing, but you'd be wrong. I am here today to tell you that the 1950's Nuclear Family in Australia is suffering a meltdown and is irrelevant to today's society,(PAUSE) however this should not have a detrimental effect on child rearing in Australia. (NEXT SLIDE) The family is perhaps the most important tool for social change, typified by a well-known Confucius saying "The strength of a natio
"(Barbara Ehrenreich, as quoted by Stephen Chapman, www. However, is this really true? Certainly, children are affected by divorce. The Nuclear family cannot, on it's own, guarantee perfect children, child-rearing is accomplished using love, affection, and care, and in my own limited experience with alternative families, they seem just as able to provide these elements as any other family I have known. ) The 1950's Nuclear Family was a reflection of the social climate of that time. If you were to take a poll around the school today, which I have done, you would find that approximately 80% or more of the students live in a family that fulfills the criteria of the Nuclear Family. Even in the ostensibly „functional', nonviolent family, where no one is killed or maimed, feelings are routinely bruised and twisted out of shape. The nuclear family of the 1950's is no longer dominant in today's society, however it is an important contributor to families in Australia. The advent of "career women" have crushed the traditional gender roles of Dad the breadwinner and mum the homemaker, and has resulted in a breakdown of traditional nuclear families. If they devote their married life to being a housewife and are then divorced, they are then left with no salary, no skills, and more often than not, custody of an expensive child. As Bill Mochlenburg said on same-sex families "It's like being born with one arm. However, this school is a statistical anomaly. The Mum, Dad and the Kids family found favour in a group of society wishing to escape a time where they were forced to rely on their extended family.
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Acceptance Essays
