Which term refers to a family in which a single couple and their dependent children are the central unit, as opposed to extended kin?

Which term refers to a family in which a single couple and their dependent children are the central unit, as opposed to extended kin?

• A. Cereal packet family
• B. Nuclear family
• C. Extended family
• D. Beanpole family

Answer: (B)

In sociology, the nuclear family is the basic unit consisting of a couple and their dependent children, living independently from wider kin. This exactly fits the description of a single couple and their children as the central household, rather than including extended relatives. The term contrasts with an extended family, which includes a broader network of kin beyond the immediate parents and children. Terms like cereal packet and beanpole describe other ideas or stereotypes (media portrayals of the nuclear family or multigenerational lines with few siblings, respectively), but they do not define the central household in the way the nuclear family does.

In sociology, the nuclear family is the basic unit consisting of a couple and their dependent children, living independently from wider kin. This exactly fits the description of a single couple and their children as the central household, rather than including extended relatives. The term contrasts with an extended family, which includes a broader network of kin beyond the immediate parents and children. Terms like cereal packet and beanpole describe other ideas or stereotypes (media portrayals of the nuclear family or multigenerational lines with few siblings, respectively), but they do not define the central household in the way the nuclear family does.