It Is Official — There Is No Such Thing As A ‘Traditional Family’ Anymore
When someone asked you what a “traditional family” consists of, what would your answer be? Do you think of a man and a woman with 2.5 children and possibly a pet? If so, that wouldn’t be a surprise. Thanks to years of society living up to the view established in the 1960s, the above example is what most people think of pertaining to a traditional family. Simply observe our media to get an idea. Television shows like Leave It To Beaver and Family Matters(after the show dropped Judy Winslow) followed the family model. Even The Addams Family, a show that was very different compared to others at the time, followed the traditional family unit.
Today, such a view is actually uncommon. According to a new poll, the perceived traditional family is no longer the majority in the United States. As a matter of fact, such is now the new minority.
According to the latest statistical poll by the Pew Research Center, it reports that less than half of the children in the United States (about 46 percent) are living in a home with two married heterosexual parents in their first marriage. This marks a change from the 1960s, when 73 percent of children fit that description. It should be recognized that a decrease is historically expected, accounting that the percentages for traditional marriage have generally decreased with every passing year.
There are many reasons why the traditional family is now the minority in the United States. Rapid changes in the family structure have altered said image. The old “ideal” was to marry young, start a family, and stay married until “death do us part.” Now it is now socially acceptable to marry later in life, or not marry at all. According to the Huffington Post, late to no marriages are resulting in a spike of kids living with single or cohabiting parents.
Other statistics that were calculated include 15 percent of children living with two parents in a remarriage, 34 percent live with an unmarried parent, 4 percent live with cohabiting parents, and 5 percent live with no parents.
The decline in traditional marriage has caused concern for some people, some who have specifically pointed out the cause. According to the Inquisitr, the pope stated that gay marriage is the reason for the decline in traditional families. He recently stood firm on this view late last year, saying both the traditional views of marriage and family are now in crisis. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide any tangibility for the pope’s claims since the Pew Research Center did not provide statistics on how many children live in a family unit consisting of two homosexual parents.
In conclusion, the traditional family is the present abnormality in society. For all of you who’ve grown up in a traditional family, what is your opinion on this matter? Do you see it as a progressive acceptance of different family units or the aftermath of denying the importance of said traditional marriage?
[Image via Orion Studios]
