ilies, grand parents raising grand children, multiracial families, interfaith families and multi generational families (i.e three or more generations living together in a single household.) Many argue that the traditional nuclear family is universal or nearly universal as the basic living unit. Although marriage and family forms vary widely throughout the world, the nuclear family has been the most prevalent living arrangement in industrialized countries. As we walk along the evolutionary path of the family, we see that there has been a tremendous change in the division of labor in the household from the traditional nuclear family to the “other” families. In my essay I will be discussing how the traditional family marginalizes other family forms and reinforces class, race and gender inequalities. I will prove that the nuclear family is not resisting the ideological view of the family anymore, and how these other family forms are in fact resisting this same ideological structure, by reinforcing gender equality in the division of labor in the household.

Between the 1800s and the 1900s industrialization had effected much of the country. This era allowed and accommodated movements of people and businesses, and brought about the new development of sex roles. The male world expanded and men had the opportunity to take up new careers; they were still the breadwinners of the family. Women’s role during this time also changed, but not as drastically as the role of men. The primary role of women was still homemaker and taking care of the children. Some women, mostly from the lower class, entered the industry by using domestic skills in factory work. Women employees were in demand by industries because they were a cheaper form of labor. Widowed and unmarried women made up the majority of the female working force. Once married most of the middle class women stayed at home following the form of traditional nuclear family. Lower class, married women were allowed and encouraged by their families to stay in the work force mainly for financial reasons. Married women who were employed had two jobs, one unpaid which was the work at home and the other underpaid which was out in the labor force. During he 20th century the women’s movement was on its high peak. During this period women were gradually moving into the male dominated labor force. Unemployment during the Great Depression period, forced some men to do

Some topics in this essay:
World War, Asian Indian, , nuclear family, traditional nuclear, traditional nuclear family, labor force, Unemployment Depression, black families, nuclear family form, form family, division labor, women’s movement, family form, family forms, husband wife, taking care children, division labor household, women labor force,