Census report: 36 percent of women who gave birth in 2006 were separated, divorced, widowed or unmarried?

Question

It also reports that the number of childless women in their 40's doubled from 30 years ago.

Are women basically having 1 child out-of-wedlock and becoming single mothers?

Will families be a thing of the past?

Answer 1

Those poor babies. No, families are not going to become a thing of the past. The pendulum is already swinging back. My generation is more conservative than the women that are in their 40s right now. Things are going to right themselves in the next decade or so.

Answer 2

The family unit always will be a strong unit in our society.  The definition of family is actually far more complicated than the simple nuclear one of years gone by.

am�i�ly �� (fm-l, fml) KEY �

NOUN:

pl. fam�i�lies

A fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children.

Two or more people who share goals and values, have long-term commitments to one another, and reside usually in the same dwelling place.

All the members of a household under one roof.

A group of persons sharing common ancestry. See Usage Note at collective noun.

Lineage, especially distinguished lineage.

Answer 3

Humans are social animals, and we naturally form family groups. It's just that the definition of a family has widened over recent years - it doesn't matter how many people are involved or what their gender is, just that they love and care for each other.

I'd call a single mother and a child a family.  

Answer 4

What about the women in relationships  other than marriage how are they accounted for in this figure.  I think the addition of widowed is interesting.  I'm sure the war has a bit to do with that . will answer further if you can clarify the stat. ta.

Answer 5

It's more difficult in today's age to have a nuclear family. People aren't willing to settle- I suppose on the individual level, this is a plus (after all, my marriage ended because my husband was sleeping with some w***e from Baltimore and I shouldn't be expected to settle for that, even if he wants to reconcile and is "sorry.")

On a societal level it's probably not so good- obviously, most criminals were born of single mothers, but given that most children of single parents aren't criminals the blame should probably be shifted onto the individuals committing the crimes.

What's the solution? I don't see one, off hand. We either progress or regress... autonomy is pretty important. I think people just need to do a better job of raising these kids, with or without two parents.

Answer 6

Humans are social creatures and they will organize themselves in communal units.   If you define "family" as narrowly as the first poster does, then yes, in America families are becoming less and less the communal unit of choice.

If you look around the world and back in history, you'll find different units identified as families, so I would say you observing a cyclical pattern in human behavior.

If you are lamenting the demise of the nuclear family, you can thank the "me first," instant gratification, "my way or the highway" attitudes that  became pervasive after the initial pop-culture permissive parenting era.  People think every story has a happy ending and when their story goes sour, they opt out instead of working through adversity.