The American Family

1. The American Family Chapter 12, Section 2

2. Marriage • Homogamy= marriage between those with similar social characteristics. • Heterogamy= marriage between individuals with different social characteristics. • Heterogamy has become more prevalent and accepted in American society. • The likelihood of heterogamy increases as people interact more with those of different characteristics.

3. Disruptions • Families can be affected by all of the following disruptions to stability: • Violence • Divorce • Empty-nest syndrome • Divorce • Two factors contributing: 1) Looser laws and lower costs; 2) Decreased economic dependence of women.

4. Trends in the American Family • The following are general trends that have affected the American family in recent decades: • Delayed marriage • Delayed childbearing • Sandwich generation take care of both young children and aging adults at the same time (generally mid-thirties). • Childlessness • Voluntary childlessness couples who are highly educated and have high incomes. • Dual-earner families= both male and female work for a living. • One-parent families • Remarriage