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Nuclear Family (Stay-At-Home Mother)
The post war economic prosperity led to increased wages for many working men. These wages were often more than enough to support a household. This allowed women to remain at home to raise children and maintain the home. Additionally, there were cultural expectations that women of the middle and upper classes should not work outside of the home. This was reinforced by the demands of the labor market which sought to fill limited positions with qualified males, creating barriers for women. -
Two Working Parents
Two-Income HouseholdsEffects of Two Working Parents on ChildrenIn 2010, 2/3 of homes had two working parents. This shows a reversal of the typical family dynamic in the 1960s, where 2/3 of homes had a stay-at-home parent. This trend springs from economic necessity in many cases, coupled with the changes brought about by the feminist movement. The trend in America continues to move away from the traditional model of a working father and a stay-at-home mother. -
Single Mothers
Since the 1980 census, the number of single mothers has increased by 80% to its present number of 10,025,000. These increases are due in part to the increasingly progressive attitudes of society. Single mothers must meet all of the financial demands of raising a child without the support of a spouse. Additionally, they must meet the time and emotional needs of a child. These difficulties are compounded by the economic demands. -
Stay-At-Home Fathers
32% of families with a wife in the workforce and children under the age of 18 have a father that provides regular source of care for their children. There is still a social stigma against stay-at-home fatherhood as men are often expected to be the breadwinners of the families. A man who stays at home as a caregiver to children can be considered a failure in the eyes of society. It has been found that women actually “gatekeep” and attempt to keep fathers from taking up traditionally female roles. -
Single Fathers
As of the 2012 census, there were about 1.96 million single fathers in the U.S. This makes up about 16% of the total number of single parents in the United States. This is partly because, until very recently, children involved in custody lawsuits were almost always given to their mother to raise because men were considered less capable of raising children on their own. Of these single fathers, 44% were divorced, 20% are separated, 5% were widowed, and 31% were never married. -
Gay Parents
Court Case HistoryThe family with two gay parents has not existed until recently, as the Defense of Marriage Act was not repealed until 2013. However, discrimination against gay parents is apparent in many court cases throughout the second half of the 20th century. Parents were often denied custody of their children in a divorce solely because they were gay. However, gay parents are now recognized as a legitimate couple in many states, and may adopt children and raise families. A two gay parent home is becoming
