The Demise of the essays

The Demise of the essays (NEXT SLIDE) The 1950 ¡s saw the rise of the  ¡traditional ¡ nuclear family, illustrated in television shows like  ¡Ozzie and Harriet ¡ and  ¡Leave it to Beaver ¡. These families redefined society ¡s notions of the household and led to the mistaken view that the 'nuclear family ¡ is the norm. Today many people cling to that view, despite the fact that other varieties of families have risen, like the proverbial phoenix, from the ashes of the Nuclear family. Raise your hand if you currently live with both your biological father and mother. Now leave your hand up if your father is the main breadwinner and your mother the homemaker of the family. You chosen few, whose hands I still see have made your home in the 1950 ¡s institution known as the 'Nuclear Family ¡. Looking around you could be forgiven for thinking that the Nuclear Family was alive and flourishing, but you ¡d be wrong. I am here today to tell you that the 1950 ¡s Nuclear Family in Australia is suff ering a meltdown and is irrelevant to today ¡s society,(PAUSE) however this should not have a detrimental effect on child rearing in Australia. (NEXT SLIDE) The family is perhaps the most important tool for social change, typified by a well-known Confucius saying  ¡The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home ¡ (quotegallery.com/asp/apquotes.asp?parent=Family&author=Confucius.) The 1950 ¡s Nuclear Family was a reflection of the social climate of that time. After the hardships of the Great Depression and World War Two, families were eager to embrace a new style of family life. The Mum, Dad and the Kids family found favour in a group of society wishing to escape a time where they were forced to rely on their extended family. This new style of family life shunned the extended families and saw a significant increase in nursing homes as a place to put meddlesome old grandparents. It provided a rock on which children could anchor th...