Family Dynamics In America

In the past fifty years, there has been a shift in family dynamics. The typical family of the past is out of place in today’s society. No longer is a family with two married parents and children in the home the norm. While family values have not changed, the emphasis put on them in the lives of the children has been dramatically reduced. The sharp increase in divorce rates and children out of wedlock has caused greater poverty levels across the nation. With only one parent in charge of the family, children lack the guidance they would have with two parents in the household. A single parent is less able to provide financial security for the family. Families headed by a single female are more than two times as likely to fall below the poverty …show more content…
Not only has the lack of a complete family unit caused a decline in guidance of the children towards a successful future, but has also added to America’s financial divide.

As the economy of the United States worsens, the financial gap between the poor and rich has grown larger. The saying, ‘It takes money to make money’ holds true now more than ever before. The bottom fifth of the economic distribution in the United States has less upward mobility than the same socioeconomic class in Europe. In America, those who have money utilize their funds to make more money, whereas the poor are constantly trying to make ends meet and have no excess to advance themselves financially. This includes the ability to start their own business, the freedom to choose the grade schools their children go to, and whether or not their children can afford to attend college. In the past thirty years, the average cost of a college education has risen over 1000%. As the cost of college continues to rise, the lower and middle income families of our country have not received the same growth in their incomes. This does not allow college to be an option for …show more content…
Economically, decreasing the demands on small businesses will give more people the opportunity to start their own businesses, create more jobs, and bring small business owners from the middle class into higher income levels. Socially, public figures, such as politicians and entertainers, who have a voice in our country need to reestablish the importance of the family unit by using their position to discourage harmful lifestyles, promote positive values, and encourage others to follow suit. In the field of education, colleges and other institutions of higher learning need to make sure that their opportunities are brought forward to children of lower income families. These children need to be made aware of the options they have in order to foster a lifestyle change to one that promotes the value and benefits of further learning. This will increase the overall level of education in America which, in turn, will allow for an improvement in financial stability across the country. Making the changes that are necessary and proper to diminish the financial divide will create a newfound motivation in the lives of our