The Decline Of The Nuclear Family

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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 this essay, “The Cohabitation Epidemic,” by Neil Clark Warren, is talking about why many people decide to live their lives in cohabitation instead of getting married right away. Older generations would look at cohabiting as being something bad or even immoral. In this century, this epidemic is something common and, notwithstanding, normal. Over the years, the U.S. Census Bureau has kept up with how this lifestyle has evolved. In 1970, they had 1 million people that were “unmarried-partner households,” and that number rose to 3.2 million in 1990. In the year 2000, they had 11 million people living in those situations.

Times have changed; the nuclear family is no longer the American ideal because family needs have changed since the 1950's. This American convention of a mother and father and their two children, were a template of films and early television as a depiction of the American family life. Now seen as archaic and cliché by today’s standards, but the idea is common throughout many of the first world nations in the world. This ideal was a vast departure from the past agrarian and pre industrial families, and was modeled and structured as the ‘American dream’ father working, mother maintaining the household and children molded to be simulacra of the parents. This portrayal was not the standard; many communities throughout America had a different

A stage that young adults go through is singlehood, meaning not living with an intimate partner. According to the book, “the most common advantages of singlehood are freedom and mobility” (Berk 388). But there are some disadvantages as, “singles recognize drawbacks-loneliness, the dating grind, limited sexual and social life etc.” (388). In contrast, to individuals who are in relationships and live in cohabitation with their partners. There are advantages to cohabitation. First, it is an alternative for marriage in lower-SES couples as they are “earning power is too uncertain” (389). Once their financial status improves, they then advance to marriage, having kids etc. Second, “U.S. cohabitating gay and lesbian couples report strong relationship commitment” (389). However, a disadvantage for cohabitation is, “those who cohabit prior to engagement are at increased risk for divorce”

Cohabitation is continuing to become increasingly popular and a social norm worldwide. Currently, in the United States, the cohabitation statistics might not be as accurate. The reports could be lower than the actual rate because U.S. Census Bureau does not tabulate all unmarried couples in a home but only the person who rents or owns. Gay couples might not want to disclose that they live together which could also lead to a lower than actual rate report. In addition, some people believe that they are in a common-law marriage and do not feel that they are “unmarried partners.” Therefore, they do not report it as such. (Benokraitis, 2012)

Additionally, the social construction of the nuclear family can be understood by the significant changes in the laws and rights of individuals. Within a nuclear family, marriage is considered mandatory for some individuals but its main bond is between a heterosexual male and female. As a society, communities base a nuclear on this particular ideal but social change began. The legal institution of marriage is not only gendered but also dictates how individuals shall live socially accepted lives. To put it in other words the legal institution of marriage is a system that allows the state to regulate relationships (Mule, Chapter 19 p. 182). It is important to realize that the process of marriage for either heterosexual beings or same –sex

Nuclear family is described as then the traditional family structure which consist of two adult male and female that are legally married and have biological children together. The nuclear family was most popular in the 1950’s and 60’s. They tend to have stronger bonds because they work together and rely on one another to overcome challenges.in this family children observe their parent supportive and loving relationship, which help the children learn how to interact appropriately. Children in this family are well structure and generally have more opportunity due to financial easy and stability of two adults. Nuclear family tend to be hardier when faced with difficulty as they learn to how solve problems together and support each other emotionally.

Having said that, the divorce revolution has contributed to the drop in fertility. 68% of U.S. households don’t have children, and only 32% do. It is believed that the divorce revolution makes the statement that the happiness of parents is more important than that of children. People are no longer staying together merely for the sake of children. Children from divorced parents are likely to have failed relationships themselves, and when they anticipate divorce after marrying their chances of having children are reduced. The fertility issue is not a political issue. Many people believe there are moral reasons for the decrease in fertility but I believe it’s people’s personal decision to have less children. Europe has experienced a very high decrease in fertility and the United States is catching up because we’re an individualistic nation. We prioritize our happiness over marital duties or

The average child rate in the world is currently 2.2 children per women. This means that every family is having an average of two children. In countries that have more than 2 children

Unmarried heterosexual cohabitation has increased sharply in the recent years in the United States. It has in fact become so prevalent that the majority of marriages and remarriages now begin as cohabiting relationships, and most young men and women cohabit at some point in their lives. It has become quite clear that understanding and incorporating cohabitation into sociological analyses and thinking, is crucial for evaluating family patterns, people’s lifestyles, children’s wellbeing and social changes more broadly. This essay presents some common explanation for cohabitation’s dramatic rise and identifies some analytic questions as to how cohabitation is increasingly a major

One of the most dramatic trends of recent years has been the tremendous increase in male-female couples who choose to live together without marrying, a practice called cohabitation. According to the 2000 Census, there are eleven million unmarried people living with an unmarried partner in the United States today, and this number has grown 72% in the last decade alone. While many people like David Popenoe, a Professor of Sociology, on his essay Sociological Reasons Not to Live Together suggests that living together is not a good way to prepare for marriage or to avoid divorce. There is another point of view like an organization called The Alternatives to Marriage Project (AtMP)

Cohabitation has become a relationship norm since the latter part of the twentieth century versus the traditional relationship of getting married. Cohabitation is the sharing of living quarters by two heterosexuals, gay, or lesbian individuals who are involved in an ongoing emotional and sexual relationship (Strong & Cohen 2014). The U.S Census Bureau reported in the year 2009, that 6.6 million Americans were cohabitating couples. Between 1997 and 2001, of the co-residential relationships, 68% were cohabitating relationships, and 32% were marriages (Rose-Greenland and Smock 2009). This high percentage was surprising to me. Originally I thought the percent of marriages continued to outnumber cohabitating couples. This sparked my interesting in asking why are couples cohabitating?

Cohabitation, which is the politically correct term for what used to be called “shacking up”, has become very common in our day. Nearly eight million opposite-sex couples live together today, compared to less than one million thirty years ago. Nearly ten percent of all opposite-sex couples are cohabiting, and over half of all first marriages are preceded by a period of cohabitation (Huang, Smock, Manning, and Bergstrom-Lynch 2011). As a result of a higher average age for young people to marry of twenty seven for men and twenty five for women, emerging adults have more time to experience a range of premarital relationships. Indeed, the courtship process now includes cohabitation as the modal pathway to marriage, a process that often begins with dating, transitions into cohabitation, and culminates

All of us have a natural biological urge to pair bond and this tendency motivates us to seek out intimate relationships with others who could potentially become our significant partner in life. Usually, but not always, this urge is expressed for relationships with someone of the opposite gender. Love relationships and marriage fulfill this need and also the need that many people have to procreate. There are also strong societal norms and expectations that adults will form permanent or at least long-term relationships and there are various social stigmas associated with adults who remain single all of their lives. Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly difficult to support a household on a single income while still having time left over for recreational interests. Marriage allows couples to combine their financial resources and consolidate various practical responsibilities to contribute to a joint home.