La modification de la structure familialle (synthèse en anglais)

Idea of progress

How does the evolution of society influence the family structures?

I traditional families

On the listening comprehension four teenagers give their opinions on family and explain if they prefer big or small family. The first teenager thinks that a big family is really good because we can always play or do something with someone and you know good value like shoring. The second explain that live in a small family is great because we spend long time together but he would like to be from a big family to have always company. The third is an only child and is very happy because these parents take care and love of only him. But it’s a spoil. The last teenager is form a big family and he have lot memories with this sisters and brothers but for the parents it’s very expensive to raise a big family.

A nuclear family is a family group that consists of a father, a mother and childrens. With the text of Linda Nicholson “the nuclear American family” we look that the nuclear family is typical in United States on the past WWII. The family wanted to be conform to the ideal image of a perfect family with the parents and the pushchairs lined up.

After the great depression in 1929, several generation used to live under the same roof and sometimes even with people who didn’t belong to their family.

In the 50s economic growth and reconstruction of the American economy impact directly on the American society and the family structures.

- Higher salaries

- Several mortgages (cred. Immo.)

- Massive housing construction

- Creation of suburbia (banlieu)

 Generated a new family modal

II New family structure The 50s marque also the transformation in the role of womens, they had a bigger responsibility in the family, raising the children and are responsible for the household. The family spends more time together and share activities. After this growth the structure of the family change and the family model is not the same. More and more marriage now end up in divorced and single parents has become commonplace. Women have more right than before and no depend on the male breadwinner.

We study a cartoon where we see a man as just awarded a prize is thanking is family, but is not a simple family because he thanks to this “biological and surrogate mother and two father”. The cartoon show that nowadays a family is not only composed of a father and a mother but new family structures may include surrogate parents, adoptive or foster parents, single parent and same-sex parents. => The society has evolved.

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