There are several reasons why family structure in the US has changed over the last few decades. The traditional family structure of a mother, a father and their two children is being eschewed in favor of a more diverse group of arrangements of people. This paper will seek to explore how the family structure in the US has changed and the factors that have contributed to this change.
There are different traditional family arrangements across the world. From the South Asian culture of a huge joint family where cousins and their families live together to the practice of polygamy that is prevalent even now in some parts of Sub Saharan Africa. However, several factors are influencing these family structures to begin changing all around the world. Globalization has made the nuclear family more popular around the world while the AIDS epidemic which is exacerbated by polygamy is causing African governments to discourage the practice of polygamy (Mbirimtengerenji).
There seem to be two major reasons for this change in family structure in the US- more babies being born out of wedlock and the rise of divorce rates across the country as nearly half of all marriages end in divorce nowadays. This rise in divorce comes from a more inclusive society and the financial independence of women which has resulted in increased tension in marriages. There are several other variables that are significant causes of marital disruption. Age at which one is married plays an important part in divorce with teenage marriages being at higher risk of breaking up. This is due to the degree of maturity and competence for marital roles (Martin & Bumpass.)
Similarly, the number of marriages is also important, as someone who has married and divorced in the past is more likely to do so again. Education also plays an important part and is inversely related to marital disruption. Women with graduate degrees have high rates of separation and this speaks to the effect of the financial independence has had on women seeking to lead more independent life and seeking to eschew the more traditional marital role. The likelihood of divorce also increases on the lower education levels. Marriages that have children before marriage are also more likely be less stable, especially if the husband is not the biologic father of the child. Marital disruption increases for women who begin the marriage with a child. The region is also important in dictating divorce rates with more marriages ending up in divorce in the West, and if divorce is more "accepted" there, it may lead to higher chances of divorce. There are also significant difference in divorce rates between races but these are equalizing, with African American experiencing more marital instability.
There are also some psychological factors that may perpetuate this culture of instable marriages. Molly Castelloe writes in Psychology today that "children tend to suffer in school and social relationships in the aftermath of divorce. Adults bring unresolved conflicts into parenting and romance, reenacting their own childhood dramas and sometimes putting their own needs for gratification before that of their kids." This means that the cycle of divorce, from a psychology standpoint. is self perpetuating and as the children of divorced parents move into adulthood and marry themselves, they will treat their children the same way they were treated. Also, in 2001, adult children of divorced parents where two times more likely to get divorced than the children of married parents. This is what causes the cycle as more and more children are likely to get divorced when they grow up. Parenting has also become more difficult with both parents more likely to work nowadays and more women than men employed in 2010. This means that they have to work in addition to bearing the brunt of the housework which brings obvious strains to the marriage as home no longer becomes a place to look forward to. Parenting becomes more difficult with Castelloe suggesting that "Media becomes a surrogate parent. Perhaps Facebook is the new (bad) breast.
The proliferation of technologies like social networking, cell phones, and video games have altered how children relate to significant others. New communications have rudely infiltrated the therapeutic setting as well." Economic factors such as a stalling economy with longer working hours are also leading to strain in family structures and the rise of smaller families due to the huge increase in geographic mobility has meant that there are very few people living near extended families and "a village" can no longer raise a child. Similarly, less people are likely to get socially involved with neighbors and the idea of a community in a neighborhood is declining meaning that even less help is available in the raising of a child.
Family violence also plays an important role in marital disruption. It is no surprise that families with reported violent members are more likely to be separated. However, family violence comes with the ugly side effect of guilt and misplacement of guilt. Many victims may not report the violence in their families with the fear of causing hurt or a criminal complaint against their significant others. However, family violence against women in the US seems to be in the decline and this may be due to the increasing awareness of it and the increasing financial independence of women, who can now leave their abusive partners without fear of being unsupported financially.
The rise of homosexual unions are due to the slow but steady rise in the social acceptance of these unions and the slow legalization of unions between homosexual partners.
Thus, there are several factors that have influenced the recent trends in changing family structures. Economic factors have contributed to greater geographical mobility, causing more families to be separated into just the core groups. Divorce rates are also on the rise as pre marital pregnancies are on the rise and parents do not feel the need to get married for a social standpoint to have children. Divorce rates are related to many diverse factors that cause marital stress and younger marriages and second marriages are more likely to end in divorce with factors such as education and region also playing a major role in the dissolution of marriages. The cycle of divorce also seems to be self perpetuating with children of divorced parents more likely to be divorced themselves.
Works Cited:
Noel Dzimnenani Mbirimtengerenji, N. D. (2007). Is HIV/AIDS Epidemic Outcome of Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa?. Croatian Medical Journal, 17. Web. December 2, 2013 <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P>.>
Teresa Castro Martin and Larry L. Bumpass. (1989). Recent Trends in Marital Disruption in Sub-Saharan Africa?. Population Association of America. Web. December 2, 2013 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2061492>
Molly Castelloe (2011). “The Me in We Changes in the American Family. How family has changed since 1960”. Web. December 2, 2013, < http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-me-in-we/201104/changes-in-the-american-family>
