Which term refers to a couple and their dependent children as a basic social unit?

• A. Extended family
• B. Patriarchal family
• C. Nuclear family
• D. Beanpole family

Answer: (C)

The nuclear family is a couple and their dependent children living in one household. This unit is seen as the basic social unit because it is the primary site where children are socialized, where emotional support and daily economic cooperation occur, and where parenting and reproductive roles are concentrated. It contrasts with the extended family, which includes additional relatives such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles who may live together or maintain close kinship ties but not form the immediate daily household. The beanpole family describes a multigenerational structure with relatively few members in each generation, often due to demographic changes, and isn’t used to label the basic unit of the household. The idea of a patriarchal family refers to gendered power relations within the household rather than its size or composition. Understanding what the nuclear family represents helps explain how children learn norms and values through direct parenting and how households organize work and care in many modern societies.