CHANGING FAMILY

Changing Families in America

Changing Families in America

American Family - Past and Present

For Americans, the family is the cornerstone of society. It is a small community that allows people to build. Of 104.7 million households in 2000, 69% consisted of families (72.5 million), 53% of married couples (55.3 million) (Drexler, 2011). Since 1960, the family structure has evolved a lot due to the increase in life expectancy, the development of the adoption of births outside marriage and divorce. The traditional model, consisting of the father supports the family, the housewife and children under 18 years, all living under one roof has been questioned. 

The American family has undergone and continues to undergo significant changes as the twenty-first century unfolds. To be sure, this change did not begin with the twenty-first century but much, much earlier. Some might posit that change has been ongoing since the very beginning or the idea of family. On one hand, there remain today many families that represent the traditional definition of family, that being a married man and woman and biological offspring living in the same domicile. In some ways this definition remains very alive and well. On the other hand, additional family definitions are now a part or the mainstream culture being influenced by social changes such as attitudes toward divorce, marriage partners, remarriage, culture, and values along with economic influences and government practices.

To be sure, many more families than ever before are comprised of individuals who are not married but cohabiting these could be individuals or the same or opposite sex. Families today would also be comprised or households of biological children, adopted children, or both, from a single race, multiple races, or mixed races (Rosenfeld, 2007). Too, families could be grandparent headed with one or no biological rents on the scene and where grandparents are engaged in the carrying out or meaningful and important childrearing responsibilities.

Factors Causing Changes in Family

Some of the changes in American family life are results of changes in mortality and birth rates that indirectly shift the proportions of family types. The biological family is elongating, as measured by the number of living generations of which it is composed. In 1900, life expectancy was little more than forty-five years. By the end of the twentieth century, life expectancy had stretched to seventy-two years (Rosenfeld, 2007). We discuss each of these factors in a bit detail.

Divorce Rate

The shrinking size of the nuclear family is ...