Nuclear vs. Extended Family
What is Difference between Nuclear and Extended Family? The family is considered the core of society, so it is not surprising that family relationships are so important to people. From an early age children are taught the importance of a family and the role they are expected to play in it.
Traditionally, girls are educated in one way and the children in another; all with the aim that the roles of each person are well defined. However, these differences in the upbringing of children vary according to the type of family in which we live. In this article we focus mainly on two families: the extended or joint family and the nuclear family.
Difference between Nuclear and Extended Family
If you have doubts about what is the difference between nuclear and extended family or just search for a little more information to complement what you already know, then continue reading, because below we explain everything you need to know around this interesting topic.
Extended Family
As its name suggests, the extended family is one in which other relatives are integrated in addition to parents and siblings. This includes grandparents, cousins, uncles and sometimes even great-grandparents. They are families made up of a large number of members.
The extended family is more common in rural areas and has the advantage that the children are cared for not only by their parents but also by a large number of family members.
Tribes, small villages, groups of people and small units of civilization are the predecessors of extended families. These remain popular in Latin America, India, China, some African nations and certain Arab regions.
Nuclear family
On the other hand, the nuclear family only consists of parents and children. Nuclear families are small, since they only integrate the closest relatives.
Finally, contrary to the extended family, the nuclear family is more common among urban dwellers; hence it is so common in Europe and the United States. Be that as it may, great importance attaches to the family, but traditional cultures suggest living in extended families; however, since so many people tend to move to cities, the nuclear family model is becoming the most common around the world.
