Clearly the average family of today does not fit the Cleaver prototype. The transitions from nuclear family, or a family in which both partners of a heterosexual marriage reside together with their genetic children have come in very diverse patterns. Today there are many ways in which you may classify a family unit, and more are trying to get a broader definition of family to be the framework for public policy pertaining to family. As families and society changes the policy that pertains to it must also change.
Families tend to spend much more time apart than they would have in the 1950’s. With the U.S. government allowing Free trade and globalization of economics, our corporations have spread to worldwide conglomerates. Meaning that any family members that may have previously done corporation work with in the area are now sent throughout the world to spread their business. Thus spending less time with family and interacting less with immediate community.
The extended family has begun to disintegrate. As job mobility increases along with industry flexibility and movement of corporate offices and factories many children will move away from the immediate families home to find jobs. In past the extended family has been a
Economy has catalyzed enormous changes in family structure, from two –working parents to absentee parents; economy has a serious effect on family. Media is also a key player in the transformation of family dynamics. In showing women as sex objects, it creates a casual atmosphere around relationships and sex. As a booming pornography and prostitution business skyrocket women’s place in society drops, also their status as prospective partners. No one variable can be blamed, it is more of a combination of all of media, government policies, society attitudes of relationships that all add up to changing family.