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Sociology vocabulary · Family, Gender and the Life Course

Nuclear family

Meaning in sociology, with examples

nounCore term

In sociology, nuclear family means: A family made up of two parents and their dependent children living together in one household.

In Turkish: çekirdek aile

How it is used

Parsons argued that the nuclear family suited industrial society because it was small and geographically mobile. Today sociologists ask whether it is still the 'typical' family, given the growth of single-parent and reconstituted families and of people living alone.

Example sentences

  1. Murdock claimed that the nuclear family exists in some form in every society.

  2. In Turkey, the nuclear family is now the most common family type.

Common collocations

  • traditional nuclear family
  • nuclear family household
  • decline of the nuclear family
  • isolated nuclear family
  • extended familyA family that includes relatives beyond parents and children, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins, who live together or keep close daily contact.
  • familyA group of people related by blood, marriage, partnership or adoption who usually share a home, resources and responsibility for raising children.
  • kinshipThe network of relationships between people based on descent, marriage or adoption, together with the rules and obligations that come with them.
  • gender roleThe set of behaviours, tasks and attitudes that a society considers suitable for women or for men, usually learned through socialisation.

More terms: Family, Gender and the Life Course

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