Patterns of Adult-Child Associations in 18 Cultures: An Index of the "Nuclear Family"

In: Journal of comparative family studies, Volume 19, Issue 1, p. 69-84

Abstract

During discretionary times and in public places for men and women and children, the incidences of various combinations of adults and children who were associating with each other were recorded in 18 cultures. Over 49,000 children who were associating with adults were recorded. The relative proportion of man-woman-child triads (defined as a "nuclear family template") was of particular interest. Across cultures, the predominate group was the adult-child dyad, especially the woman-child dyad. In addition, it was found that when an adult-child dyad does associate with another adult to form a triad, it is more prone to associate with a cross-gender adult rather than with a same-gender adult. That is, a manwoman-child triad is formed. This dynamic of preferential cross-gender association is especially prevalent for the man-child dyad (compared to the woman-child dyad). It is further suggested that as a culture's reliance upon traditional division of labor by gender decreases, then the culture's reliance upon the man-woman-child triad ("nuclear family template") increases.