▶ Your Answer :
Even though the ‘nuclear family’ is a common form of a family these days, there are some people who still claim that the extended family is as important as before and has its own value. In my opinion, however, the value of the extended family has been diminished a lot. The extended family does not have a meaning of importance as before anymore.
First, the reason why the extended family was important is because we have lived in an agricultural society for a long time. Soaping seeds and harvesting need a plenty of people. As a result, when the agriculture was a main industry, people had to form a big family so that they can do work together effectively. In contrast, in a modern society the agriculture is no more a main industry and it is replaced by other industries like commerce, finance and et cetera. People do not need to gather and make a big family anymore. Rather people need to consist a family as smaller as possible, because the housing fee is too expensive and there is not enough space in big cities. Therefore the nuclear family is pervasive today. In other words, because of the uprise and downrise of industries the extended family is not suitable for a modern society while the nuclear family is.
On top of that, one of the merits of the extended family is that it gives its members emotional bond, comfort and support. However, these can be also provided enough by other ways. Since the members of the extended family interacted a lot and were very close, they felt comfortable and bonded in the family. It means that if we interact a lot and be close with others, they can do the role of the extended family too. The values given by the extended family are also able to be provided by other means. For example, my family just consists of my parents and my sister and me, I get lots of support from them however. They have always been supporting me spiritually and financially. I also have some close friends and participate in many individual gatherings. When I am with them I feel satisfied, comfortable and have an emotional bond with them. So by these means I get huge amount of emotional comfort, support and fulfillment. In this way, the merits and values of the extended family can be replaced easily with other groups.
To sum up, as a society has been changed rapidly, now the extended family becomes not as important as before. It has lost its values and has yielded its place to the nuclear family and other forms of contemporary communities. |