Barbara J. Risman's Families As They Really Are

Family is the most important aspect of student success, this is the unit that teaches children how communicate, have good/appropriate social skills, and problem solving skills and this could not be truer than with a special needs child, yet if that child has a sibling this can be to their detriment. Mary McHugh, author of the book Special Siblings writes that “I don’t know if that happy baby turned into that somber child because of my brother’s disability or because my parents’ marriage was almost destroyed by it,” showing how typically developing children are, many times, at a disadvantage in the family unit because their parents are pouring all their love and attention into the special needs child leaving the typical child deprived and alone

Contrastingly, middle class parents, who have a college degree and a career, feel an obligation to mold their children into well-rounded adults. Therefore, middle class families have extremely hectic schedules with the parents’ occupations, children’s education, numerous

The initial indication of an evolving American Dream is the reality of transformations in family structure. American families used to encompass the mutual goal of multiple children in a stable, two-parent household. The article “Why is the American Dream Dead in the South?” states, “…nothing correlates with upward mobility more than the number of single parents, divorcees, and married couples” (O’Brien 5). In present day society, there is a gradual increase in the amount of single parents due to divorce or growing distinctiveness in

In our society, we carry an ideological assumption that a “normal” family consists of the man working to provide for the family and the women takes on the role of stay-at-home mom (Dow 1992).

Although, Nixon's “War on Drugs” affected Black marriage the rate in which families were staying together was already declining. More families were getting divorced, while some were never marrying. More people were having children out of wedlock which caused stress to the families making them even more divided. Marriage trends for families in general began to decline after the 1960s. The African American family began to spiral in the 1970’s continuing into the 1980’s. What was the reason for this decline? During this time, new jobs were emerging, there were men who were returning home from the war. Families were trying to establish themselves more, however not as a unit any longer, but as their individual selves. In comparison to the 1950s

Wendy Lankford was raised within a “traditional” family and grew up alongside her mother, father, and younger brother in my home state of Maryland. Today, she is married to Shane Lankford and together they care for three adopted sons; ages 22, 7, and 4. Wendy is a stay at home mom who is also actively engaged in her church community and with several nonprofit service groups. Both she and her husband have dedicated themselves to raising awareness and working on behalf of orphans, those with special needs, and those living in poverty.

hard all their lives to support their families, endured great hardship when they were too old to work or faced loss of income for other reasons (Walton, 2010). To make it through lean times, workers often had to rely on their savings, or help from friends and relatives (Walton, 2010). Although no longer protected by the former economic safeguard of the multigenerational family, American workers had yet to find a new way to endure “severe losses in income” caused by recessions, layoffs, and failed businesses. In the new industrial-age America, characterized by splintered nuclear families, a get-rich-quick mentality prevailed and no one stayed behind to care for the old, the sick, or the poor (Atkinson, 2006).

Family is one of the oldest institutions in human history with a universal and basic role in all societies, and studying the structure of family in different cultures will help us further understand its functions and effects on society. During the 20th century, the common family type in America was the “nuclear family”, two married heterosexual people living with their children (Coontz, 2006). Due to many influential changes, the concept of family has been redefined and it now includes a variety of living arrangements. Feminism has been one of the successful social movements, and has promoted alternative types of the American family. The movement has different priorities in each society, and in the United States one of the issues is the “gender pay gap”. Gender pay gap is defined as the average difference between men’s and women’s aggregate hourly earnings (European Commission, 2014). According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2014 the median weekly earnings for workers with at least a bachelor’s degree was $336 lower in women than men, and for workers with advanced degrees was $445 lower in women than men (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). This average difference of $17,000 to $24,000 a year is one of the contributors to the “gender pay gap” issue. The importance of financial security is a well-known fact that women in America began embracing it after World War II; many women decided to postpone marriage in order to focus on their education and career

The families in America are steadily changing. While they remain our most valued and consistent source of strength and comfort, some families are becoming increasingly unstructured. In the past, the typical family consists of a working father, a stay at home mother and, of course, well-rounded children. Today, less than 20 percent of American families fit nicely into this cookie cutter image. American households have never been more diverse. Natalie Angier takes stock of the changing definition of family in an article for the New York Times.

American families have never been as diverse as they are today. There is a constant changing definition of what we call “family”. We as Americans are straying further and further from the idea of a classic nuclear family. One of the biggest reasons is a dramatic rise in kids living with a single parent. In 2014, just 14% of children younger than 18 lived with a stay-at-home mother and a working father who were in their first marriage (Livingston, 2015). This research will address in depth why households are now more diverse than ever, what’s the normal family now, and why aren’t the laws adjusting to how the average American family lives today.

This paper will discuss the differences between families from the 1960’s and the families of today. There are many differences between the different times. I have focused on the parentage portion of the families. I explained what the ideal family is and how it is different today. I’ve also included ways that will help these families of today become stronger as a family.

People around the country are living in a very hard economic crisis that they have experienced since 2008. This difficult situation has created circumstances that cause people to lose their jobs and companies taking the options of laying off employees, creating a big impact in many families around the country. This situation has not improved at all in the last three years, which makes it very hard for anyone to find a job. The consequences for all these changes are affecting families’ lives in different ways emotionally, socially, and financially. According to the United States Department of

Single parent families, especially those headed by a female, differ greatly from married couple families in their characteristics. Single parent families are more likely to be poor, receive welfare, and contain young children. In 1990 female-headed households had a poverty rate of 33.4 percent while poverty rates for married couple and male-headed households were 5.7 and 12.0, respectively. (U.S. Bureau of the Census 1991a). As reflected by their higher poverty rate, the earnings power of women heading households is far less than that of married couples or male only

Single parent households are a sensitive topic that is highly debated today. This topic is one that has repercussions for both the parents and the children involved. However, regardless of the different consequences, these households continue to grow in the coming years. “In 1970, traditional two-parent married households dominated, making up 81 % of all households in the United States (US). By 2012 this number dropped to around 66 % … In 2012, approximately 21 million children, or 28 % of all children in the US, lived with one parent” (Kramer, 2015). It is interesting to look at the way the single parent households continue to grow throughout the years, all while being a hot topic for discussion on its consequences. When thinking about a book to read for this course, there was no real choice. I stumbled upon this book and knew right away that I could benefit from this book, as well as connect to it on a deeper level and relate to it personally.

Mothers are very passionate about their choice to work or stay at home with their children. This is a heated debate about what is best for children and who is the better mother. Just in the last generation more mothers are choosing to work, which is also sparking some conflict in families where grandparents felt it was important to stay at home with their children. This paper compares and contrasts both sides of working and being a stay at home mother. While there is no right or wrong answer to the work and family dilemma, it’s important to understand both sides.