The_Changing_American_Family

The Changing American Family The Changing American Family The family is a basic social institution that is defined as a relatively permanent group of persons linked together in social roles by ties of blood, marriage, or adoption, which live together and cooperate financially and in the rearing of children. This definition is broad and encompasses many different types of families from a single father living with his children to a union between a same sex-couple raising a child. In a broader sense a family can be a husband and wife union with no children or it can also be two individuals who cohabitate without any children. There have been many changes in the American family in recent decades brought on by statistical trends and changes in attitudes and beliefs within society. Birthrates have sharply declined, divorce rates have soared, single parent families are more prominent than ever, people are marrying later in life, many women are giving birth out of wedlock and women with small children have entered the workforce in large numbers. Major shifts in attitudes and values have occurred in America, what was once taboo has become mainstream and not nearly as shocking as it was 20 children, family, divorce, marriage, american, families, women, number, age, marrying, couples, americans, society, been, united, states, social, rate, parents, nearly, married, marriages, living, born, before, become, two, together, today, time, single, recent, people, out, others