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Family Structure In The 1950's

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While family structure has changed dramatically since the 1950’s, what current changes are we seeing; and how is it affecting the roles to which we play in a compromising world. In the 1950’s families consisted of a head of household (the Father), the house wife (or mother); and their offspring (the children). The father’s duty was to bring home the bacon, while making end meets for his family, while the wife stayed home and cared for the children, the elderly; and took on the household duties. These families usually lived in the suburbs, where they raised their children; while teaching them the proper ways of life. During this time in history, young women were expected to find a mate through persuasion, then get hitched; and eventually produce an offspring. While most of these …show more content…

Because of these strict beliefs, cultural norms birth rates were down considerably compared to today, for many women wanted to await child birth; until they were financial secure or stable. Additionally, “we never read (or heard) about family violence and almost nothing about singlehood, cohabitation, stepfamilies, or one parent families” (Jones, ASID, IIDA, IDEC and Phyllis Sloan Allen, 2009, p. 74).

However, in the 1970’s people began to expand their horizon’s, and soon ventured out to explore other cultures; causing challenges towards the social movement on their views of a traditional family structure. This is why, “since the 1970’s three of the major shifts have occurred in family structure, gender roles, and economic concerns” (Jones, ASID, IIDA, IDEC and Phyllis Sloan Allen, 2009, p. 74). One of those changes were women decided to go to school to fulfill a higher degree, while awaiting giving birth to a child; or saying “I do” to their future loves. This putting a standstill in

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Ultimately, he concludes that the concept of working-class family in which wife is a homemaker and husband the sole provider for the family no longer exist. He bases his conclusions on the premise that shift in cultural attitudes and lack of livable wages for working class have created alternative forms of cohabitation, where the partners aren’t married and have children out of wed-lock, which have been replacing the standard family unit—although in an unstable manner. I am convinced by his arguments because current ideas of

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According to Parsons, nuclear family is familial form consisting of a father, a mother, and their children (pg. 453). A nuclear family is also considered to be the “traditional family” and this occurred greatly during the 1900’s. The traditional family would be a man and women get married at a young age, have children, the father goes to work and makes the money, while the wife stays home to raise their children and tent to the house. It was expected that the wife has the house clean and for dinner to be on the table when their husband was home from work, this was the dominant model for people living in the 1950’s.

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Yes, I do agree with the article because in my opinion the 60s ideal family was a historical anomaly. Even studying U.S. history on its own reveals the vast majority of families had two working parents. While only one might work outside the home, the other still worked to contribute to the family income or at least lessen the family expenses.  I believe the decline in the traditional family is the result, at least in part, by a lack of earnings and increased levels of consumption. Many families need dual-incomes so they can provide for their family.

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In today’s society, there is a wide variety of family configurations which are constantly changing and adapting to things such as cultural diversity, divorce rates, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs. The “typical” family, (commonly seen in American 1950’s television sitcoms) is a rarity in 2015. Problems with communication arise when one makes assumptions about another person’s family dynamic. For example, people with careers in fields like teaching, law, and healthcare have to be especially aware and sensitive to the fact that not all families display the “traditional” European American family model which consists of a household with parents of the opposite sex, their biological children, and a strong value placed on individualism.

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Society has always painted the picture of a “traditional” woman: stay home, raise the children, keep the house, be nurturing, and in a multitude of ways, contribute to American society. However the 1920’s marked the birth

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Today we ask ourselves, what defines a family? Will we ever be able to pinpoint one exact answer? Meanings and explanations of our past have been rightfully challenged. The family structures and dynamics that we see today have evolved great lengths from what they once were in the 1950’s. The 1950’s consisted of “standard” families.

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To prove her argument, May relies on a variety of sources in the popular culture like movies, mass-circulation periodicals, newspapers, writings of professionals, as well as the papers and statements of those who influenced public policies. The Kelly Longitudinal Study (KLS) was another source with data that provided information for, “finding out why white class-middle Americans adhered so strongly to a normative and quite specifically defined notion of family life at the time” and this was also used as a primary source for May in her studies (May, 14). For many generations, domestic containment was a response that occurred in regard to the different circumstances that they were apart of and it portrayed dominant gender roles and family models that were promoted and accepted at the time. May is attempting to convey her argument and trying to prove why the postwar Americans had been so excited towards marriage and parenthood unlike their parents and children. She proceeds to portray this in the rest of her historical book explaining how domestic containment changed and expanded

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The 1960s saw more and more women entering the workforce (moreso than in the 1920s), changing the dynamic within families. With more working mothers, fathers were called upon to play a more integral role in the function of the household (Potter, n.d.). In 1960, birth control was legalized (Potter, n.d.), giving women even more control over their family structure and lifestyle they chose to

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The most extensive change was political. Numerous ladies trusted that it was their privilege and obligation to take a genuine part in governmental issues. They perceived that political choices influenced their day by day lives. At the point when gone in 1920, the Nineteenth

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Divorce was truly a rarity during the 1950s. According to (Wilcox, 2009), the divorce rate was less than 22 percent in the year 1950, but it more than doubled to 50 percent in the year 1970. Former President Ronald Reagan’s no-fault divorce bill, which was signed in the year 1969, was one of the reasons why the divorce rate increased. Back then, in order to proceed with a divorce one must present the spouses wrong-doing. Today, because of the no-fault divorce, gives the spouse the opportunity to depart from marriage for no reason at all.

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In the late 19th and early 20th century, family was the foundation and core of society in America (Hussung). During this period of time, the wife was in charge of raising the children and cleaning the house, while the husband worked and provided protection for the family. A strong family unit was something highly regarded and looked upon in society.

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This essay will inspect and discuss the components of individualisation and its effect on families and relationships. This essay will focus on the advancements of the traditional nuclear family. Beck and Beck-Gernsheim (2002, p. 27) described individualisation as the dissolution of previously prevailing social structures. This means that traditionally, an individuals’ destiny was once shaped by structures such as social class, gender roles or religion. This means that people’s lives were already laid down and their individual origins chose which line to take after and which “destiny” they prompted (Brannen and Nilsen 2005, p. 415).

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In many societies and depending on their cultures, men and women are seen equally and may share the same roles in the household or even a stay at home father and the mother being the breadwinner. In modern family, Phil and Claire share the responsibilities with both working and both looking after the kids. The gay couple, Mitchell and Cameron who has an adopted daughter, together they learn what roles they should take on but not being gender specific when raising their daughter and the dynamics in the household. In many families today, dual earning families increased and not just the male who goes to work but females as well and follow their dreams like furthering their careers. “In the 21st century within households two pay-checks have become essential for most families to maintain even a modest standard of living in order to provide” (Walsh, 2012:11).

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Through the socialisation of children, the family reproduces both labour power and a false ideology which keeps the capitalists system going. ‘Families thus support the concentration of wealth and reproduce the class structure in each succeeding generation (Macionis and Plummer 2002:440). Engles indicated that families turn women into the sexual and economic property of men. Woman perform unpaid work in the home that would otherwise cost a lot to those who benefit from it. Conflict theorists have seen the family as a social arrangement benefiting men more than women, allowing men to maintain a position of power.

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