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American Family

Introduction

American families have diverse origins, backgrounds, and experiences. Consequently, there is no such thing as a “typical” American family. The numerous forms that American families take throughout history have depended upon many social, economic, and political factors. A discussion of American family structures must include various historical forces that have shaped American family life. The colonial families of early America were also significantly shaped by social, economic, and political forces. Marriage was an important element of family life, and divorce rates were extremely low. The fact that divorce was uncommon during colonial times does not necessarily indicate the prevalence of intact families, however. Spousal desertion occurred more frequently, and widowhood was a factor in single-parent households. Although colonial households were significantly larger than contemporary families, not all residents were necessarily related to one another. Non-family member residents often served economic functions. For instance, some families employed servants, while others housed apprentices and employees. Furthermore, many families took in boarders to supplement household income.

Discussion

American family households are those containing persons who are related to the household head. Moreover, non-family households consist of one or more unrelated persons. Historically, most American households have been family households, and most of these have included married couples. In 1910, 80 percent of all households included married couples. By 1980, this percentage had declined to 61 percent. A breakdown of all U.S. households in 1980 shows that 31 percent were married couples with no children under age eighteen; 7 percent were single parents with children under age eighteen; 6 percent were family households that did not include a married couple or any children of the householder; and 26 percent were “nonfamily” (Booth, Crouter, Shanahan, 89).

Of the non-family households, 86 percent consisted of individuals who were living alone. The behavior of U.S. ...