Family

History of the Family

The nuclear family is defined as that of two cohabitating adults of both sexes and their children who all cooperate for economic and socialization purposes. Although the nuclear family is neither a complete nor an entirely accurate way to understand families, a brief review of the history of the nuclear family provides grounds for understanding more contemporary and globally diverse family structures.

The modern nuclear family may have its roots in ancient Hebrew society, where families were constructed according to marriages arranged between fathers. The Hebrew family was quite patriarchal; fathers and husbands made all of the important decisions and held all the wealth. Modern prohibitions against homosexuality and incest may be based in part on the practices of the Hebrews, who enacted severe penalties for those thought to have violated these conventions. Male domination of the household was also a particular feature of Greek families: Sons were the sole beneficiaries of inheritance, and whereas men were freely permitted to have sexual relations outside of marriage, women likely faced a punishment of death for the same act.

Although certain features of the nuclear family (such as patriarchy, marriage, and the maintenance of property through inheritance) can be traced to the Hebrews and the Greeks, other features (such as monogamy) can possibly be traced to the Romans. Although the Romans were very patriarchal, monogamy increased women's status slightly because women were more valued as the sole child bearers for one man. The expansion and eventual consolidation of the Roman Empire, which was accompanied by frequent warfare, had a major impact on the Roman family. This pattern continues today, as global events such as war and economic liberalization are causing such trends as transnational family arrangements and double-wage-earning families. The frequency with which Roman men went to war meant that women [Page 547]assumed more power and responsibility while the men were away. Women were able to earn some independent income and were able to secure divorces without much retribution, remarrying became more frequent, and sexual mores became more liberal.

Perhaps no other institution has had such a major influence on the makeup of the Western family as has Christianity. Although the church today may be seen as the ultimate arbiter of the nuclear family, at first, church leaders expressed ambivalence toward marriage. Eventually, however, the church became heavily involved in the development of family life. The church confined sex strictly to married couples and then only for the purpose of reproduction. Monogamy was rigorously enforced, adultery was met with severe penalties, and even divorce was grounds for excommunication. Although less severely enforced, these ideas remain salient for family arrangements today, particularly in regions where the Catholic Church has a large presence.

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