Family Structure Changes Essay

Families in the world are very different. They come in different shapes and sizes, it can be based on different kinds of relationship, but what all families have in common that it is made of people you love and care. Over past 20 or more years families in the world has changed the most than it has changed in all history. Of course changes in the families are different among cultures and religions. It seems that United States, Canada and Northern Europe families has changed the most, now Nuclear families are dominating there, when in Asia Extended families still takes a greater number. In the richest places in the world numbers of same sex marriages,

Single parenthood has consequences on African-American families. In fact, statistics have shown that kids of unwed mothers of any race are more exposed to poverty, to go to prison, to perform poorly in school, use drugs, and have their own children out of wedlock (Washington, 2014). Single parenthood has also consequences for families’ health.

Throughout human history individuals around the world, of various ethnic, racial, cultural backgrounds have linked together to form what people call today families. A lot of questions come to mind when contemplating the complex relationship people have. Since families have a direct bearing on society now and on future generations it is essential to take seriously what is happening to the family. Is the American family in decline, and if so what should be done about it? “Traditionally, family has been defined as a unit made up of two or more people who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption: live together; form an economic unit, and bear and raise children (Benokraitis, 3).” The definition of decline is to “fail in strength, vigor, character, value, deteriorate, slant downward.” The traditional nuclear family consists of a father provider, mother-homemaker, and at least one child (Brym and Lie, 252).” The nuclear family is a distinct and universal family form because it performs five important functions in society:sexual regulation, economic cooperation, reproduction, socialization, and emotional support. Research from the 1950 's to the present will emphasize what trends are taking place among American families. Family trends might not have expected???

In over half a century, marriage has transformed from being a social requirement to simply being an option in today’s society. What has caused this change? Many institutions in our society have changed drastically along with marriage. Although these institutions have not caused marriage to be optional, they do strongly correlate with the decreased value. The economy, education, religion, and government have all altered since the 1950s. When any institution encounters a change, all other institutions are affected. Family is a major institution in society, and I believe that marriage is an important aspect of this institution. Cohabitation, religion, women in the work world and divorce have all effected the way marriage is viewed today.

A nuclear family is a family composed of a married father and mother and their children. This type of family became increasingly popular following the industrial age in the 1900s. The nuclear family soon became the norm as people transferred from large kin groups to smaller independent families (Pulsipher, 2015). This posed a problem in the beginning because close relatives no longer played a role in raising children and no longer had anyone to look after them in old age as they did when kin groups were common. However, as time went on, nuclear families faced challenges and soon began to fallout as a result of changes in couples.

There are also increasingly more people who do not marry than in the past because the goal for marriage is no longer about gaining

The idea of the nuclear family was highly valued in the American culture during the 1950s, where romantic love was the central reason for marriage in America; however, love in modern America is not enough to make a marriage last. Likewise, the 1950s was the time for many American marriages to undergo many socioeconomic changes including the rise of the gender minority in the workplace. Due to these developments, marriage is under enormous socioeconomic pressures have given the rise to family structures such as those headed by single parents, multigenerational families and gender roles. The 1950s nuclear family was defined as a heterosexual married couple with children. In addition, social expectations were attached to this idea which was the predictable gender roles of male breadwinner and a female homemaker. The 1950s definition of a nuclear family has for long been engraved as an ideology in America society, but we have failed to see that the contemporary America has experienced dissolution of the 1950s nuclear family. The gradual dissolution of the 1950s nuclear family has had both positive and negative social effects. However, the problem of the 1950s ideology of a family is no longer functional or representative of the contemporary American society.

In All the Single Ladies, by Kate Bolick, the argument is made that women in the current American culture more commonly live through their reproductive years without marrying. The current culture also has seen the end of the traditional marriage ideal and monogamous relationships. From a sociological standpoint, the naturally occurring questions are: why do modern American women marry less than in the past, is the declining marriage rate a social harm, and how should society respond to the falling marriage rate. Sociological concepts like demographic reproduction, economic production, and cultural transmission help answer these questions.

I believe some people are choosing not to marry because of several reasons. The first reason I believe women specifically are choosing not to marry is because of the feminist movement and the changing role of women in our society. Before the feminist movement most women were homemakers, and the role of women was to care for her family and home. Today, women are expected by society to succeed at education and in the workforce just as they are expected to be caring and loving mothers and homemakers. This idea of women having to succeed in all aspects can lead to many women deciding one or the other because doing both can seem impossible at times. The second reason I believe men and women are both choosing not to marry is because a desire of individual success over a desire to have a marriage and family. Many single adults are putting marriage on the backburner to climb the career ladder. Being responsible only for yourself can give you the ability to purchase material things you want. On the other hand, the financial responsibilities of marriage and families can keep people from having the ability to buy things they may want individually. The third reason I believe people are choosing not to marry is because of a fear of divorce. Many of the adults today in their 20’s and 30’s grew up in divorced families. When children grow up and experience the life of a divorce they can have fears and negative ideas about marriage and

Divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing are now epidemic in American society. Both forms of disrupted families are harmful to children and to society. The children of single parents are more likely to do poorly in school, commit crimes, and become single parents themselves. In addition, the increase in single-parent families contributes to such social problems as poverty, crime, and a decline in the quality of public education.

Due to the rise in divorce rates, low fertility rates, childless couples and same sex couples, there is a belief that the family is under threat. This belief is based on the assumption that the family is a static entity that served a function, as proposed by Murdock. Research has shown, that although the nuclear family has been one form of structure, it has never been the only form throughout the world, as suggested by Murdock (Bessant & Watts, 2007, p. 168). Although in modern times we are seeing a diversity of families, the family has always been a diverse structure. As the sociologist Diana Gittins (1993) suggests, it is more appropriate to discuss families than ‘the family’, families are diverse, and there is not a single model to describe them (Giddens, 2009, p. 332). The nuclear family is not disappearing, however, it does not hold the monopoly it was once thought to hold (Beck-Gernsheim 1998, p.

I want you to stop whatever you are doing and think with me for a brief moment; think about the common stereotype that hundreds of people have been brought up with, and that still to this day, remains active in influencing and shaping the way in which hundreds of people visualize happiness. That common stereotype that I am referring to is the sociologically driven belief, that in order to be happy, one must undergo the unpredictable union of marriage. Union, which in the eyes of many grants the involved parties not only the satisfaction, but the tools to live happily ever after. Despite this common stereotype that in order to be happy one must marry, it is important to state though many marriages turn out to be a catastrophe, many are indeed successful; and many individuals do find happiness, satisfaction, and life-long fulfillment through the religious or sometimes, so called, civil unions. But why then do some marriages fail? Why after the numerous examples of failure, do people still believe that in order conquer complete happiness, one must be bonded to another person through the promises standing behind weeding rings?

There are countless reasons that help to explain the growing number of people delaying marriage. Between 1976 and 2011the median age of first marriage increased by six years for men and seven years for women, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. “There is little doubt that the experiences of young people making the transition into adulthood are quite different now than they were 20 years ago. Many of these changes are direct results of labor-market restructuring, workplace reorganizations, and changing educational demand” (Lehmann 2004, 380). The changing patterns of education and youth labor market also accounts for this increase.

What benefits are there of marriage today and why do Americans continue to marry? Campbell and Wright (2010) point out, even with roughly a 50% chance of first marriages ending in divorce in the United States, marriage is still the crucial goal for most adults. The top reason given by individuals for getting married is now love (p. 331). In a life time a person will typical meet an individual, get married, have a child, and live happily ever after. In our society, these life events are now occurring in numerous orders, which is altering the traditional concept of marriage. These new trends are not necessarily wrong, but it does force counselors to respond to the changing family structure.

I do not profess to be a sociologist; for I am not smart enough to understand the concepts or capable of dressing the part, but I am very interested in how the society I live in is constantly evolving. It may be possible that the decline in permanent marriages are the result of a cultural tendency in perception that promotes individual happiness and fulfillment as the most important goal to achieve. The main reason for marriage today under this concept, is for the individual to acquire love and experience happiness. Society has put greet emphasis on achieving this goal, and that if a person is unhappy, then their life is not fulfilling and they should endeavor to make changes so that their life is fulfilling. Marriage is seen today as something that should not last forever if true happiness is not met. It has become somewhat disposable in concept. If an unhappy marriage was permanent, the door would be closed and that individual would never find self-fulfillment (Shulman, 2004).