核家族

• Reading: かくかぞく
• Romaji: kakukazoku
• Kanji breakdown: 核 (kaku) — nucleus, core; 家 (ka/ie) — house, family; 族 (zoku) — tribe, family group
• Pronunciation: /ka.kɯ.ka.zo.kɯ/

Meaning

Nuclear family. A family unit consisting of parents (or a single parent) and their dependent children, living together without extended family members.

Composed of 核 (nucleus/core) and 家族 (family). A sociological term borrowed from Western social science and widely adopted in postwar Japan as rapid urbanisation transformed the traditional extended family (大家族) model. The predominance of nuclear families is often linked to social issues such as isolation of the elderly and weakened community bonds.

Examples

1. 高度経済成長期に都市へ移住した人々が、核家族を形成するようになった。 People who migrated to cities during the period of high economic growth came to form nuclear families.
2. 核家族化が進む中、高齢の親が孤立するケースが増えている。 As nuclearisation of the family progresses, cases of elderly parents becoming isolated are increasing.
3. 核家族と大家族それぞれの長所と短所を比較する社会学的研究が多数発表されている。 Numerous sociological studies have been published comparing the respective merits and drawbacks of the nuclear family and the extended family.

Usage Guide

Context: family, society, sociology, demographics

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

核 (kaku, nucleus/core) + 家族 (kazoku, family). A calque of the English 'nuclear family,' introduced into Japanese sociological discourse after World War II as Western family models influenced urban Japanese society.

Cultural Context

Era: Postwar–Contemporary

Generation: All ages

Social background: General