The Changing Concept of Family

Introduction

Of all the social institutions that a society is made up of, family institution hold the most important and significant position due to the vast impact it places on all the other institutions. Let it be economic, political pr educational institution, all are linked to family institution at the end, in one way or the other. If some changes take place in the family institution, it is bound to have influence on all the other institutions in particular and on society as a whole in general.

No matter how impactful these changes are, they cannot possibly be avoided, as change is the only concept that remains constant. Same has been the case with American families as well and the concept of family in America has been changing, with pace being accelerated in past few years.

Discussion

American family structure through history

The past quarter of the century has shown more changes in family structure of America than all the other periods, since the colonial times. Before this time there were alterations observed in the age of marriage, but other factors remained unchanged, like there was a little percentage of women who never married. The concept of having a child outside wedlock was also not common and less than 10 percent of children were born without marriage.

However, intense alterations have been observed in this institution in American since 1980. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the most dramatic demographic changes in America in post 1980 period occurred in both household and family institution of the national population. The changes took place in all races, all ethnic groups and all age groups in the American society and each aspect of the family underwent changes. A number of aspects are included in the altered are: the number of adults entering wedlock, the number of households having married couples, number of conceived children, the economic role that mothers play in the family, the number of households not having married couples or the single parent families and also the number of children born out of wedlock.

The year 2000 saw a drastic increase in number of unmarried individuals above fifteen years of age. The number was more than ever found in history and marked a few benchmark for the number of unmarried individuals in America, when one third of men and a quarter of total women were reported unmarried. This declining pace of marriage was faster among whites as compared to blacks, who still preferred making marriages, but the number of unmarried adults was on a rise in both groups. In the same year, 2000, 22 percent of adult white women and 42 percent of adult white men were reported unmarried.

Non family household was not a new concept in America, but the number was way less before than it is now. Such households were usually made up of elderly people, who had no families left, but now the concept has changed and most of such households are comprised of young adults, ...