What Constitutes A Family In North American Culture?

- To begin, the idea of a “family” was present in early cultures in North America known as aboriginals. Aboriginals believed the concept of family was a sacred and significant function within their culture. However, the understanding of what constitutes a family differed from our understanding today. Unlike the nuclear family, aboriginals placed more emphasis on an extended family (Gendered society, 142). In other words, a family unit consisted of the entire community helpful and protecting one another. In addition, the division of labour in this particular family structure did not contain any superiority; male privilege primarily existed in the nuclear family. As years went on, society began to adopt the ways of Europeans. These ways led society to industrialization and urbanization. During this period the thought of the

This connection between women and the home had an enormous effect on the occupations for women. In particular, the idea of women being a superior nurturer can explain why mainly nurses are women or even why largely teaching roles are occupied by dominantly women than men. On the other hand, men began to drift away from the home embracing the responsibilities of a breadwinner. Until the late nineteenth century, all the money produced in a household legally belonged to the male lead. As a result, the belief of a male being the financial support in the family came to exist. Equally important, was the house chores which had to be completed and who better to complete them but women. Consequently, this separation shaped an unequal division of labour. Therefore, one can say that men are considered superior only because at this time they were capable of working in the public sphere. Due to this major separation, the institution of family was shaped by history in which the events came to create the ideal family structure in society, known as the nuclear