The Changing American Family

Paper Summary:

This paper begins with an old saying, 'The more things change, the more they stay the same' and explains that when it comes to the family, things are changing for real. People are living longer and can expect to enjoy the company of their grandchildren, and a number of years after their children leave home with their spouses in an adult relationship. This paper provides an analysis of how the family unit is changing and what impact this may have in the future. The paper explores the evolution of the respective roles of men, women and children as well as other changes in the socioeconomic sphere.

From the Paper:

"The comforting family images of "Father Knows Best," "Ozzie and Harriet," and "Leave it to Beaver," helped to characterize the popular image of the American family for many people. The father worked, the mother vacuumed in high heels and pearls and the kids were sometimes mischievous but basically good. According to Arlene and Jerome Skolnick, this image of a good American family was not only inaccurate, it helped to create a popular misconception about how families should be, instead of how they actually are. These unrealistic expectations have caused untold problems in families throughout the country as the members struggle to fit into the pattern and become frustrated when they do not measure up. For example, the authors say the Dan Quayle/Murphy Brown controversy touched a national nerve because it touched on a central predicament in American society: the gap between the everyday realities of family life and our cultural image of how families ought to be."

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