by Jonathan Vespa, Jamie M. Lewis and Rose M. Kreider
...This report (click here) uses data from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the American Community Survey (ACS)/
It capitalizes on the strengths of both data sets, using CPS detailed information about family structure and characteristics over time, along with ACS...
Many state the break down of morality as known in decades and generations past is due to lack of religious standards. But, it is more than that. A piece is economic as well. Marriages often break down when the finances are stretched.
I wanted to include the topic of families and "The Family" because it was a primary focus when Pope Francis visited the USA recently. He is an inspiration to me and many, many others. It is only correct and respectful to honor his core values when being inspired by his words and actions.
The American Family has been a changing dynamics since at least the 1960s. First is was the women's liberation movement including "The Pill," women's career focus and child care came into fashion. The household was now able to afford many items, luxury, vacations, better health and all sorts of wonderful aspects of financial prosperity.
Women became educated in larger numbers and they became self-supporting in the idea the could manage their households on their own. I think the woman's movement was among the earliest dynamics on the family. Women didn't have to live in abusive settings or accept subservient roles in the family. Women could be real with ideas, aspirations and achievement. When women changed in the USA their daughters were not far behind them.
So, the American family has changed 'in acceptance' as well. Single parent families are no longer viewed as an unfortunate set of circumstances, but, have become the majority of families in the USA. There are also two parent families that are still in poverty as well, so the idea a single parent was an adverse financial circumstance is nonsense.
The latest addition to the American profile is the acceptance of the marriages within the LGTBQ community that have created more families with and without children.
The American Family has come a long way over the decades. We as a society are far more tolerant of differences, see different compositions of families and accept change.
So, when the arrogant religious folks state the American family is gone because of the lack of church values in society, that is nonsense. The American family has undergone a great deal of change because of the awakening of 'the individual' over the status quo.
