Introduction
Families throughout the world are changing in various ways, such as a decrease in the fertility rate has been seen in most nations during the last three decades. Meanwhile, the number of women joining the workforce has increased significantly. Nowadays, having a career before starting a family is becoming more and more popular among both men and women. This has led to having fewer children and more grandparents now than there were in the past. The following are some of the forms and changes that have taken place in the families across the world.
Changes of Families
There are several factors that contribute to the fall in fertility throughout the world, but one of the most important is the increase in the age at which people first get married (Casterline, 2017; Madsen, et al., 2018). One of the most common reason why marriage might take place later in life is that people have more freedom to build families of their own choice and hence more heterosexual partnerships. Women’s participation in the workforce has expanded dramatically in the majority of countries and due to this, women are delaying marriage permanently in various family systems, notably in the economically affluent countries of East Asia. In Eastern Europe and portions of Asia, marriage seems to be becoming less obligatory.
The practice of cohabitation (whether before, after, or in place of a legal union) has risen in popularity across the Eastern Europe and Western world as marriage has become more optional (Holland, 2017). In Carribbean and Latin American countries where cohabitation has historically been preferred by specific ethnic and racial minorities, there has been a rise in the number of wealthy persons who choose to live together rather than marry.
Most countries, particularly those with historically low rates of marital separation, are experiencing an increase in the number of divorces after marriage. In certain nations, marital stability has grown among the most educated, while for the less educated and skillful, it has decreased. Couples who are unhappy in their marriages are accepting more the idea of divorce as a viable alternative.
In prosperous countries, the number of households without children is on the rise, which is linked to a decrease in fertility (Kreyenfeld & Konietzka, 2017). More and more women in Europe, and the sophisticated economies of Asia (such as Korea and Japan) are choosing not to have children (and often not to marry). Many nations throughout the world are experiencing an increase in the number of women who have chosen not to marry upon entering the workforce. There seems to be a growing trend of childlessness in rapidly developing regions of the world and East Asia.
Women’s increased engagement in the workforce in many developing and industrialized countries has led to a shift in the responsibilities of men and women at home. In many countries, the concept of gender equality may have expanded more quickly than the reality of it. Women’s rights activists in both developing and developed countries have made significant progress in ensuring that women in the twenty-first century have greater access to education and employment opportunities. Due to legal and public policy developments, women’s rights are anticipated to continue to rise. In nations where domestic violence and sexual coercion were formerly legal, these behaviors have been shown to be a serious problem.
Conclusion
Generally, families are changing as economic inequality rises, resulting in widening gaps between the wealthiest and poorest members of society. Those who are well-off in the economy of many developed countries have more stability in their families, whereas instability increases among the less fortunate in these same systems. If these different family practices are not stopped by public policies, the stratification system will become even more rigid in the developing world. This will make it more difficult for people to move up the social ladder.
References
Casterline, J. B. (2017). Prospects for Fertility Decline in Africa. Population and Development Review, 43, 3–18. Web.
Holland, J. A. (2017). The timing of marriage vis-à-vis coresidence and childbearing in Europe and the United States. Research Gate. Web.
Kreyenfeld, M., & Konietzka, D. (2017). Childlessness in Europe: Contexts, Causes, and Consequences. In M. Kreyenfeld & D. Konietzka (Eds.), Demographic Research Monographs. Springer International Publishing. Web.
Madsen, J. B., Moslehi, S., & Wang, C. (2018). What Has Driven the Great Fertility Decline in Developing Countries since 1960? The Journal of Development Studies. Web.