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The Changing Face of theAmerican Family: Modern History

function,was increasingly assigned to

parent substitutes at daycare centers or

schools—or to television,the modern

age’s electronic babysitter.By age 16,the

average child was estimated to have

watched up to 1,500 hours of TV—more

time than was spent in the classroom

(Boyse,2008).Americans were being born

and raised without the family support

enjoyed by their forefathers.

During the 1970s and 1980s,the

nuclear family felt even more economic

pressure as factories closed or moved

overseas,and companies began exiting

older,less economically viable cities.The

effects devastated entire communities.

YoungAmericans could no longer count

on stable,well-paid employment,which

led to the new idea of multiple career

changes throughout the adult life cycle.

Education became more essential,but at

the same time unaffordable for a large

segment of the population.Young people

often found it necessary to work while in

high school or college,reducing their time

for study and contributing to an overall

decline in educational achievement.

African-American Families in

Modern America

In the early 1900s, many blacks moved

to the North from the South. The

industry needs in the north created jobs

during both world wars, as work in the

south became less certain. This

movement north created segregated areas

in inner cities, generally those areas in

which whites didn’t want to live. Despite

legislation guaranteeing equal rights,

black families have been discriminated

against in nearly every aspect of life.

African-Americans have been the targets

of race riots, the Ku Klux Klan, and other

discriminatory practices which have

jeopardized the formation of stable two-

parent families (McAdoo, 2007).

Modern African-American families

have some unique characteristics.

Households are more frequently formed

with the birth of a child rather than

marriage. Throughout history,African-

American women have outnumbered

African-American men. This continues

today, possibly accounting for the

decrease in marriages among African-

American females. The importance of

extended family and kin in maintaining

Childrearing is increasingly assigned to parent

substitutes at daycare centers or preschools.

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