The Function of the Nuclear Family

Extended families are predominant prior to industrialization, as they need large families to help discard the land or to care for those who can not cultivate the land. Because infant mortality is high, you need to give birth to more children to make sure you have adequate help. This family is a production unit that produces only the goods needed to survive and trade the rest. After the industrial revolution in the second half of the 19th century, it was replaced by a nuclear family as a consumer unit. As a family member became a wage worker, the family needed to move to a more geographical location and a place where you could find a job.

In functionalism, nuclear families are considered to be aggressive organizations that benefit society as a whole. Functionalists believe that nuclear families will play a meaningful function for the benefit of society as a whole. Its functions include reproductive, production of nuclear families to support human children, elementary socialization, core family education, acceptable behavior and acceptable values ​​for children, economic support, finance from nuclear families Assistance, and food dwelling for each family (American Psychological Association, 2010). If these functions are not executed, domestic violence may occur. In addition, people are considered to be the result of social rule: their exposure to their relationships, acquaintances, educational environment and media (Wolitzky-Taylor et al., 2008).

However due to urbanization and immigration and related economic factors, the nuclear family gradually became a dominant family type. Its function is slightly different from the typical nuclear family of Western countries. This may be the result of the expanded family system becoming a guardian of our brothers. There are mainly two marriage forms in Nigeria. Monogamous, marriage of one man and one woman, polygamy, marriage with one man, one wife and two wives. In most cultural groups in Nigeria, traditional marriage is usually an arrangement between two families, not between two families. Therefore, the bride and groom must put pressure to work in marriage. Normally, some problem affects two families, making the relationship between them tense. In most Nigerian cultures, men are usually considered to be the heads of families, as men usually pay dollars or brides.