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At the beginning of the twentieth century, many people thought that the American family was falling
apart. A century later, we know that this was not the case. However, although the family is still alive in the United States, its size and shape were very different 100 years ago.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were mainly two types of families in the United States: the
extended and the nuclear. The extended family usually includes grandparents, parents, and children living
under the same roof. The nuclear family consists of only parents and children.
Today there are many different kinds of families. Some people live in "traditional" families, that is, a
stay-home mother, a working father, and their own biological children. Others live in two-paycheck families, single-parent families, adoptive or foster, families, blended families (where men and women who were
married before marry again and combine the children from previous marriages into the new families),child
less families, and so on.
What caused the structure of the family to change? In the early 1900s the birthrate began to fall and the divorce rate began to rise. Women were suddenly choosing to go to college and take jobs outside the
home. In the 1930s and 1940s, many families faced serious financial, or money problems during the Great Depression, when many people lost their jobs. During World War II(1939-1945),5 million women were
left alone to take care of their homes and their children. Because many men were at war, thousands of
these "war widows" had to go to work outside their home.
During the next ten years, the situation changed. There were fewer divorces, and people married at a
younger age and had more children than the previous generation. It was unusual for a mother to work
outside the home during the years when her children were growing up. Families began leaving cities and
moving into single-family homes in the suburbs. The traditional family seemed to be returning.
In the years between 1960s and 1990s, there were many important changes in the structure of the
family. From the 1960s to the early 1970s, the divorce rate doubled and the birthrate fell by half. The
number of single-parent families tripled, and the number of couples living together without being married
doubled again. In fact, the single-parent household, once unusual, has replaced the "traditional" family as
the typical family in the States. If we can judge from history, however, this will probably change again in the twenty-first century.
The Changes of the American Family
| Main comparisons |
Contexts |
| Different 1 |
There were two 2 types of families in the past, namely, the extended and the 3 . |
| Nowadays 4 types of families can be seen than before. |
| 5 in different periods. |
In the 1900s and
1940s |
Many of the women had to work outside due to the 6 of money., thus causing the fall of 7 and the rise of divorce rate. |
In the 1950s
|
Divorce rate slided and there were more children. The families returned to be 8 again. |
| In the years between 1960s and 1990s |
Different types of families occurred. Traditional families are no longer the__9 ones in America. |
| A trend worth noting |
| Author's opinion on changes |
The present structure is temporary. 10 from history, we know it will experience changes again in the near future. |