Is The Nuclear Family Toxic?

PLEASE ignore the title of the video. It turns out that Paglia’s speech, from about :40 on, is a paean on the extended family and a sharp critique of the “prison” that is the so-called “nuclear family.”

There was a time, not so terribly long ago, when families were extended and either lived several generations together in a large house or near to each other. You knew your neighbors. Getting childcare was simply a matter of asking your or your partner’s mom if she’d watch the kids, or if they couldn’t, a neighbor would do it.

Things are different today, but are we better off?

Paglia is obviously not everyone’s cup of tea. She’s brilliant, but she’s also hyperactive and tends to monopolize conversations. At the same time, she’s almost always interesting.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 1 month ago by Unseen.