Main article: Family An American family composed of the mother father children and extended family.
The American family structure is considered a traditional family support system involving two married individuals providing care and stability for their biological offspring. However this two-parent nuclear family has become less prevalent and alternative family forms have become more common.1 The family is created at birth and establishes ties across generations.2 Those generations the extended family of aunts uncles grandparents and cousins can hold significant emotional and economic roles for the nuclear family.
Over time the traditional structure has had to adapt to very influential changes including divorce and the introduction of single-parent families teenage pregnancy and unwed mothers homosexuality and same-sex marriage and increased interest in adoption. Social movements such as the feminist movement and the stay-at-home dad have contributed to the creation of alternative family forms generating new controversy and concern for the American family. Contents 1 Family at a glance 2 Roles and relationships 3 Children 4 Controversy 5 African American family structure 6 Television portrayals 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links // Family at a glance
Nuclear family For more details on this topic see nuclear family.
The nuclear family is considered the "traditional" family. The nuclear family consists of a mother father and the children. The two-parent nuclear family has become less prevalent and alternative family forms have become more common.1 These include homosexual relationships single-parent households and adopting individuals. The nuclear family is also choosing to have fewer children then in the past.3 The percentage of married-couple households with children under 18 has declined to 23.5 percent of all households in 2000 from 25.6 percent in 1990 and from 45 percent in 1960.3
Single-parent For more details on this topi

c see single-parent. See also: teenage pregnancy
A single-parent (also termed lone parent or sole parent) is a parent who cares for one or more children without the assistance of the other biological parent. Single-parent homes are increasing more and more as married couples divorce or as unexpected pre-marital pregnancies occur.4 The percentage of single-parent households has doubled in the last three decades but that percentage tripled between 1900 and 1950.5 The sense of marriage as a "permanent" institution has been weakened allowing individuals to consider leaving marriages more readily then they may have in the past.6
Extended family For more details on this topic see extended family.
The extended family consists of grandparents aunts uncles and cousins. In some circumstances the extended family comes to live either with or in place of a member of the nuclear family. An example includes elderly parents who move in with their children due to old age. This places large demands on the caregivers particularly the female relatives who choose to perform these duties for their extended family.7 Roles and relationships
Married partners For more details on this topic see Marriage in the United States.
A married couple is defined as a "husband and wife enumerated as members of the same household" by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.8 Since the 1940s the United States marriage rate has decreased whereas rates of divorce have increased.9
Unwed partners See also: Cohabitation in the United States
Living as unwed partners is also known as cohabitation. The number of heterosexual unmarried couples in the United States has increased tenfold from about 0.4 million in 1960 to more than five million in 2005.10 This number would increase by at least another 594000 if same sex partners were included.10 Of all unmarried couples about 1 in 9 (11 percent of all unmarried-partner households) are gay men or lesbians.10 The cohabitation lifestyle is becoming more popular in today's genera

tion.11 It is more convenient for couples not to get married because it can be cheaper and simpler. As divorce rates rise in society the desire to get married is less attractive for couples uncertain of their long-term plans.10
Parents Parents can be either the biological mother or biological father or the legal guardian for adopted children. Traditionally mothers were responsible for raising the kids while the father was out providing financially for the family. The age group for parents ranges from teenage parents to grandparents who have decided to raise their grandchildren with teenage pregnancies fluctuating based on race and culture.12 Older parents are financially established and generally have less problems raising children compared to their teenage counterparts.13
Housewives For more details on this topic see Housewife.
A housewife is a married woman who does not work outside of the home for income but stays and takes care of the house and kids. This includes doing the cooking washing cleaning etc. The roles of women working within the house has changed drastically as more women start to pursue careers. The amount of time women spend doing housework declined from 27 hours per week in 1965 to less than 16 hours in 1995 but it is still substantially more housework then their male partners.14
"Breadwinners" A breadwinner is the main financial provider in the family. Historically the husband has been the breadwinner; that trend is changing as wives start to take advantage of the women's movement to gain financial independence for themselves. According to the New York Times "In 2001 wives earned more than their spouses in almost a third of married households where the wife worked."15 Yet even within nuclear families in which both spouses are employed outside of the home many men are still responsible for a substantially smaller share of household duties.16
Stay-at-home dads For more details on this topic see stay-at-home dad.
Stay-at-home dads are fathers that are un

employed and raise their childrenthe male equivalent to housewives. Stay-at-home dads are not as popular in American society.17 According to US Census Bureau "There are an estimated 105000 'stay-at-home' dads. These are married fathers with children under 15 who are not in the labor force primarily so they can care for family members while their wives work outside the home. Stay-at-home dads care for 189000 children."18 Children
Only child families
An only child is one without any biological or adopted brothers or sisters. Only children are stereotypically spoiled self-centered and selfish. Despite this only children often excel more in school and in their careers than children with siblings.14 Famous only children include Leonardo da Vinci Albert Einstein Elvis Presley and Jean-Paul Sartre.14
Adopted children Adopted children are kids that were given up at birth abandoned or were unable to be cared for by their biological parents. They may have been put into foster care before finding their permanent residence. It is particularly hard for adopted children to get adopted from foster care: only 50000 children were adopted from in 2001.19 The average age of these children was 7 years old which shows that fewer older kids were adopted.19 Controversy
Same-sex marriage adoption and child rearing For more details on this topic see Same-sex adoption.
Same-sex parents are gay or lesbian couples that choose to raise children. Nationally 33 percent of female same-sex couples and 22 percent of male same-sex couples live with children under 18 years old.17 Children with same-sex parents usually deal with discrimination by their peers.20 In the 2000 census there were 594000 households that claimed to be headed by same-sex couples with 27 percent of those having children.21 In July 2004 the American Psychological Association concluded that "Overall results of research suggests that the development adjustment and well-being of children with lesbian and gay parents do not differ markedly f

rom that of children with heterosexual parents."22
Single-parent households
Single-parent homes in America are starting to become more common in today's society. With more children being born to unmarried couples and to couples whose marriages subsequently dissolve children increasingly live with only one parent. The proportion of children living with a never-married parent has also grown from 4 percent in 1960 to 42 percent in 2001.23 Of all one parent families 83 percent are mother-child families.23
Adoption requirements For more details on this topic see Adoption in the United States.
The adoption requirements and policies for adopting children have made it harder for foster families and potential adoptive families to adopt kids. Before a family can adopt they must go through state county and agency criteria. Adoption agencies' criteria express the importance of age of the adoptive parents as well as the agency's desire for married couples over single adopters.24 Adoptive parents also have to deal with criteria that is given by the birth parents of the adoptive child. The different criteria for adoptive children makes it harder for couples to adopt children in need.24 However it can be good to place strict requirements to help protect the foster children from unqualified couples.24 Currently 1.5 million children are adopted making the percentage of all U.S. children adopted at 2%. There are several different types of adoption the first being embryo adoption which is when a couple is having trouble conceiving a child and instead choose to have their sperm and egg conjoined outside the womb. Another type of adoption is international adoption which is simply the adopted children that come from foreign countries. Last is private adoption within the states this being the most commonly recognized form of adoption. In private adoption families adopt children via licensed agencies or with direct contact through the parents.
Male/Female role pressures For more details on this topic

see gender role.
The traditional "father" and "mother" roles of the nuclear family have become blurred over time. Because of the women's movement towards greater individuality and economic stability and as women choose to sacrifice their child-bearing years to establish their careers the traditional roles of fathers as the "breadwinners" and mothers as the "caretakers" have come into question.25 African American family structure See also: Research on the African-American Family and Black matriarchy
The family structure of African Americans has been a matter of national public policy interest.26 The 1965 report by Daniel Patrick Moynihan known as The Moynihan Report examined the link between black poverty and family structure.26 It hypothesized that the destruction of the Black nuclear family structure would hinder further progress toward economic and political equality.26 Television portrayals
The television industry initially helped create a stereotype of the American nuclear family. During the era of the baby boomers families became a popular social topic especially on television.27 Family shows such as "The Cosby Show" "Married with Children" "The Jeffersons" and "Good Times" have portrayed different social classes of families growing up in America. Those "perfect" nuclear families have changed as the years passed and have become more realistic showing single-parent and divorced families as well as older singles.4 Television shows that show single-parent families include "Half & Half" "One on One" "Murphy Brown" and "Gilmore Girls". Television shows that are becoming increasingly popular tend to focus more on single life. For example "Sex and the City" illustrates the relationship between a group of female friends and their romantic endeavors. See also Divorce (United States) Divorce in the United States Japanese family structure v  d  e Life in the United States
Affluence  Culture  Crime  Education (attainment)&

#160; Family structure  Health care  Health insurance  Holidays  Household income  Homelessness  Homeownership  Human rights  Income inequality  Labor unions  Languages  Middle class  Passenger vehicle transport  Personal income  Political ideologies  Poverty  Racism  Religion  Social class  Social issues  Society  Sports  Standard of living  Wealth References a b Edwards H.N. (1987). Changing family structure and youthful well-being. Journal of Family Issues 8 355-372 Beutler Burr Bahr and Herrin (1989) p.806; cited by Fine Mark A. in Families in the United States: Their Current Status and Future Prospects Copyright 1992 a b "For First Time Nuclear Families Drop Below 25% of Households". Uscsumter.edu. 2001-05-15. http://www.uscsumter.edu/tpowers/hist112/nucfams.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-27.  a b Benokraitis N: Marriages & families page 7. 6th edition 2007 Benokraitis N: Marriages & families page 18. 6th edition 2007 Glenn N. D. (1987). Continuity versus change sanguineness versus concern: Views of the American family in the late 1980s. Journal of Family Issues 8 348-354 Brubaker T.H. (1990). Continuity and change in later life families: Grandparenthood couple relationships and family caregiving. Gerentology Review 3 24-40 Teachman Tedrow Crowder. The Changing Demography of America's Families. Journal of Marriage and the Family Vol. 62 (Nov 2000) pp. 1234 Teachman Tedrow Crowder. The Changing Demography of America's Families. Journal of Marriage and the Family Vol. 62 (Nov 2000) pp. 1235 a b c d Benokraitis N: Marriages & families page 271. 6th edition 2007 Benokraitis N: Marriages & families page 275. 6th edition 2007 Benokraitis N: Marriages & families page 326. 6th edition 2007 Benokraitis N: Marriages & families page 328-329. 6th edition 2007 a b c Benokraitis N: Marriages & families page 367. 6th edition 2007 Gardner Ralph (20

03-11-10). "Alpha Women Beta Men - When wives are the family breadwinners". Nymag.com. http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/features/n9495/. Retrieved 2009-07-27.  Furstenberg Jr. F. F. (1988). Good dads-bad dads: Two faces of fatherhood. In A. J. Cherlin The changing American family and public policy (pp. 193-218). Washington DC: The Urban Institute Press a b Benokraitis N: Marriages & families page 328. 6th edition 2007 "US Census Press Releases". Census.gov. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/children/001125.html. Retrieved 2009-07-27.  a b "Child's Finalization Age (Grouped)". Acf.hhs.gov. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/statsresearch/afcars/statistics/age03.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-28.  Benokraitis N: Marriages & families page 372. 6th edition 2007 U.S. Census Bureau Married-Couple and Unmarried-Partner Households:2000 (February 2003) Meezan William and Rauch Jonathan. Gay Marriage Same-sex Parenting and America's Children. The Future of Children Vol.15 No.2 Marriage and Child Wellbeing (Autumn 2005) p.102 a b Benokraitis N: Marriages & families page 20-21. 6th edition 2007 a b c "Review of Qualification Requirements for Prospective Adoptive Parents - Agencies Agency Alcohol A". Adopting.adoption.com. http://adopting.adoption.com/child/review-of-qualification-requirements-for-prospective-adoptive-parents.html. Retrieved 2009-07-28.  Fine Mark A. Families in the United States: Their Current Status and Future Prospects. Family Relations vol. 41 (Oct 1992) p.431 a b c Moynihan's War on Poverty report Benokraitis N: Marriages & families page 7-8. 6th edition 2007 Further reading Mattox William R. Jr. "America's family time famine" Children Today Nov-Dec 1990 External links Single Parent Statistics Same Sex Marriage Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships The Dilemma of the Only Child Adoption Statistics v  d  e United States topics History Timeline Pre-Columbian era  Colonial era (Th

irteen Colonies   Colonial American military history)   American Revolution (War)  Federalist Era  War of 1812  Territorial changes  MexicanAmerican War  American Civil War  Reconstruction era  American Indian Wars  Gilded Age  African-American Civil Rights Movement (18961954)  SpanishAmerican War  American imperialism  World War I  Roaring Twenties  Great Depression  World War II (Home front)  Cold War  Korean War  Space Race  African-American Civil Rights Movement (19551968)  Feminist Movement  Vietnam War  Post-Cold War (1991present)  War on Terror (War in Afghanistan  Iraq War) Topics Demographic  Economic  Military  Postal  Technological and industrial  Inventions (before 1890  1890-1991  after 1991)  Discoveries Federal government     Law Constitution   Federalism   Separation of powers Bill of Rights   Civil liberties United States Code Code of Federal Regulations United States Reports Federal Reporter Legislature - Congress Senate   Vice President   President pro tem House of Representatives   Speaker Executive - President Executive Office Cabinet / executive departments Independent agencies Law enforcement Civil service  Policies Judiciary - Supreme Court Federal courts Courts of appeal District courts Intelligence Intelligence Community   Central Intelligence Agency   Defense Intelligence Agency   National Security Agency Armed Forces Department of Defense   Army   Marine Corps   Navy   Air Force   National Guard Department of Homeland Security   Coast Guard Politics State governments  Local governments  Elections (Electoral College)  Divisions  Ideologies  Parties (Democratic Party  Republican Party  Third parties)  Scandals  Po

litical status of Puerto Rico  Red states and blue states  Uncle Sam Geography Cities towns and villages  Counties  Extreme points  Islands  Mountains (Peaks  Appalachian  Rocky)  National Park System  Regions (Great Plains  Mid-Atlantic  Midwestern  New England  Northwestern  Southern  Southwestern  Pacific  Western)  Rivers (Colorado  Columbia  Mississippi  Missouri  Ohio  Rio Grande)  States  Territory  Water supply and sanitation Economy Agriculture  Banking  Communications  Companies  Dollar  Energy  Federal Budget  Federal Reserve System  Insurance  Mining  Public debt  Taxation  Tourism  Trade  Transportation  Wall Street Society Topics Crime  Demographics  Education  Family structure  Health care  Health insurance  Incarceration  Languages (American English  Spanish)  Media  People  Public holidays  Religion  Sports Social class Standard of living  Personal income  Household income  Homelessness  Homeownership  Income inequality  Affluence  American Dream  Middle class  Educational attainment  Poverty  Professional and working class conflict  Wealth Culture Architecture  Cuisine  Dance  Fashion  Flag  Folklore  Literature  Music  Philosophy  Radio  Television / Cinema  Theater  Visual arts Issues Abortion  Affirmative action  Anti-Americanism  Capital punishment  Drug policy  Exceptionalism  Energy policy  Environmental movement  Gun politics  Health care reform  Human rights  Immigration   LGBT rights (Same-sex marriage)  Obesity  Racism  Terrorism Portal