The American Family

Courtship and Marriage Homogamy: marrying individuals with similar social characteristics as your own. °Age, socioeconomic status, religion, race, etc. °Only 2.4 of marriages are between individuals who are black and white. Heterogamy: marriage between individuals who have different social characteristics. °The more people have contact with people who are different than them, the rate increases.

Factors for heterogamy Higher college enrollments. More geographic mobility. Increased participation of women in the workforce. In 2007, 7.0% of all marriages are interracial.

Family Distruption Family destruction Family life cycle

Family Violence 1995 survey: °1/3 had experienced family violence in their marriage. °3 /4 had reported hitting their children, usually more than once. °Wives were as likely to commit violence, but it was less violent, and less damaging to the spouse and childern.

Family Violence 1985 Studies show that the most threatening place for every child in America is the home. °Victims: 1.Children, mostly under the age of Women.

Divorce In the US: 1 out of every 2 marriages end in divorce. The US has the highest divorce rate in the world.

Who divorces? The highest rates of divorce are: °Couples who marry during their teen years. °Couples who never go to college. °African American women (Latina women are more likely to stay married than white women).

Consequences of Divorce Economic: after divorce, women’s income fell by 30%. Emotional: men have higher rates of suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse,, depression, and anxiety. ° Children of divorced parents have more emotional problems and are lower achievers. ° 40% of these children are still struggling to adjust 10 years after the divorce.

Reasons for High Divorce Rate The laws governing the divorce process have become less complicated, and the cost of obtaining a divorce has decreased. The increase in the number of dual-income families and the growth of day care have decreased the economic dependence of women. Society in general has become more tolerant of divorce. Many people expect more of marriage and are less ready to accept marital problems.

Trends in American Family Life Delayed marriage. Delayed childbearing. Childlessness. Dual-earner marriages. One-parent families. Remarriage.

Delayed Marriage In 1980, the median age at first marriage was 22 for women and 26.1 for men. In 2000, 25.1 for women and 26.8 for men. Currently, in 2007, 26.0 for women and 27.7 for men. More people are not choosing marriage and an estimated 15% of today’s youth will never marry.

Reasons for Delayed Marriage Desire to finish education and start careers. More couples live together before marriage: (cohabitation). Cohabitation now precedes more than ½ of all first marriages.

Reasons for Delayed Birth In the 1960s, the average length of time between marriage and childbirth was 15 months. Now it’s not uncommon or women to have their first child after age 30.

Sandwich Generation People caught between raising young children and caring for aging parents.

Reasons for Childlessness Some couples wait too long, then they can’t reproduce. Infertility. Voluntary childlessness: conscious choice not to have children. Careers come first.

Dual Earner Marriages Today, about 61% of married women work outside of the home at least part-time. In 1/3 of the dual-earner homes, the wife earns more than the husband. Daughters of working mothers often have a better self- image, and are more independent, and are higher achievers than daughters of non-working mothers.

One-Parent Families One-parent families are formed through separation, divorce, death of a spouse, births to unwed mothers, or adoption by unmarried individuals. One-parent families account for 25% of the families in the U.S. Women head 8 out of every 10 of these families.

One-Parent Family Problems Responsibility overload – make every decision. Task overload – make all the money, do all the childcare, no leisure time. Emotional overload. Lack of money. School drop-out rates, teen pregnancy rates, and arrest rates are all higher for children of single-parents.

Remarriage In 43% of the marriages today, one or both partners have been previously married. 75% of those who get divorced will remarry. It takes four years for children to accept a stepparent like a biological parent.