Cultural Change

Abstract

American society has undergone immense cultural change in the last six decades. Owing to this rapid and unprecedented change, the average American families have been directly influenced. As new concepts and ideas have made their way into the American society, their views and opinions on morality, religion and marriage have undergone a radical transformation. In order to maintain the delicate balance of society, it is imperative that the American families realize the importance of their traditions and religious heritage. Only by doing this can they effectively confront the myriad challenges that they are faced with. This paper discusses the cultural changes that have taken place in the past few decades and identifies their major causes. It then highlights the effects that these cultural changes have made on the American society as a whole and the American families in particular.

Introduction

All cultures are susceptible to change with the passage of time and there is no culture in this world which is static. And yet, a majority of cultures around the world are conservative in their approach. This means that they naturally react negatively to change and resist it. In the case of some cultures, the resistance to change is so aggressive that elaborate laws are formulated specifically for the purpose of protecting and preserving cultural beliefs while also constructing barriers that block alien ideas and concepts from making it to the mainstream public. With its rather different and liberal approach, the mainstream American culture has been open to changes in many aspects and this has had a direct effect on the American family. Under intense cultural change, the American family has been subjected to rapid transformation. The major aspects where the average American household has had to undergo change are religion and marriage and moral relativism (Arensberg & Niehoff, 2009).

Intense and unprecedented cultural changes in the American society have given rise to horde of problems for the American families.

Discussion

American society has undergone rapid transformations over the past six decades and, as a result, the American families have been directly influenced by the changes in culture and the introduction of alien beliefs and new concepts (Griswold, 2008). It is undeniable that the average American family is facing the major adverse effects of radical cultural change and transformation. There are many reasons that can be attributed to the moral, religious and familial degradation. The leading factors that can be identified as being responsible for their susceptibility to these changes are mentioned below:

Enhanced freedom

The American constitution has ensured that freedom is provided to al the citizens of America regardless of their ethnicity, race or religion. When it comes to families, both the husband and the wife enjoy equal rights so that both of them have the option of filing for divorce. This means that domestic violence and tensions between husband and wife could actually encourage parents to make hasty decisions without exercising foresight (Popenoe, 2008). Taking such a hasty decision to file a divorce would inevitably affect the entire ...