I have just read that only 25% of American households are
made up of a married man and woman with their children. So
what do families look like now?
The Changing U.S. Family
"If all you did was watch television commercials for
minivans, you might think that the traditional All-
American family was still intact -- Mom, Dad, dog, and the
2.5 kids buckle up and drive off every day on TV. But ads
(depending on your perspective) are either selling
aspirations or guilt: This is the family you're supposed
to have, supposed to want."
The reason given is "The change in the makeup of the
American family is the result of two primary factors, says
Martin O'Connell, chief of fertility and family statistics
at the U.S. Census Bureau, which collects such figures
every 10 years. First, more babies (about a third) are now
born out of wedlock, and second, divorce rates continue to
climb so that nearly half of all marriage contracts are
broken."
If this is true, do we care enough to change this, and if
so what are we doing to prevent us from being a part of
the equation?
|