The Family

The structure of afamily takes different forms around the world and even in the same society.

The family's formchanges as it adapts to changing social and economic influences.Until recently,the most common form in North America was the nuclear family,consisting

of a married couplewith their minor children.The nuclear family is an independent unit.It must beprepared to fend for itself. Individual family members strongly depend on

one another. Thereis little help from outside the family in emergencies.Elderly relatives of a nuclearfamily are cared for only if it is possible for the family to do so.In North

America,the elderly often do not live with thefamily;they live in retirement communities and nursing homes.

There are manyparallels between the nuclear family in industrial societies,such as North

America,and of families in societies such as that ofthe Inuits,who live in harsh environments.

The nuclear familystructure is well adapted to a life of mobility. In harsh conditions,mobilityallows the family to hunt for food.For North Americans,the hunt for jobs and

improved socialstatus also requires mobility.

The nuclear familywas not always the North American standard.In a more agrarian time,the smallnuclear family was usually part of a larger extended family.This might

have includedgrandparents,mother and father,brothers and sisters,uncles,aunts,and cousins.InNorth America today,there is a dramatic risein the number of single-parent

households.Twice asmany households in the United States are headed by divorced, separated,ornever-married individuals as are comprised of nuclear families. The structure

of the family,notjust in North America,but throughout theworld,continues to change as it adapts to changing conditions.Another good titlefor this passage would be______.

A.What Makes aFamily?

B. The Life of theInuits.

C. Living WithHardship.

D. The Failure ofthe Nuclear Family.