1. The American Family
Chapter 12, Section 2

2. Marriage
Homogamy= marriage between those with similar social characteristics.
Heterogamy= marriage between individuals with different social characteristics.
Heterogamy has become more prevalent and accepted in American society.
The likelihood of heterogamy increases as people interact more with those of different characteristics.

3. Disruptions
Families can be affected by all of the following disruptions to stability:
Violence
Divorce
Empty-nest syndrome
Two factors contributing: 1) Looser laws and lower costs; 2) Decreased economic dependence of women.

4. Trends in the American Family
The following are general trends that have affected the American family in recent decades:
Delayed marriage
Delayed childbearing
Sandwich generation take care of both young children and aging adults at the same time (generally mid-thirties).
Childlessness
Voluntary childlessness couples who are highly educated and have high incomes.
Dual-earner families= both male and female work for a living.
One-parent families
Remarriage