Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

406 CHAPTER 9 Lifespan Development1970Other familieswithout children 7.3%2007Marriedcoupleswithchildren40.3%Marriedcoupleswithoutchildren30.3%Womenliving alone11.5%Figure 9.8 The Changing Structure ofAmerican Families and Households In arelatively short time, American householdshave undergone a metamorphosis. Between1970 and 2007, the number of Americanhouseholds increased from 63 million to116 million, but the average householdsize decreased from 3.14 to 2.56 persons.As the living arrangements of Americanfamilies have become more diversified, theU.S. Census Bureau modified the categoriesit uses to classify households. Hence, thetwo pie charts differ slightly. Notice thatsingle-parent family groups have doubled.Today, single mothers or fathers represent9 percent of all households. In contrast, thenumber of married couples with childrenhas sharply decreased.Sources: Kreider, 2008; U.S. Census Bureau, 2008c, 2008d.Men living alone5.6%Male headof householdwith children0.5%Female headof householdwith children4.5%Female headof householdwith children7.4% Male headof householdwith children1.7%Marriedcoupleswithoutchildren28.3%Womenlivingalone15.2%Marriedcoupleswithchildren22.5%Men living alone11.2%Other family households4.4%Nonfamily households3.8%Cohabitating oppositesex couples5.5%(Edwards, 1995b). The nature of intimate relationships and family structures varieswidely in the United States (see Figure 9.8).For example, the number of unmarried couples living together increased dramaticallyat the end of the twentieth century—to well over 3 million couples. Currently,more than 30 percent of children are being raised by a single parent. Given that morethan half of all first marriages end in divorce, the phenomenon of remarrying andstarting a “second family” later in life is not unusual. As divorce has become morecommon, the number of single parents and stepfamilies has also risen. And amongmarried couples, some opt for a “child-free” life together. There are also gay andlesbian couples who, like many married couples, are committed to a long-term,monogamous relationship (Mackey & others, 2004; Solomon & others, 2004).Such diversity in adult relationships reflects the fact that adult social developmentdoes not always follow a predictable pattern. As you travel through adulthood, yourlife story may include many unanticipated twists in the plot and changes in the castof characters. Just as the “traditional” family structure has its joys and heartaches,so do other configurations of intimate and family relationships. In the final analysis,any relationship that promotes the overall sense of happiness and well-being of thepeople involved is a successful one.Single-Parent Families Today, more than30 percent of all children are being raisedby a single parent. Many single parentsprovide their children with a warm, stable,and loving environment. In terms of schoolachievement and emotional stability, childrenin stable single-parent households dojust as well as children with two parentsliving in the same home (Dawson, 1991).Careers in AdulthoodPeople follow a variety of routes in developing careers (Duffy & Sedlacek, 2007;Lachman, 2004). Most people explore different career options, narrow down thoseoptions, and tentatively commit to a particular job in a particular field in youngadulthood (Super, 1990). However, researchers have found that close to a third ofpeople in their late 20s and early 30s do not just change jobs within a particularfield—they completely switch occupational fields (Phillips & Blustein, 1994).Dual-career families have become increasingly common. However,the career tracks of men and women often differ if they have children.Although today’s fathers are more actively involved in child rearingthan were fathers in previous generations, women still tend to haveprimary responsibility for child care (Craig, 2006; Wood & Repetti,2004). Thus, married women with children are much more likelythan are single women or childless women to interrupt their careers,leave their jobs, or switch to part-time work because of child-rearingresponsibilities.Do adults, particularly women, experience greater stress becauseof the conflicting demands of career, marriage, and family? Not necessarily.Generally, multiple roles seem to provide both men andwomen with a greater potential for increased feelings of self-esteem,