Families and What They Make Up Today .
After reading Betty Carter's and Joan. K Peters" "Remaking Marriages and Families," I find it very sad that family traditions have taken a turn for the worst. It's sad when you hear that a marriage can't last because "women cut back at work, quit or play superwoman because they are automatically the ones in charge of children." (524). Or when men "toil even more to "be good providers," ending up bewildered breadwinner." (524). The friction caused by these actions allows divorce to increase severely. Lack of communication has a great deal to play in these problems along with lack of sharing responsibilities, and lack of trying hard to work things out. .
In my opinion, more ideas for accepting the average nontraditional family would include, more of a public view on how these families are leading their lives. As we see on TV sometimes, sitcoms portray this wonderful "traditional" family that includes both a mother and a father, as opposed to reality where there could be just one single parent. The media, being the pillars of democracy, really have to be persuaded that people don't want to see shows on how "wonderful" it could be, but mainly on how wonderful it is living in a non-traditional family. Non-traditional families come in many forms these days: a straight single parent, parents living together and not married, gay and lesbians raising children, not single, as well as single individuals. So we must in many ways work around to accommodate these "non-traditional" circumstances. Increasing the acceptance would be awareness projects that communities can put together to educate the average person. Whether it be just another pamphlet, educational packages, the media, or any means of getting the statement that its ok to be in a nontraditional family setting.
I really believe that within the marriage, everything should be 50/50. This is mostly because I come from a Middle-Eastern family where there is great emphasis on the woman staying home, taking care of the children, cooking and cleaning, while the man "brings home the bacon.