The Family Breakdown
The disintegration of the family has always preceded the decline of a culture. America and American families are in trouble. In the history of our nation, there has not been a single generation raised with the societal conditions that we have. Our nation is faced with a severe problem. Our social fabric seems to be coming apart at the seams. Each day we are confronted by reports of violence, teen suicides, drug abuse, spousal abuse, and child abuse. Family life is breaking down in America. The cultural acceptance of the family breakdown is undermining the foundations of strong communities and civil society. With a clear link established between the breakdown of the family and the major problems plaguing our society, the ramifications for society with a continuing demise of the family are considerable. Common practices such as out of wedlock births, abortion, and divorce are weakening the family and therefore, the community and the nation. According to the recent study "The American Family" by Patrick Fagan, the out of wedlock birth rate is at a historic high. In 1997, 32 percent of all children were born out of wedlock. A total of 20 million children now live with single parents, and of these, 12 million li
ve in the poorest families. The out of wedlock birth rate has climbed steadily since the 1950s. The rise is propelled by factors such as, a decline in the birth rate among married women. Married women want to space or limit births in hope of better lives for themselves, education and prosperity for their children, and security for their families. The average family size is currently just under 3 children. Another key factor is, the birth rate for unmarried women has increased more than six times between 1940 and 1990, from 7.1 births per 1,000 unmarried women to 43.8 births. This was due in part to a change in the overall size of the population, which swelled during the postwar baby boom, and the fact that women and men began postponing marriage from the mid-1960s. Still another factor is the sharp drop in the age of first sexual intercourse. Why does the breakdown of the family have such devastating consequences? It's because the family is the foundation of civilization. The functionalist theory sees the normal family as one husband who is the father, one wife who is the mother, and the children. Anything other than this is a deviation from the normalcy of values. The family is a basic unit of society that serves the purposes of socializing the young, regulating sexual activity and procreation, providing physical care for family members, and giving psychological support and emotional security to individuals. The experiences that shape our fundamental character take place in the family from the moment of our birth. It is the place where we have our first experiences of human behavior and wher
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1083
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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