抄録
The present writer's last thesis “Nuclear Family Theory and Japanese Families” (Keisu Kenky (Case Study) Nos. 77, 78; 1963), a criticism upon the nuclear family theory, was recriticized by Dr. K. Morioka in his “Utility of Nuclear Family Theory” (ditto No. 81 ; 1964) from the standpoint of an advocate of the same theory. The following article is a review of the latter and a reassertion of the former, and stress is laid upon these six points.
1) Criticism is significant by way of promoting science.
2) The utility of nuclear families as Idealtypus is restricted to the process of their modernization.
3) Comtemporary families actually and potentially contain such units as single, conjugal, sibling, father-children, and mother-children, households.
4) 'Extended family' does not always mean a composite form of nuclear families.
5) Accordingly, the classification of households for the sake of studying comtemporary families should be as follows :
I. One-generation Household (() =Head)
1. Single household ((M). (F).)
2. Conjugal household ((H) W, H (W))
3. Sibling household (e.g. (Br) Br (2) Si (1))
II. Two-generation Household
1. Father-child (ren) household (e.g. (F) -C)
2. Mother-child (ren) household (e.g. M- (C))
3. Parents-child (ren) ('nuclear') household (e.g. H (W) -C)
4. Other two-generation households (e.g. (An) -Nep.)
III. Three-generation Household
1. Household whose first generation is spouseless (e.g. GM- W-C)
2. Household whose second generation is spouseless or entirely lacking. (e.g- (GF) GM-M-C, (GF) GM- (none) -GC)
3. Household whose first generation is spouseless, and whose second generation is spouseless or entirely lacking (e.g. GF- -GC)
4. Household whose first and second generations are complete (e.g. (GF) GM-MF-GC)
IV. Four-and-more-genaration Household (Left out)
6) In most of the traditional theories of household composition, midnight has been fixed as its time-basis, but in studying the composition of contemporary families, other points of time in a day should be taken into account.
