Typical American Families
Typical American Families The discussion focused on the nature of family roles, an overview of the major demographic changes (marriage, cohabitation, non-family households, remarriage, fertility, teen pregnancy, and female employment) affecting the American family in recent decades, and the nature of the impact on women, men, and children. Four main trends were identified: 1) an increased proportion of children living in single-parent families due to high divorce rates and increased births outside of marriage; 2) an increased share of adults in non-traditional living arrangements; 3) increased participation of women in the labor force at all stages of the life cycle; and 4) a decrease in the proportion of children and an increase in the proportion of elderly people in the total population due to declining mortality and fertility rates. Starting a family is based on parental and educational roles, the need for society and emotional support, and ...