Recognize variations in family life

People’s concepts of marriage and family in the United States are changing. Increases in cohabitation, same-sex partners, and singlehood are altering of our ideas of marriage. Similarly, single parents, same-sex parents, cohabitating parents, and unwed parents are changing our notion of what it means to be a family. While most children still live in opposite-sex, two-parent, married households, that is no longer viewed as the only type of nuclear family.

What you’ll learn to do:

• Understand the prevalence of single parents, cohabitation, same-sex couples, and unmarried individuals
• Discuss the social impact of changing family structures

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

The learning activities for this section include:

• Reading: Variations in Family Life
• Reading: Theoretical Perspectives on Marriage and Family
• Self-Check: Family Life