Verified Document

American Families Term Paper

Toulmin Argument on American Families Up to 30 years ago, divorces were difficult to obtain and were very rare in American society. However, in 1969, the advent of no-fault divorce laws caused a spike in divorce rates. Qualifier follows- This paper argues that if the United States wants to preserve the traditional ideals of the American family, (claim follows) -- the no fault divorce laws must be repealed.

Support #1 follows -- The no-fault divorce laws have caused an alarming spike in the divorce rate. In a statistical study, researchers found an estimated.8 point average increase in the divorce rate after the no fault divorce laws were enacted. The 1970s saw a "divorce boom," when the divorce rate more than doubled. In fact, the divorce rates in the states that have adopted no fault divorce laws were much lower than their no-fault counterparts (Nakonezny, Shull, and Rodgers).

The ease of obtaining divorces has eroded the traditional American family. Instead, many children grow up in single-parent homes, without the benefit of support and love from both their parents.

Support #2 follows - The rise in divorce rates has caused many children much suffering and grief. Children of divorce lose their most important security structure and suffer the pain of families that are torn apart. Instead of having the support...

In their most vulnerable time, as their world is falling apart, many children become pawns in a game of vying loyalties. Some liken the pain of divorce to the death of a beloved loved one (Connelly).
Indeed, divorce can be seen as a form of death, since it spells the death of a family.

Support #2 follows - After the initial shock of the divorce, the affected children continue to suffer feelings of guilt and inadequacy. Many feel that they are partly responsible for the failure of their parents' marriage. One girl says that her parents' divorce left her feeling unwanted and expendable (Roszler).

Warrant follows - As Americans, we believe that children are the future, that a happy childhood is the foundation for growing up to be a productive, well adjusted adult. However, divorce engenders feelings of inadequacy continue to plague children, keeping them from living a normal childhood.

Rebuttal follows --While many argue that children eventually get over their parents divorce, support #3 follows -- psychologist Judith Wallerstein believes that the most serious effects of divorce on a child do not surface until adulthood.

In a study that followed 131 children of divorce for 25 years, Wallerstein found that majority of the children of divorce could not form healthy attachments with other people. As they enter into romantic relationships of their own, children of divorce worry how disaster could strike at any time. They do not trust their happy situations and often, their anxiety puts a strain on their relationships, often leading to a cycle of break-ups, guilt and more feelings of inadequacy (Goldberg).

Support #4…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Connelly, Erin. "Like a stone is tossed in water, there's a ripple effect." The Atlanta Journal Constitution. October 29, 2000. Proquest Database.

Goldberg, David. "Haunted by divorce." The Atlanta Journal Constitution. October 15, 2000. Proquest Database.

Miller, Toby. "30-year-old still feels 7-year-old's anguish." The Atlanta Journal Constitution. October 29, 2000. Proquest Database.

Nakonezny, P.A., Shull, R.D., & Rodgers, J.L. "The effect of no-fault divorce law on the divorce rate across the 50 states and its relation to income, education, and religiosity." Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1995: 57. Proquest Database.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

American Families and Health
Words: 302 Length: 1 Document Type: Essay

Families progress and grow as time continues. People may be at one stage and then move on to another. My family is a nuclear family and as my parents age, I wonder about how their health will get worse over time. The United States in general, has poor food quality and limited economic opportunity. There are political struggles, job struggles that contribute to chronic stress and a potential obesity epidemic. I

American Families and the Nostalgia
Words: 2864 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Families these days are "in crisis" because all of us have lost a lot of values that used to keep a family together (Kim, 2000). In addition, Coontz very analytically eliminated all the myths about what families used to be, how & what they are in the current time, and what they should be (Kim, 2000). However, as a reader one might notice just little discrepancy in her dispute and

Popular Culture American Family in Television Entertainment
Words: 1416 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

American Family in Television Entertainment Popular Culture: The American Family in Television Entertainment In the 1950s and 1960s, television entertainment depicted a "traditional" American family, which generally equaled a man and woman who were married, homeowners, had at least one car (sometimes two), and had two to three children (Taylor, 1989). There were exceptions, of course, but television indicated to the American people that the "norm" was to have this particular type

Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold
Words: 2003 Length: 6 Document Type: Book Review

Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era. By Elaine Tyler May (New York: Basic Books, 1988). vii + 284 pp. Reviewed by in her book, Elaine Tyler May begins by describing a Life magazine feature involving a couple in 1959 who spent their honeymoon in a bomb shelter. This is the attention-grabbing start of a work that seeks to explore, in depth, the various components involved in domestic

Television's Depiction of American Family in the 1950s and 1960s
Words: 1500 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Television's Depiction Of American Family In The 1950s And 1960s Television depiction of the American family in the 1950s and early 1960s Television has for many years shaped the American society depending on the prevailing circumstances at that time. Ordinarily it is expected that television as a form of art would mimic the real life, but this has not always been true across the eras since at some point, television shaped and

Decline in the American Family
Words: 1140 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Another important area of change relates to sexual norms and values in the family. Studies show that there has a definite growth in more permissive attitudes towards sex and particularly premarital sex. The number of people who see sex between an unmarried man and woman as "wrong" dropped from 36% in 1972 to 24% in 1996. (the Emerging 21st Century American Family) These statistics indicate a change for the earlier view

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now