- What do the terms traditional family and non-traditional family mean?
Traditional family: A traditional family is a type of family structure that comprises of a man, woman and one of their adopted or biological children. Nowadays, this two-parent traditional family formation has become less common in American households. In traditional families, the woman and man are wife and husband. The famous Family Guy and The Cosby Show portray the traditional family of U.S.
Non-traditional family: All other types of families that include single, same-sex and polygamy parenthood are considered as non-traditional family. The well-known television show named Modern Family illustrates several types of non-traditional families. In American society, the number of such families is increasing rapidly.
- Describe several facts that you learned about changes in the American family structure.
There have been several changes in the American family structure. In the United States, the percentage of traditional families is gradually declining from the last 40 years. In 1970, it was reported that traditional families hold for 40% in U.S. households while in 1990 it decreased to 25.6%. By 2010, census bureau approximated that only 20% of all American households were traditional families. Traditional families once controlled every neighborhood but today in the modern era, American society has changed its mentality and has greater diversity. Today, maximum numbers of households are converting into non-traditional families.
- There are clear generational differences with the acceptance of changing the family structure. Discuss some of the reasons why you think younger people, on average, are more accepting of diversity than older people.
In comparison to older people, the younger generation is more recognizing the diversity in culture. Some of the common reasons that led to the differences in America family structure comprises of the following reasons:
Cohabitation: The younger people feel that by living together and sharing the same household without marriage can help them to check their compatibility.
Single-parent families: In comparison to older people, the younger generation has found the easiest way to accept diversity that is by getting divorced easily. This results in single-parent families where a mother or a father looks after their child all alone.
Step families: This is produced when one or both partners have been formerly married and have children from an earlier marriage.
Same-sex marriage: This kind of marriage has become legal in almost every part of the world which shows how younger people are more attracted to diversity.
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