...ESSAY Option 1: Discuss the changes in marriage and parenthood from the 17th century through the 21st century. Make sure you include the reasons behind the changes. Include at least two specific theories that explain family behavior and why do you think those two theories do explain and predict better than the others? Many changes have occurred over time in relation to marriage and parenthood. One of the biggest changes is seen in the family forms of today’s society. In the past the family that was most commonly seen was the nuclear family, but “This type of family as a proportion of all families has been declining as the family form has become more diverse.” (p. 5) In the decline of the nuclear family other forms have risen such as blended or reconstituted families, voluntarily childless families, single-parent families, and families of orientation. These new forms of family have greatly affected the trends in marriage and parenthood and have altered them in many ways. In the past any person able to marry were expected to marry and have children if they could physically conceive. “The marriage rate has gone down, the age at which people marry has gone up, and the number of children per family has declined.” (p. 10) In society today people are not frowned upon for not marrying. It is quite often to now hear of voluntary stable singles and see families without any children by personal choice. There is greater acceptance on cohabitation without commitment or any intent...
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...past years with some lesbians and gay men taking a central part in the parenting processes through various methods including insemination from the donors, surrogate, adoption processes and fostering of the children. Critically, multiple debates have revolved the nature of the relationship existing among Lesbians, Gay partners. Some individuals including government officials have been at the forefront opposing same-sex marriage and parenthood through the affirmation of the associated mental health effects among the children. Most of them have argued that these types of children are characterized by significant rates of emotional instability and social problems as compared to the those having...
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...of shapes and types of families. The most marked characteristic of families since the 1960s has been that the traditional conception of the British family has disintegrated. The married couple with 2.4 children is disappearing. The sequence of life events - marriage, sex and children - has been radically reordered. Marriage rarely comes first and increasingly does not happen at all. Over the past 30 years, levels of cohabitation have trebled, the number of babies born outside marriage has quintupled, and the number of single-parent families has trebled. The most dramatic change, however, has been to the "happy ever after" bit in the picture of family life. In the past 30 years, the rate of divorce has doubled; and half of all children now experience their parents' divorce before they are 16. All four trends - cohabitation, divorce, births outside marriage and single parents - are likely to be even more pronounced by 2020. There is no evidence that any of them are easing. Much has been made of the fact that the divorce rate appears to have reached a plateau - Britain has the highest divorce rate in Europe - but it is still rising in first marriages. Cohabitation arrangements are even more likely to break down than marriages. So what will be accepted...
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...rights and duties of a human being. It also states that every person is an image of God, therefore it is worthy of respect. One has to reflect about a series that depicts family’s life and also the social function of the family. For this I choose Parenthood last episode of season four, because it demonstrate what real family struggle. Parenthood is a show that tells the story of the Braverman family, which comprises an older couple (Zeek and Camille Braverman), their four children (Adam, Sarah, Crosby and Julia), and their...
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...For anyone trying to figure out what makes for a successful marriage nowadays, the scrap of doggerel1 in the title of this report isn’t a bad place to start. According to a new Pew Research Center survey of American adults, “sharing household chores” now ranks third in importance on a list of nine items often associated with successful marriages – well ahead of such staples as adequate income, good housing, common interests and shared religious beliefs. Well ahead, even, of children (for more on attitudes about marriage and parenthood, see the Pew Research Center report “As Marriage and Parenthood Drift Apart, Public Is Concerned about Social Impact“). Some 62% of adults say sharing household chores is very important to marital success. On this question, there’s virtually no difference of opinion between men and women; or between older adults and younger adults; or between married people and singles. Another three-in-ten adults says sharing household cores is “rather important” to a successful marriage. Just 7% say it is “not very important.” In the public’s ranking of keys to a successful marriage, “sharing household chores” still trails far behind the perennial leader — “faithfulness” –which is rated as very important by 93% of survey respondents. But household chores are now nipping at the heels of the second-place item – “happy sexual relationship,” which draws a very-important rating from 70% of survey respondents. It hasn’t always been this good for household...
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...We had our first daughter in Germany and a year later, his European tour was completed and we relocated to the United States. We then had our second daughter in Texas and soon after, I began to realize our marriage was less than ideal. As the years went by and our marriage became more tense, I formed a stronger bond with my two daughters. Although I was no longer emotionally involved in our marriage, it was my daughters that gave me the courage to continue, despite the difficulties I was facing daily. After 13 years of marriage and a lot of contemplating, I finally decided that I wanted to give my daughters a better environment to be raised. Initially the transition was difficult, but we formed an emotional support system. It became my purpose to provide for my daughters and teach them that life is not easy, but you can overcome challenges by working hard and never giving up. I have been able to provide for my daughters a comfortable living working three different jobs, but I realized, I don’t want this for them. I don’t want them working...
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...Janelle Baird Professor John Snider WRIT 101 08/28/15 Planned Parenthood Recently I observed a debate about Planned Parenthood on the internet where both people brought informative material to the argument against and in support of the organization. This was an excellent opportunity for me and other people to see both sides of the argument so that we can become more open minded and educated on the matter of defending our own beliefs with facts and tested theories while understanding other viewpoints. This reminds me of the quote by a Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher, Sun Tzu which states: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. For myself, I stand very passionately on the cornerstone that human lives, no matter how small or in whose womb they take form in, should be treated with humanity. So in the next four pages I am excited to bring forth the evidence I have found to petition the world to defund Planned Parenthood in support of my strong belief against the establishment. I am equally excited to give supportive information from the opposing side’s perspective. I understand that I do not understand everything. I have not experienced Planned Parenthood personally. I never had a reason to want an abortion neither was I an unplanned fetus that my parents wanted to eradicate. Therefore I cannot pull evidence from personal experience, but I can learn from and examine other people’s testimonies and gather...
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...Teen pregnancy is one of the major problems happening in this generation. The media and television has influenced the growth of teen pregnancy as being a good thing. Programs are set up and help from other sources give tips to expecting teens as they begin their journey to parenthood. Teen pregnancy doesn’t only have huge health risk to mother and baby, but it also has a big impact on teen parent’s lives. There are many things you must know if you’re a pregnant teen. Maintaining your health and responsibilities are some of the main priorities when it comes to dealing with teen pregnancy. To help understand your pregnancy more, you should ask yourself questions that you are able to answer. Set priorities, you can do this by making a list of things that are positive and negative to you, then compare the list and choose the list with the best options for you. You are no longer able to have fun and just party whenever you want, raising a baby at a young age affects your abilities to do things...
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...same-sex marriages, depends on their religious beliefs. But it is very far from the truth to call the same-sex marriage debate a religious debate, when it is actually all about politics. What one’s view on same-sex marriages is depends on whether one is conservative, liberal or libertarian. Or perhaps basic human rights and values? At least that is what Mike Adams writes in his article ‘Three Views on Same Sex Marriage’ the 21st of May 2012 for www.townhall.com. He calls the issue pretty simple for the conservatives, because they think the marital institution predates any governmental decision. To the conservatives, marriage is about protecting women and children, and taming men. The liberals do not think that we as individuals get our rights from God, but instead the rights are given to groups by the government. Liberals are of the opinion that any government can change any law and regulation as they want to, and they do not consider marriage to predate any laws. Libertarians, however, think that it is problematic to recognize marriage in any form. The government should not be in the business of promoting a religious institution, nor should the government recognize and regulate an even broader range of relationships than it already does. David Blankenhorn – in value-based opinion shift In 2007 David Blankenhorn, author of the book ‘Future of Marriage’, took a rather conservative point of view on marriage. He used children as the main argument for why marriage was a...
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...Rufus Griscom and Alisa Volkman’s happiness chart is like the ever changing weather. The weather can be hard to predict and hard to get right. When you think it is going to be sunny with little chance of rain, it changes and you are left without your umbrella. I believe marriage and parenthood are a lot like the ever changing weather. Their chart shows a white line, the baseline of happiness with a few peaks and valleys and a yellow line with many many peaks and valleys. I can totally relate to the yellow line as I am a wife and mother of two teenagers. Life is always changing and so are the moods, wants and desires of the family members. I remember as my husband and I were planning our wedding we were inseparable. We were affectionate,...
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...“I will not allow women the right wing to deny women control over their own bodies by forcing clinics to close, extending waiting periods, or inventing other methods that create de facto abortion bans” (“Yes, I’m a Feminist”) says Sanders when asked about his views on abortion. In 1993, Sanders co-sponsored the Freedom of Choice Act, which aimed to block states from restricting the right to terminate a pregnancy before fetal viability or at any time when a termination is necessary to protect the health of a woman. When it comes to Planned Parenthood “we are going to expand it. Planned Parenthood provides vital healthcare services for millions of women, who rely on its clinics every year for affordable, quality health care services” (“Fighting for Women’s Rights”). Planned Parenthood provides vital healthcare services for millions of women, who rely on its clinics every year for affordable, quality health care services including cancer prevention, STI and HIV testing and general primary health care services. During a debate with Fox News, Sanders talk about what he doesn’t like about the debate and says “my Republican friends want to cut social security, medicaid, medicare-medicaid, education. But somehow on this issue they want to tell every woman in America what she should do with her body” (“Clinton,...
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...helping him make some of the toughest decisions in government (Biography.com ). Although Mike Pence lives in a completely different time era than St. Clare, they both share in the same attribute of having the strength to do what is right. All Mike Pence’s life, he has done what he has known was right. His biggest moral fight in society is against abortion. For example, as governor of Indiana, Mike Pence signed some of the strictest law against abortion in the country. These laws decreased the number of abortions that take place in Indiana along with defunded Planned Parenthood (Sickich). He was even the first vice president ever to attend the annual March for Life held in Washington D.C (Guadiano). This led him to be criticized all over social media by so many pro-choice people, yet he stayed devoted to his beliefs and did bend...
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...The effects of poverty The effects of poverty are serious. Children who grow up in poverty suffer more persistent, frequent, and severe health problems than do children who grow up under better financial circumstances. * Many infants born into poverty have a low birth weight, which is associated with many preventable mental and physical disabilities. Not only are these poor infants more likely to be irritable or sickly, they are also more likely to die before their first birthday. * Children raised in poverty tend to miss school more often because of illness. These children also have a much higher rate of accidents than do other children, and they are twice as likely to have impaired vision and hearing, iron deficiency anemia, and higher than normal levels of lead in the blood, which can impair brain function. Levels of stress in the family have also been shown to correlate with economic circumstances. Studies during economic recessions indicate that job loss and subsequent poverty are associated with violence in families, including child and elder abuse. Poor families experience much more stress than middle-class families. Besides financial uncertainty, these families are more likely to be exposed to series of negative events and “bad luck,” including illness, depression, eviction, job loss, criminal victimization, and family death. Parents who experience hard economic times may become excessively punitive and erratic, issuing demands backed by insults, threats, and...
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...moving against Republican leader once again in recent weeks in battle over funding for women’s health organization called Planned Parenthood. As a result of that, the Ohio Republican - John Boehner, who is The House Speaker, said in a news conference Friday afternoon he had decided only that morning to announce his plans to resign from Congress. The House Speaker is second in line for the presidency after the vice-president and is one of the most powerful positions due to the abilities to shape the party’s strategy for passing legislation, scheduling congressional business. The Planned Parenthood is one of the main reasons why John Boehner announced on last Friday that he would resign. The last day of fiscal 2015 was on September 30th, to fund the government after that date, the Congress will have to pass another continuing decision, which may or may not prohibits federal funds from going to Planned Parenthood. Americans have a favorable opinion of Planned Parenthood, about 55 percent of Americans support government funding for Planned Parenthood and only two-thirds of Republicans stand with a group of conservative members of Congress who say such funding should not be continue. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted Sept. 17-21, however, found that seven in 10 Americans over all oppose shutting down the government over federal funding of Planned Parenthood. Back in 2013, the federal government shutdown which cost taxpayers approximately 24 billion dollars - a huge waste of taxpayer...
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...Now Your Married, Are You Ready For A Child? Now you’re married, what comes next? That brings up the question that face countless married couples, do we want children and if so, when is the right time? Some couples are forced into parenthood before they are ready due to many different circumstances. Other couples have to luxury of planning for the life-changing event. So the question is, when are they ready. There are many things that need to be considered before jumping into parenthood. At a minimum, couples should ask themselves; can we afford to have a child and support it? Are we stable enough mentally and emotionally in the marriage to have a child? Lastly couples should ask themselves, are we willing to put our future ambitions, both professional and personally on hold to have a child? The answers to these questions can guide a couple to whether they are ready to have a child. Having and raising a Child is expensive. CNN money reports “a two-parent household from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual "Expenditures on Children by Families" report, will spend $245,000.00 raising a child to the age of 18” (“How much will it cost to raise your child?,” n.d.). This includes education, clothing, food, medical/dental, and incidentals. That is a lot of money. A married couple must ensure that they are financially able to afford a child. Yes, there are government and state programs that can assist with some expenses, but the financial burden is still great. A couple must...
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