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 of sex as only being acceptable between married couples; which questioned the established norm and role of sexuality in the traditional family.
Another central area of change since the 1950's is the value associated with child rearing and the family. The more traditional concept of the family has at its core the ideal and value of providing secure and moral child - rearing practices. This aspect has changed and there has been a move away for this central value. There is an "...ambivalence towards children" in contemporary studies of the family. (the Emerging 21st Century American Family) in other words, it is no longer universally agreed that children and child - rearing are the most essential aspects of the family. Another example in contrast to the 1950's model of the family is that many people now feel that it is not necessary to have a mother who stays and home and there is a grater acceptance of the mother and wife who work away form home.
There are many other examples of the way that central values have changed in the family from 1950 to the present. For instance, one of the hallmarks of the earlier family structure was its close connection to the community and its intimate link to the neighborhood. This aspect comes through strongly in many films and novels about in the 1950's and early 1960s. However the value of this aspect has declined in recent decades. A further example of change and decline...
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
Rather than lamenting the loss of a family structure from an admittedly anomalous decade, Stacy (1993) argues that social reforms are necessary to ensure that children are cared for. In Beck-Gernsheim's (2002:85) assessment, the focus should not be on "the black-and-white alternative 'end of the family' or 'family as the future'" but on "the many grey areas or better, the many different shades in the niches inside and outside the
Relationship Trends Abstract This paper looks at relationship trends in the U.S. from a sociological perspective, using feminist political stance as a way to explain the transformation from traditional family norms of the early 20th century to the mixture of families today. Today, single parenting is the new norm as half of all marriages end in divorce. More and more people are going unwed and not having children as well. The population
Family Values in Urban America: Judeo-Christian Perspective vs. Secular Perspective Judeo-Christian Perspective vs. Secular Perspective Background of family values in the American society Judeo-Christian perspective on family values Secular perspective on family values Judeo-Christian Perspective vs. Secular Perspective The topic of this paper is family values in urban America and it is from the analysis of the family values that the study intends to draw out a difference between the Judeo-Christian perspective and the secular perspective
Family Break Up For a humane, the word 'community' hints at people trying to work out solutions to common problems. The term 'community' generally stands for a group that is bigger and more diverse than a family or any group of people bound together with relationships. It also has more elements than being of the same neighborhood or enclave, though not as large as a county or a nation. Certainly it
American History, 1820-1920 Five positive events that influenced the history of the United States between 1820 and 1920. One of the most important processes that influenced the development of the United States is the process of industrialization that took place after the end of the Civil War. The United States had to undergo an increased process of modernization after the Civil War largely due to the fact that the country was divided
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