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TheChangingAmericanFamilyThefamilyisimportanttopeopleallovertheworldalthoughthestructureofthefamilyisquitedifferentfromonecountrytoanother.IntheUnitedStates,asinmanycountriesintheworld,thefamilyischanging.Agenerationortwoago,thetraditionalfamily,inwhichthefatherwasboss,wascustomary.Now,themodernfamily,inwhichboththefatherandthemotherareequalpartners,ismorecommon.Althoughthereareseveralsimilaritiesbetweenthetraditionalandthemodernfamily,therearealsosomeveryimportantdifferences.Thetraditionalfamilyofyesterdayandthemodernfamilyoftodayhaveseveralsimilarities.Thetraditionalfamilywasanuclearfamily,andthemodernfamilyis,too.Theroleofthefatherinthetraditionalfamilywastoprovideforhisfamily.Similarly,thefatherinthemodernfamilyisexpectedtodoso,also.Themotherinthetraditionalfamilytookcareofthechildrenphysicalandemotionalneedsjustasthemodernmotherdoes.Ontheotherhand,therearesomegreatdifferencesbetweenthetraditionalfamilyandthemodernfamily.Thefirstimportantdifferenceisinthemenrole.Thetraditionalhusbandwastheheadofthehousehold,becausehewastheonlyonewhoworkedoutsidethehome.Ifthewifeworkedforpay,thenthehusbandwasnotconsideredtobeagoodprovider.Inmanyfamiliestoday,bothhusbandandwifeworkforpay.Therefore,theysharetheroleofheadofhousehold.Inaddition,thetraditionalhusbandusuallymadethebigdecisionsaboutspendingmoney.However,themodernhusbandsharesthesedecisionswithhisworkingwife.Also,thetraditionalhusbanddidnothelphiswifewiththehouseworkormealpreparation.Dinnerwasreadywhenhecamehome.Incontrast,themodernhusbandhelpshisworkingwifeathome.Hemaydosomeofthehouseholdjobs,anditisnotunusualforhimtocook.Theseconddifferenceisinthewomenrole.Inthetraditionalfamily,thewomanmayhaveworkedforpayduringherfirstyearsofmarriage.However,aftershebecamepregnant,shewouldusuallygiveupherjob.Herprimaryrolewastotakecareofherfamilyandhome.Incontrast,inmanyfamiliestoday,themodernwomanworksoutsidethehomeevenaftershehaschildren.Shedoingtwojobsinsteadofone,sosheisbusierthanthetraditionalmotherwas.Thetraditionalwifelearnedtolivewithinherhusband’sincome.Ontheotherhand,themodernwifedoesnothaveto(livewithinherhusband’sincome)becausethefamilyhastwoincomes.Thefinaldifferenceisintheroleofthechildren.Inthetraditionalfamily,thechildrenweretakencareofbythemotherbecauseshedidnotworkoutsidethehome.However,todaypreschoolchildrenmaygotoachildcarecenterortoababy-sitterregularlybecausethemotherworks.Theschool-agechildrenofatraditionalfamilyweremoredependent.Theirmotherwastheretohelpthemtogetreadyforschoolandtomaketheirbreakfast.Incontrast,modernchildrenaremoreindependent.Theyhavetogetupearlyinthemorningandgetreadyforschool.Theirmotherisbusygettingreadyforwork,sotheymayevenhavetomaketheirownbreakfast.Inconclusion,today’sAmericanfamilyisdifferentfromthefamilyoffiftyyearsago.Inthemodernfamily,therolesofthefather,mother,andchildrenhavechangedas(because)moreandmorewomenworkoutsidethehome.ThenextcenturymaybringmoreimportantchangestotheAmericanfamilystructure.Itshouldbeinterestingtosee.