Changing family structures and living arrangements
The American family has undergone significant change in recent decades, as more people are experiencing family life in diverse ways. Some of the factors that have contributed to these changes are the rise of cohabitation, the delay or forgoing of marriage, the decline in fertility, the increase in divorce, and the legalization of same-sex marriage. These changes have resulted in a variety of family living arrangements, such as unmarried couples raising children, intergenerational households, interracial or interethnic marriages, and same-sex marriages. According to a Pew Research Center survey, a growing share of Americans say that the growing variety in family living arrangements makes no difference, while fewer see it as a good thing or a bad thing. However, opinions vary by age, political affiliation, and personal experience.
Bibliography
: Thomas, D. (2020). In U.S., growing indifference toward shifting family arrangements. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/04/10/as-family-structures-change-in-u-s-a-growing-share-of-americans-say-it-makes-no-difference/
: Aragão, C., Parker, K., Greenwood, S., Baronavski, C., & Mandapat, J. C. (2023). The modern American family: Key trends in marriage and family life. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/09/14/the-modern-american-family/
: United Nations For Youth. (n.d.). help write my research essay on Intergenerational issues factsheet. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/intergenerational-issues-factsheet.html
: McKeown, K., & Sweeney, J. (2001). Changing household and family structures and complex living arrangements. Economic and Social Research Institute. Retrieved from https://www.scie-socialcareonline.org.uk/changing-household-and-family-structures-and-complex-living-arrangements/r/a11G00000017vlfIAA
