Changing Family Structure

CHANGING FAMILY STRUCTURE 1
Changing Family Structure
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Introduction
Society is made up of many elements based on values, traditions, cultures, government
policies, and the family is one of the essential ingredients forming the society. As society
changes its element, the family is also forced to change the flow of life (Chodorow, 2018).
Family structure has changed drastically over the years. A family used to be represented by a
married couple with children, and this couple would be of the same race living under the same
roof. The traditional family was known to be stable, and the unmarried people were considered
to live a life of loneliness, and the extended family was precious. The essay will discuss the
changes that have occurred in family structure.
Discussion
The family has different meanings to everyone, and the construct of the family is usually
consistent with a male and female parent, but this has begun to change in today's world. The rise
in the prevalence of single-parent families is a trend that shows the change of families. In the
early 20th century, more single-parent families emerged due to more frequent deaths of spouses,
and the nuclear family became the societal norm. Following the change in the economic
structure, women and men began delaying the age of first marriage to invest their earnings before
they would get married. The increased level of education among women and earning more than
50% of bachelor's degrees has positioned women in a place where they can survive without the
support of their husbands (Golombok et al., 2016). The unmarried women are having children
and deciding to survive as single mothers. This family change interferes with the traditional
structure where the family was known to involve both parents and children. The media is highly
paying a role in this as the singers are composing songs that advocate for single parenthood and
the availability of sperm donors.
Same-sex unions are contributing to the changing structure of the family. While
homosexuality has existed for years among human beings, formal marriages are a relatively
recent phenomenon. In the U.S, for instance, Massachusetts and Lowa were the only states that
recognized marriage between same-sex partners (Koppelman, 2014). Other states followed up,
like New Jersey, Connecticut, and Vermont, allowing same-sex marriages. Currently, same-sex
couples are becoming increasingly common, and several laws have been passed to protect their
interests. The aspect of same-sex marriages interferes with the societal definition of marriage as
the union between a female and a male. Voluntary childlessness in women also leads to a change
in a family structure where the woman is fertile but does not intend to have children. This has
been made possible through contraception and has made childlessness an option for some
developed countries. Some people have gone to undergoing medical sterilization to ensure they
do not get children (Gobbi, 2013). Most are doing this to preserve their career as they claim that
children come with responsibility which they are not ready for. In the traditional family setting,
children were viewed as the source of joy in the family, and the couple that could not bear
children was not held with high respect and esteem. In some cases, the husband would remarry
or even adopt the children.
The marriage laws have changed over the years, and now interracial marriages are taking
place. These laws have contributed to people from different races marrying each other, changing
the traditionally known form of marriage between people of the same race. These laws have also
allowed same-sex marriages, as earlier discussed. The marriage rate has now changed as there is
no age restriction for marriage in the earlier traditional laws, which allowed marriage for women
at 26 and males at 28 years (Cancian & Reed, 2021). Cohabitation is an intimate relationship
that includes a common living place without the benefit of legal, cultural, or religious sanction.
This is usually an alternative form of marriage only because it does not formally recognize
religion, culture, or government. The common term being used for this marriage is "come we
stay." It involves people of all ages, although the majority are those between 25 and 34. Marriage
was only considered marriage when formally recognized by the authorities, changing the family
structure.
Conclusion
Family structure is indeed changing day by day as society changes. There is an increased
risk of single parenthood as the women are unwilling to have husbands by their side as they feel
they can support themselves. Cohabitation has also changed as people live together as a couple
but are recognized by the authorities. Childfree couples have increased as they are not willing to
bear children, thus opting for sterilization medical procedures. Same-sex marriages are also
taking place, and interracial marriages are allowed by the law, all of which contribute to the
change in the family structure.

References
Cancian, M., & Reed, D. (2021). 2 Changes in Family Structure: Implications for Poverty and
Related Policy. In Understanding Poverty (pp. 69-96). Harvard University Press.
Chodorow, N. (2018). Family structure and feminine personality (pp. 199-216). Routledge.
Gobbi, P. E. (2013). A model of voluntary childlessness. Journal of Population
Economics, 26(3), 963-982.
Golombok, S., Zadeh, S., Imrie, S., Smith, V., & Freeman, T. (2016). Single mothers by choice:
Mother-child relationships and children's psychological adjustment. Journal of Family
Psychology, 30(4), 409.
Koppelman, A. (2014). Judging the case against same-sex marriage. U. Ill. L. Rev., 431.

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CHANGING FAMILY STRUCTURE 1

Society is made up of many elements based on values, traditions, cultures, government

changes that have occurred in family structure.

the availability of sperm donors.

or even adopt the children.

change in the family structure.

Related Policy. In Understanding Poverty (pp. 69-96). Harvard University Press.

Chodorow, N. (2018). Family structure and feminine personality (pp. 199-216). Routledge.

Gobbi, P. E. (2013). A model of voluntary childlessness. Journal of Population

Mother-child relationships and children's psychological adjustment. Journal of Family

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