There are two main cultural and economic forces that contribute to the development of this trend. Firstly, the market continues inventing and producing tools and devices for the household that simplify the performance of housekeeping duties (Family diversity is the new normal for America’s children, 2022). Therefore, people, particularly women, have the opportunity to get detached from the home and have more space for additional activities and personal aspirations. As a consequence, women realized that there were other ways to survive and gain stability, except for marriage and family. They started to get more independent and discover new opportunities for building a successful future that became a higher priority than engaging in traditional familial commitments.
In addition to the already-mentioned changes in society, young people and women now have a greater variety of jobs and careers. Those possibilities create an excellent fundament for self-development and freedom to choose any lifestyle the person wants. Moreover, since there is no longer a need for women to necessarily get married and entirely rely on their husbands financially, they can now more easily escape abusive and unhealthy relationships (Family diversity is the new normal for America’s children, 2022). However, this trend has a negative side, such as the decrease in pay for men who do not have a higher education or young male adults without significant experience (Family diversity is the new normal for America’s children, 2022). The conflict perspective best represents those changes because it views society as groups that rival the resources.
When more people, especially women, postponed making a family and prioritized their careers and aspirations, the familial and patriarchal institutions started to lose their power. Thus, it eventually was redistributed among the significant number of women and young adults who are only at the beginning of their life path. Thereby, people shift their focus from family values and put personal ambitions in first place.
Reference
Family diversity is the new normal for America’s children. Council on contemporary families. Web.