Family Ties and Aging

The Availability of Family Ties in Later Life: Demographic Trends and Family Structure

Introduction

Traditional anthropological definitions of the family which include aspects such as common residence, economic cooperation, and a sexually approved union of individuals from the opposite sex which results in reproduction, are no longer encompassing enough of the existing diversity which characterizes families around the world (Chambers 2000).

Today, for instance, there are families where the partners are not married but are cohabiting, there are families that choose not to have children, and there are families where the partners are of the same rather than the opposite sex and whose relations are not necessarily sanctioned by society. Nor is there necessarily a common residence (e.g., immigrant families which are often separated) or economic cooperation between family members. New reproductive technologies have added to this complexity by making it possible for women to have children in the absence of a father (e.g., through sperm donors) or for infertile couples to have a child through a surrogate mother (Chambers 2000).

Therefore what is a family is an open question which is often debated, contested, and often redefined as different groups try to establish one kind of legitimate definition over another. What is a family will continue to remain an open question and its definitions will be fought over by all those who have an interest to define it one way or another. Moreover, since family is a concept which is closely linked to other concepts such as marriage, sexuality, and parenting which are themselves quite often open to variable definitions it will probably continue to challenge the moral sensitivities of people.

Divorce Rate in America

For the past few years, the divorce rate in America has been rising. In some cities, divorce in America is increasing at a rapid pace. ...