Wilson Brown Chip Dunkin Writing 102 7 April 2014 Successful Marriages In America: The Role and Importance to Society In Rereading Americas Chapter Harmony at Home: The Myth of the Modern Family, the ideas of both past and present meanings of what a family truly is, are brought to light with some staggering statistics. “Among Millennials those born after 1980- only 30% say having a successful marriage is “one of the most important things in life””. An in depth look at this statistic raises questions about the mindset of this new generation and the role of marriage in the development of future generations. Today’s modern view of traditional marriage is one that most affiliate with in a new, constantly changing society, an almost ancient idea from 1950’s American homes. Gender roles have also changed as women become more relevant in today’s work force making an extreme impact on the consecrated relationship of marriage. This inevitably changes parenting and the way children are raised. Parenting of course begins with the father and mother associated with raising of a child. In an article from the Atlantic, by Richard reeves the main focus is analyzing what this new generation of Mellenials views marriage as. Reeves began by looking at “marriage gap”, the difference in marriages from a socioeconomic standpoint. The findings were that college graduates are more likely to have a “successful marriage” than those who failed to obtain a general education (GED) or high school degree (Reeves). When looking at a successful marriage though there are more factors than just if the two spouses stay together and are happy. The role they play in the raising of a child can take place in two forms, the first is a traditional marriage where the ma... ... middle of paper ... ...lenging situation of single parenthood. This problem has not as much to do with the mothers in these situations but the fathers or lack there of. These poorer families tend to take the traditional view of marriage where the father is the main breadwinner of the family instead of a HIP marriage. This lack of money and a father figures often lead to the children involved looking for a sense of community which they find in gangs and other socially unhealthy environments. Gangs and other criminal paths take more than a toal on just the children though. This leads to violence that impacts more than just those in the family but in the larger community as well causing and a cycle of absent fathers and births out of wedlock. The greatest resolution to this problem is to get fathers involved in the children’s lives in a positive way, ending the cycle of violence and poverty.
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Show MoreMarriage was once for the sole purpose of procreation and financially intensives. Living up to the roles that society had placed on married couples, more so women, is no longer the goal in marriage. Being emotional satisfied, having a fulfilled sex life and earning money is more important in marriage (Cherlin, 2013). Couples no longer feel the obligation to put the needs of their partner in front of their own needs. In the 1960’s and later it was the woman’s job to ensure that the house was clean, the children were bathed and dinner was prepared before the husband came home work. However, once more and more women began to enter the workplace and gain more independence, a desire for self-development and shared roles in the household lead way the individualistic marriage that is present in today’s society (Cherlin,
Marriage and cohabitation play a central role in how family life is carried out. The way in which society views marriage and cohabitation is changing as individualism becomes an increasingly mainstream ideal. Marriage rates have decreased significantly on average over the past 60 years, but different groups show different rates of change. While certain sects each have their views, the general trends are showing decreasing marriage rates in lower income individuals, and increasing marriage rates in higher income educated individuals. These rates are directly connected to racial-ethnic groups, leading to larger gaps in socioeconomic status.
...nder roles that lack this maternal instinct. Culturally fathers are perceived to be the “bread-winners” and be more involved in playing with children, whereas mothers are often involved in the daily care of children, such as feeding and bathing children. Although women are commonly the head of sole-parent families, the Ministry of Social Development state that there is a growing rate of sole-parent fathers accounting for 14% of all sole-parents with dependent children in 1986 rising to 17% in 2006 (2010). It is evident that single-mother parenting is different to single-father parenting; however the rising rate of single-fathers suggests that the stigma of gender roles in sole-parenting is on the rise towards equality.
Over the past three decades these ideals, although they are still recognizable, have been drastically modified across all social classes. Women have joined the paid labor force in great numbers stimulated both by economic need and a new belief in their capabilities and right to pursue opportunities. Americans in 1992 are far more likely than in earlier times to postpone marriage. Single parent families--typically consisting of a mother with no adult male and very often no other adult person present-have become common. Today at least half of all marriages end in divorce (Gembrowski 3). Most adults no longer believe that couples should stay married because divorce might harm their children. Of course, these contemporary realities have great consequential impact on mother-ch...
5. Noller, P., & Fitzpatrick, M. A. (1991). Markal communicafion. In A. Booth (Ed.),Contemporary families: Looking forward, looking back, (pp. 42-53). Minneapohs, MN: National Council on Family Relations.
Fifty years ago, the typical American family included a mother, father and their children. However today, “One in every four children in the United States are being raised by a single parent. Experts point to a variety of factors to explain the high US figure including a cultural shift toward greater acceptance of single parent rearing.”(Armario). As these numbers continue to rise due to modern day ideas and the increasing divorce rate, the children of single parents struggle. “Today 41% of all births were to unmarried women.”(Hymowitz). Single parent families have a detrimental effect on the psychological development of children because single parent families lack financial stability and quality parenting, in addition to lacking a stress free environment.
For as long as we can remember, the idea that marriage is sacred, desirable, and even necessary has persisted in the western world. In a way, society has taught us that in order to live a normal, fulfilled life, one must find their soul mate, marry them, and spend the rest of eternity together. According to tradition, a perfect marriage is characterized by a husband that goes to work every day while the wife remains within the home cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. Tradition has further dictated that once the husband returns from work, the wife has dinner ready and the family sits down around the table to share a meal together. American literature is full of stories that both play on or challenge these traditional roles within a marriage. But, one might ask, does
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family is "a group of two or more people who reside together and who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption.” (Eutk). In the beginning, family was considered to be all of the individuals who contributed to the household as far as bringing in money; including servants and non-parental adults, who are also considered part of the family if they play a large role in the upbringing or care-taking of children other than their own. But in fact, over the last few centuries until present day, the institution of the family has completely changed. In the late-18th Century, marriage was considered just a union based on love, but as time passed, there were other financial, social, and political shifts in the United States and in other countries. Throughout our course readings in Gender Studies, we see the ideas of continuity and change in regards to the American family unit. There were multiple factors that influenced the institution of the family unit, including the argument that marriage was seen as a contract of survival, the privatization of marriage, as well as the idea that traditional families never existed.
Marriage is one of those things most women and some men look forward to in life. This generation is different from the rest of the generations before, where you had to get married by a certain age and follow a standard of living. Nowadays everyone has the option of getting married or not. There is so much individuality, and liberty to do whatever we please without lives that we can marry the same sex. Even if a couple does marry and say their vows that should mean so much to them, they are getting divorced the next day. “Among adults who have been married, the study discovered that one-third (33%) have experienced at least one divorce. That means that among all Americans 18 years of age or older, whether they have been married or not, 25% have gone through a marital split (New Marriage).” “Around the world, people are marrying later and divorcing often (Sernau).” Now that this epidemic of marriage and divorce has taken place over the last few generations parenting suffers a great deal.
28% of kids in America lived with one parent in 2013 (“Single Parenthood”). Adolescents in these homes have a higher chance of showing behavior issues, being in poverty, and having a lack of food (Link). They are also more likely to take drugs, have sex earlier than their peers, and be abused (Lauer, 2012). Though, it should be well-noted that these are extreme cases that do not apply to many single-parent kids. Personally, I cannot relate to the severe challenges of other children in my situation, but through my mom, I can relate to the challenges of single parents. She has had the hard luck of raising me on her own for eighteen years without child support, and I have seen her suffer through the three kinds of overload, sometimes all at once. Due to her willingness to be strong, we persevered through our harsh times, and I hope to someday repay her back for all she has given
The American family is constantly undergoing changes. In the early 1600s, the Godly Family was the prevalent family structure of the first Europeans who immigrated to the United States (Aulette, 2010). Until 1780, families were strictly patriarchal with a male head of the family, who supervised “all social activities, including education, health care, and welfare”, and insured the family’s self-sufficiency within its community (Aulette, 2010). Following this form, the Modern Family and its sub-categories, the Democratic Family and the Companionate Family, were the dominant family structures until the 1970s (Aulette, 2010). Throughout the course of almost 200 years, families evolved into more private institutions aside from the community, women withdrew more and more from physical work on the family’s property and concentrated on their designated occupation as a mother, caregiver and housewife. Men were still the head of the family in terms of pursuing an occupation to financially provide for the family’s needs. During this time, gender-specific roles within the family were reinforced, which are still partially in effect in today’s society and family structure. Since the mid-20th century, the American family seems to be changing more rapidly than ever, partially because of the influences of the Great Depression and World War II, which led to the remarkable baby boom of 1946 to 1964. Not only did the year of 1970 mark the beginning of the most recent stage in the history of the (European) American family, the Postmodern Family, it also was the year in which the first gay couple applied for a marriage license (ProCon.org, 2013). Even though the two men’s request had been denied back then, same-sex couples and their family structure h...
Historically, the model family involved couples marrying and starting a family young and absolutely no divorces. However, as time has progressed, the family structure has become increasingly complex, and less “traditional.” The typical and “traditional” family of the 1950s included the breadwinner father, housewife/mother and 2.5 happy and well-adjusted children (Kimmel and Aronson 181). Gender roles have always played a significant role in the root of the “traditional” family and marriage. Some individuals believe that we are born with these innate instincts to assume these gender-specific roles, while others believe these roles have been socially constructed over time. Gender roles allow men to assume superiority over women and unfortunately,
When you think about family, what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you only thought about your parents or close relatives then you may have been caught in an “individual vs. family” paradox. Nearly every culture considers family important, but “many Americans have never even met all of their cousins” (Holmes & Holmes, 2002, p.19). We say we are family oriented, but not caring to meet all of our extended family seems to contradict that. Individual freedoms, accomplishments, and goals are all American ideals that push the idea of individualism. What's important to note is that family or even the concept of family itself doesn't appear in any of those ideals. Holmes and Holmes (2002), observed that “The family reunions of yesterday are now rare, and when they occur they are often a source of stress.” (p. 19) That quote solidifies one reason why family interaction today is : it's just too stressful, so we avoid it. Where does marriage fit into our culture of individuals? Marriage itself may be less of a family unifying event than a way for two individuals to obtain personal happiness; the climbing divorce rate alone seems to suggest the devaluation of commitment in a relationship. Likewise, the Holmes and Holmes (2002) state “marriage is in effect a continuation of courtship” (p. 19) In my opinion, I would have to agree with the authors on family and marriage, considering the above-stated facts and trends. If we, as a nation, can place the individual so far above our own relatives, are we not creating a future of selfishness?
Back in the day, a family consisted of a staying home wife that took care of the children and any necessary obligations in the house while the husband worked all day. Today, it is very unique for a child to be raised in a home where one parent is not involved with the family. Therefore, society’s perspective on a child raised by a single-parent, especially by moms is seen as inappropriate due to the fact, that they don’t do see the child capable of doing the same things as a child that lives with both parents in a traditional family. Even though, the child is raised by a single-mother it does not mean they will not be as successful as a child that is raised by both parents. Currently, there are many single-mothers that demonstrate each day
If a museum was to open an exhibit entitled Love & Sex they would need different artifacts to cover concepts like gender, relationships, sexuality, traditions, identity, etc. Under the topic of love and & sex there are many different traditions and/or rituals that are very present in western society, if not others as well. One specific traditional ritual is usually once someone has found the person they love and want to spend their life with they get married, specifically during a wedding ceremony. The artifact for submission to the Love & Sex exhibit is rice that is ceremonially tossed at newlywed couples.