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The Changing American Family

In a poll in 1995, ninety percent of the participants said that they believed that society should value all types of family structures (Coontz 1997).
             The institution of marriage is viewed much differently today then a few decades ago. People, especially young people, want to marry later in their lives than previous generations (Thornton 2001). One can see this trend of waiting longer before marriage can be seen in the marriage age graph below (Vanneman 2000). More negative views towards marriage and the aspects of marriage are held today than were held previously (Thornton 2001). Sixty eight percent of America's youth firmly believe that "it is more difficult to have a good marriage today than in their parents generation" (Whitehead 2001: 1), and a little over half of them agree that they see so few models of good or happy marriages in their lives that they tend to question whether marriage is a viable life option worth pursuing (Whitehead 2001). Part of the reason that marriage rates are declining is because people are marrying for different reasons than they used to. Today people marry for love and companionship. Decades ago people married for financial security, to have children, and pressure from family. There is also a trend towards not believing that married people are generally happier than single people (Thornton 2001). The most striking fact, however, seen in the marriage rate graph (Vanneman 2000), is that the marriage rate itself is declining (Thornton 2001).
             The most notable change in the present family structure since the seventies is the increase in divorce and acceptance of divorce. Marriages now have a success rate of fifty two percent; this has risen sharply since the seventies (Thornton 2001). This steep increase in divorce can be seen in the third graph (Vanneman 2000). Due to these high divorce rates young people have had a decline in optimism concerning successful marriages In fact, divorce is the biggest fear associated with marriage for sixty percent of people in their late twenties (Whitehead 2001).


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