Cheyenne Tuggle (3207 words)

Cheyenne Tuggle
Contemporary Marriage and Family Lifestyles
The University of Valley Forge
PSY 414
Abstract
Discussed below is a wide variety of different types of the American society of contemporary families and marriages. There have been many changes from the 1960’s to our present day and most of them are results of how our society is evolving. The following statistics are completely accurate as to how many children live with families that have two parents, divorced parents, no parents, step parents and many other things. Along with all of this, the research that has been presented here shows cohabitation, interracial marriages and more types of social normality’s that the nation is experiencing. There is a vast difference that has shaped the average American’s mind about their own thoughts and opinions from ancestors before them and the beliefs that they were raised to have over time. This new generation is breaking old traditions that have been established, instead of keeping the foundation that we once had and is now on the way to completely turning it upside down.

Contemporary Marriage and Family Lifestyles
Today, we have seen a drastic change between living as the “perfect family” in the 1960s and living more as separated families in our modern time. Speaking on even a more modern type of family, many new families are what we now call blended. There are more children being born to single mothers than any before, more step children and half siblings are coming about, educational groups are mixing and even racially blended families are what we call our social norms’. Cohabitation is at the highest rate that it has ever been and often not expected to end in marriage, but just for two people to live together and have their version of a family.
Statistics are always a great way to to put some of the research into perspective. In 1960, 73% of children were living with two parents in the first marriage, 14% two parents in remarriage, 9% single parent households, and 4% no parents. Twenty years later in 1980, we see that the two parents in the first marriage percentile had gone down to 61%, two parents in remarriage went up to 16%, single parents sparked and extra 10% to make 19%, and the no parent percentage stayed at 4%. Since 1980, the latest statistics that have been found in 2014 say, there is a major decline in the two parents in first marriage category being 46%. Two parents in remarriage went up to 16%, a cohabiting parent’s category has been added with 7%, single parents had a huge jump to 26% and no parents had on gone up by 1% to make 5% (American Family, 2015).

In 1960 people in between the ages 18-32 had a marriage percentage of 65%. Today, it is less than 46% and the median ages to marry are in the late 20’s. Comparing the 1960s fertility rates to today, women averaged around 3.5 children, where now they are barley having two altogether. Unmarried women’s birth accounts are at an all-time high with a percentage of 44, including cohabitating parents, while back then, it was barely even heard of as a lifestyle. (Krogstad, 2014).Even though statistics are very interesting and an easy way to understand just how big the modern changes are, knowing exactly what we are speaking about is a necessity to fully understand the worth of the research. Marriage is defined as “a sexual, economic, and emotional partnership between a man and a woman that is socially and legally sanctioned (Ambert, 2005).” Since then, this definition has been made to fit for all contemporary type families. As of not long ago, in all social orders of the world, marriage has been at the premise of family arrangement, that is, of generation. It is a foundation: It includes standards directing the rights and responsibilities of companions, of society toward them, and of life partners as parents. Responsibility is a key, multi-faceted part of the organization of marriage as is constancy, despite the fact that, in numerous societies, it is expected of women as it were said for them to just be the parent’ (Ambert, 2005). As far as concerns, living together is as a matter of first importance in a sexual and passionate relationship inside the setting of living and being married, respectively. It is regularly observed as involving less duties at the legal, financial, and even emotional levels. A few people pick living together in light of the fact that it requires, as they would see it, less sexual devotion than marriage. It is seen to be a more liberated way of life than marriage, that is, a relationship not bound by the standard of permanency. Indeed, in French, acts of living together are called “unions libres,” or free unions (Ambert, 2005).It is simpler to go into cohabitation than a marriage since formal services and social acknowledgment are not required. Therefore, at the social level, it is likewise a simpler relationship to disintegrate than marriage, particularly when there are no kids. Clearly, living together is less institutionalized and standards managing what is a legitimate relationship inside this setting can be uninhibitedly translated. Living together couples are not anticipated that would stay together; when weight is applied upon them, it is to persuade them to wedespecially after the introduction of a child. Be that as it may, this most likely applies less of being together after a separation (Ambert, 2005).
Many of these new factors involving disintegrating marriages have to do with where a person stands in education. As to how much they have had or how little, and what two types of education levels match up with each other. This seems like it should not be a contributing factor to “love,” but many people take into consideration what their possible partner’s education level may be. With that in mind, most of the time we as a people may not even be looking for a financially stable relationship, but are thinking about what our future kids will look up to.
The decrease in rates to be wed has been highest for the people with the least amount of schooling, particularly men, and littlest for school graduates, particularly women. Higher education graduates, which are more likely to have the highest wages, are more probable today to be married, rather than someone with just a high school diploma or less 69% for people with a higher education versus 56% for the individuals who are not a college alumnus (Fry and Cohn, 2010).

In the 60’s and 70’s any education group was to be married, at least, it was very rare to be single. There was only a 2% difference between the men who had completed a collegiate degree and ones who had not gone on to receive a higher education. With that, there was only a 1% difference between all women. In this manner, Americans who as of now have higher wages and who have had the most profit gains since 1970, have braced their budgetary leverage over less educated Americans on account of their more noteworthy propensity to be married (Fry and Cohn, 2010).

Moving over about the education part of contemporary marriage, race is the next big norm of todays modern outlook. About 50 years ago or so, there was a ban on interracial marriage from the Supreme Court lifted. Since then, a nationwide study has been done in 2010 that had shown how much America has moved out of their race comfort zones’ when it comes to marriage (Hayes, 2012). There is a realization as the study continues of how far America has strayed from what used to be acceptable, compared to what it is now.

Hayes (2012) says in the 1980s, there were no more than 6.7% or interracial marriages in all of America. When the study was done in 2010, the number had sparked by doubling this number to a 15%, and the latest statistics show that these rates have gotten to be up to 17% (Wang, 2017). Between every couple that were married in 2010, 9% of whites wedded outside of their own ethnicity, alongside 17% of African-Americans, 26% of Hispanics and 28% of Asians, which incorporates local Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (Hayes, 2012).

The study found, Sex in intermarriages change broadly, with around 24% of African-American men wedded outside their race in 2010, contrasted with 9% of African-American females. With this all being said, the invert is valid for Asians, where around 36% of females wedded outside their race contrasted with 17% of males. Also, intermarriages for white and Hispanic individuals don’t fluctuate by sex, analysts found (Hayes, 2012). Between people who are not African-American, there’s a contracting offer of the individuals who say they would be against having a nearby relative being wed with somebody who is African-American. The statistics have dropped from 63% in 1990, to 14% in 2016. The offer of individuals who contradict marriages with Asian or Hispanic individuals has likewise dropped from around one of every five to around one of every ten adults not in those same races. Anyone who is not white and has a relative that were to marry to someone white, as seen a bit of a smaller decline from 7% to 4% (Wang, 2017).

Other factors to interracial marriages have also played a part in such a big change from the 60’s until now, such as region, online dating and as mentioned earlier, education. The Midwest, Northeast and South have the lower percentages of 11%, 13%, and 14% of intermarrying. Although, when a glance is taken at the Western states, we see a major leap to 22% or every one in five people (Hayes, 2012). The study did not look at any statistics of online dating and interracial marriages, because there is not comparison from before the 2000’s, but it is more common for interracial relationships to start online, because people are most likely bolder on the computer (Hayes, 2012).
Looking at the individuals who “married out” to the individuals who “married in,” analysts found the middle joined income of the two gatherings were basically the same. In one out of five pairs of each gathering, the spouses were graduates of a higher education. The only difference that was seen were between Whiten/Asian couples, whom had fundamentally higher middle joined yearly profit, at $70,592, than some other blending. What’s more, “with regards to instructive qualities, the greater part of white people who wed Asians have an advanced education, contrasted with approximately a third of white people who married other whites,” the study proclaimed. Hispanic or African-Americans who wedded whites had a tendency to have more educational fulfillment contrasted with marrying to their own race (Hayes, 2012).

A survey taken in 1986 said 37% of everyone said that marriage outside of their own race would be okay for other people but not themselves, three in ten said that it was not right for anyone to marry outside and only one-third of the population said that it was fully acceptable. Today there is a major change to be seen where only one in ten people say that intermarriage is a change for the worse and 43% said that it was a major change for the better of our nation (Hayes, 2012). In every case like this, there are both positive and negative outcomes from contemporary marriages.

In today’s society it has been brought to attention that this generation likes to break the old ways of society and try to bring on their own. Back in the 60’s and so on, children listen to their parents and then grew up to hold the old traditions of marriage and raising children. Today we see that we are becoming more and more distant from old ways and upholding the traditions of America’s past. There are many changes that I believe to be negative in contemporary marriage, but there are also many positive things that I have also been seeing.

There are many key factors playing into the ways that women’s roles are changing in the contemporary setting in a marriage, as well as men’s. Women fought for equality and a time for transition, which I believe to be a positive outlook. Men and women sharing the household roles while also continuing to hold professional jobs and salaries are a progression. A marriage is about continuing your life together and I believe that is exactly what it should be, together. The negative look on the independence, is that we are marrying older or not marrying at all, marrying and being divorced or cohabiting, as mentioned above. Evolving as a society is wonderful, such as interracial marriages or marrying into a different education group, the motive being pure love of course. Unfortunately, I do not believe that we know how to evolve together without ruining the foundation and that is what is negative about this.
As Christians, we can counteract the negative aspects of this by setting the examples and shedding our experiences when asked. Trying to put our focus into helping others by accepting and guiding them, instead of condemning and hurting them is one way that Christians should apply their knowledge on these types of situations.

As well as in a counseling session, as a therapist, when a problem has come about, we need to be proactive in doing the right kind of research. Before advising or making any type of suggestion, we should rely on the resources we have rather than what we think our own knowledge may endure.

All in all, the statistics have been shown and the fact of the matter is that there have been many changes made in our societies contemporary trends in marriage and family. Mentioned were facts such as more children being born to single mothers than any before, more step children and half siblings are coming about, educational groups are mixing and interracial marriage and families are on the rise. Cohabitation is also something new that is making new name in our culture and which is a completely new way to have a family.’ Contemporary marriages and families are all very different from what we had originally known them to be. Not all types are negative, but not all have positive impacts either. Differences can only be lead by example in this situation and the way that we raise up our own marriages and families to come.

References
Ambert, A. (2005). Contemporary Family Trends.Cohabitation and Marriage: How They Are Related,1-5. Retrieved October 09, 2017.

Fry, R., ; Cohn, D. (2010, January 18). Women, Men and the New Economics of Marriage. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
Hayes, A. (2012, February 16). Study: Interracial marriage, acceptance growing. Journal of Surgery. Retrieved October 10, 2017.

Krogstad, J. M. (2014, April 30). 5 Facts About the Modern American Family. Retrieved October 09, 2017.

The American Family Today. (2015). Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.

Wang, H. L. (2017, May 18). Steep Rise in Interracial Marriages Among Newlyweds. 50 Years After They Became Legal. Retrieved October 10, 2017.

Reading Report Form
To qualify for an “A” a student must:
Read 250+ pages of scholarly resource material
To qualify for a “B” a student must:
Read 200-249 pages of scholarly resource material
To qualify for a “C” a student must:
Read 125-199 pages of scholarly resource material
For my research paper, I have read (not skimmed) ___278___pages of material.
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Academic Honesty Contract
The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines plagiarism as stealing or passing off the ideas or words of another as if they were your own without crediting the source.
Plagiarism is a serious offense that carries serious consequences. In addition to plagiarism, there are other forms of academic dishonesty that a student must avoid. For example:
Falsification or fabrication – misrepresenting facts or research, verbally or in writing, for the purpose of academic gain;
Double submissions of written work without the expressed consent of the professor(s);
Cheating on tests, papers or projects, including group work on papers or projects when not expressly approved by the professor;
Facilitating academic dishonesty – allowing another student to copy from you; giving your work to another student to use as a model, or to submit as his/her own; leaving your computer or work unguarded so that it is easily accessible to another student;
Any other intentional behavior designed for unearned academic gain on the part of a student.

Paraphrasing: The AUW Model
Ideas that are researched and used must be absorbed, understood, and written in the student’s own words.

Simply changing a few words does not meet the standard for academic honesty.
Choosing When to Give Credit
Need to Document
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When you are using or referring tosomebody else’s words or ideas froma magazine, book, newspaper, song, TV program, movie, web page, computer program, letter, advertisement, or any other medium.
When you are writing your own experiences, your own observations, your own insights, your own thoughts, and your own conclusions about a subject.

When you use information gainedthrough interviewing another person.
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When you are writing up your own experimental results.
When you use ideas that others havegiven you in conversations or overemail.
When is information “Common Knowledge”?
You find the same information undocumented in at least five different sources
You think it is information your readers will already know
You think the person could easily find the information with general reference sources
Some Helpful Websites:
Luther Seminary:
http://www.luthersem.edu/training/2-plagiarism.asp
Vaughan Memorial Library, Acadia University:
http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/
I have read and understand the various forms of academic dishonesty as outlined in this document. In developing my research paper/project, I agree to exercise academic integrity.
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PSY 414 X Research Paper Rubric
4Clearly a knowledgeable, practiced, skilled pattern
3Evidence of a developing pattern
2Superficial, random, limited consistencies
1Unacceptable skill application
Use of Sources
4
3
2
1
Researched information appropriately documented
Enough outside information to clearly represent a research process
Demonstrates use of paraphrasing, direct, and indirect quotations
Information connects to the thesis
Incorporated all references in the main body of the paper
_______/20
Content/Organization
4
3
2
1
Abstract clearly defines thesis
Text organization flows sensibly and smoothly
Content connecting to thesis is clear and concise
Conclusion thoughtful, engaging, and clear
Demonstrated comprehension of the resource material
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3
2
1
Running head
12 point Times New Roman font and appropriate margins
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Correct paragraphing
Consistent APA Format
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Information Literacy
4
3
2
1
Evidence of thorough research (sources represent variety and types)
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Research offers non-biased, fair research perspective from which a conclusion is drawn
Research information goes beyond surface information
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