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The Impact of Societal and Economic Changes upon the Family Essay

Decent Essays

Family and society have come across many changes during our history. Every change that occurred has affected what many people would call the "Benchmark Family" (Scanzoni #7). This is considered the perfect family or the norm. The Family would consist of the husband that is the breadwinner and the wife who is responsible for raising the children, and taking care of the home (Scanzoni #4). Society has changed dramatically from the 19th century. These changes in turn have affected Family. Many factors through the years have been responsible for these changes. Feminism is a tremendous factor that is still having its effect on family and society today. Another factor is employment. Women in the workplace have changed family structure …show more content…

Women were now working before marriage, and starting to develop their own sense of self worth. Women started to realize that they had their own choices and did not have to live the way their mothers' did. Married women were now working, making their own money and feeling good about their selves (Scanzoni #114). Men felt they were losing control. This began to start major conflicts within the family. Women wanted their equal rights in the family and outside the home. Women now felt they did not need support from the man, because of career opportunities out there. They began to have choices, which were not available in the past. Divorce started to rise because of these changes (Scanzoni #114). Men where not excepting the new woman, and refused to let them be considered equal, which in turn broke up families. These factors contributed to the development of single parent families and different types of lifestyles.

Women wanted to be treated as equals, and also have more emotional ties with their husbands (Scanzoni #130). Conservative Critics blame increasing divorce and delinquency as well as other social problems, on women's desires for self-fulfillment (Scanzoni #139). I do not totally agree with that theory. Women are entitled to the same treatment as men. It seems to me that men just did not understand what women needed to live happy lives. These ancient ways of thinking on the part of men caused some of these conflicts in this era. There

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