Posted by Rose on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 8:34pm.
OK. Looking now.
I think the answer is B -- the Farrish family consisting of Mary Beth and her single mother -- is the best description of a nuclear family.
Your text states: "small nuclear families consisting of mother, father,(or a single mother),and two or three children. . ." It also says that people who don't approve of small, nuclear families believe that having strangers care for a child (such as in day care) is not appropriate. That implies that having outsiders take care of children is not done in extended families. It's only small, nuclear families that must rely on strangers to provide child care.
In C and D, the child is not living with his/her mother or father. The child is living with relatives or people provided by the community.
________________________________________
The original post:
Which of these scenarios best describes a nuclear family?
A) Jeremiah is growing up within a cluster of adults and children who maintain their own living quarters
but come together for work and meals. Child-rearing is a shared responsibility.
B) The Farrish family is comprised of ten-year-old Mary Beth and her mother who teaches at Ingleside High School.
Since Mary Beth's grandparents live
too far away to help,she goes to
after-school care until her mother picks her up after work.
C) Following an accident in which her
parents were killed,Josefina,age 6,
is taken in by her mother's sister
and brother-in-law and raised as one
of their own children.
D) Adam is a foster child currently
living with a family in which there
is a father, a stay-at-home mother,
and the couples's two children.
I know a nuclear family is a small isolated family consisting of a
father, mother,(or a single mother)
with one or two children.
I am thinking the correct answer would be: (D) Adam is a foster child
currently living with a
family in which there is
a father, a stay-at-home
mother, and the couple's
two children.
I am not real sure---- Please Help!
For Further Reading
Cultural Diversity - SraJMcGin, Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 12:15pm
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. There are some good explanations of the "nuclear family" that might help you decide:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_family
2. http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/6-23-2004-55793.asp
I tend to believe as you do in D for the answer because it says there must be a mother, father, at least one child and the unit must be self sufficient.
Cultural Diversity - Writeacher, Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 12:20pm
And, for the same reason, C could be the answer. The "extra strength" I see in C is that the child still lives with relatives, not a foster family.
=)
Please Help---- I need help with this question----------------I am desperate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Rose, Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 12:29pm
Thanks for posting the sites for me to
view-- however after veiwing them I've
come to the conclusion C or D could be the correct answer. Please help!!!!
Cultural Diversity - SraJMcGin, Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 12:33pm
What a quandry! Now I like C too!
Cultural Diversity - Writeacher, Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 12:51pm
Rose, no need to put all those hyphens and exclamation marks in the Subject line. Those kinds of things turn potential readers off!
Go with C; the child is with relatives in a "nuclear" family.
Cultural Diversity - PsyDAG, Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 1:58pm
The difficulty is that there are variations in the definition of nuclear family. Depending on the definition used, I could pick B, C or D.
Here is one definition from Wikipedia:
In its most common usage, the term "nuclear family" refers to a household consisting of a father, a mother and their children (siblings).[4] George Murdock also describes the term in this way:
The family is a social group characterized by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction. It contains adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults.
Some also use the term to describe single-parent households and families in which the parents are a "non-conjugal" couple.
However, after-school care (B) does not fit the definition.
Since a foster child (D) only temporarily lives with that family, I would also tend to go with C.
However, I believe that there is not one clear answer. I think all of the last three could qualify as "correct."
To me, it seems to be more of a problem with the construction of the question than the ability of students...or other teachers.
I hope this helps a little more. Thanks for asking.
Cultural Diversity - bobpursley, Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 2:08pm
Innane government regulations have financially discouraged adoption of foster children, so many foster kids remain in "foster"homes forever. I know of several families wherein "foster"kids have been living in the family for several years. They fit into the family, and I think the fit the description of family members of a nuclear unit. I agree with PsyDag, there is not a clear answer, in the real world. Sometimes Texts simplify things so that clear answers happen, but in the real world, fuzzy reality takes over.
This is what my text states: - Rose, Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 2:16pm
I am confused with this question!
I can only choose one answer!
Here is what my text states:
The middle-class preference for relatively small nuclear families consisting of mother, father,(or a single mother),and two or three children, is unusual when compared with families from most other non-European
backgrounds. Most cultures include maternal or paternal grandparents in the family structure,and even aunts,
uncles, cousins, and close family friends. By comparison, the nuclear
family is relatively isolated.
Nonmainstream families view such family
structures as lacking adequate social
support for nurturing and caretaking young children. The reliance of mainstream families on child care provided outside the home by relative
strangers is viewed as inapproprite.
So, I do not know if C or D is the correct answer!
Cultural Diversity - Rose, Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 2:22pm
I guess C or D could be a nuclear family- but- the question on my assignment was --
Which best describes a nuclear family?
Cultural Diversity - Ms. Sue, Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 2:34pm
Let's look at B again -- a mother and child with no other family members nearby. Your text says that a nuclear family may be only a single mom and child(ren). It also goes on to say that nonmainstream families view a nuclear family in which the child is taken care of by relative strangers as inappropriate. That again fits with B.
I reject C and D because they aren't nuclear families by your text's definitions. In both instances the child is being cared for by people who are not their birth parents.
That said -- I agree with the other teachers that there isn't a clear universal definition of nuclear family. As Bobpursley said, in the real world, the distinctions between different families is fuzzy.
Ms. Sue this is for you-please read - Rose, Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 7:05pm
so, you are are saying (B) is the correct answer?
Please,if you donot mind, explain to me again why you are saying (B) because I
am not understanding what you are saying!
thank you for the enlightment!
You're very welcome. I know this was really confusing since five of us teachers gave you three different answers. I'm glad you hung in there and tried so hard to understand it. :-)
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