Part I
C. Discuss Cherlin’s argument for why Americans have both high rates of marriage and high rates of divorce compared to other industrialized nations.
Andrew Cherlin reviewed the historical changes while noting that marriage still remained the most common and effective living arrangement for bringing up of children. However, children are more likely to grow up in single-parent families, and to experience instability of families especially minority and poor children. His view why the US has high marriage and divorce rates, which is called family metabolism, is attributed to cultural and economic forces that have continually transformed family ...