Is the 'nuclear family' still relevant in today's society?

The tradiitional idea of a nuclear family, consisting of a husband and wife and their children, can still be seen as the dominant form of family today, however changes in society in recent decades have seen it be decline or be altered in some ways. This can be attributed to the declone in the influence of the churh in British society, with less stigma surrounding divorce and same - sex partnerships. Changng roles of women are also significant - with greater career oppurtunity, women have more financial independence and can afford to support themselves. In the past, they would have been reliant on their huband as the primary breadwinner. However, women who now choose careers often find that they decide to have children, or indeed get married, later as their work life takes precedent. By having children later, there are less years of fertility, and as such nuclear families often have fewer children. The use of contraception also affects this. As a result of these factors -secularisation and changing roles of women, we can see the diminished relevance of nuclear families. whislt still dominant, other forms are emerging, such as same sex couples, cohabiting couples and divorced or seperated parents.