Family Change in the Context of Social Changes in the United States

Abstract Nicholas Wolfinger surveys the cultural and structural forces that have roiled the traditional nuclear family in the United States since the 1960s. These forces include the sexual revolution facilitated by advances in reproductive technology, heightened individualism, an unfavorable marriage market for women in the 1960s, mothers entering the labor force in unprecedented numbers, declining marriage rates, and the rise of out-of-wedlock childbearing. Wolfinger notes that the conservative view that generous welfare benefits reduced the need for marriage fails to comport with the data, which shows nonmarital fertility increased during the years that welfare transfers were declining. He also points out that while the United States is far behind many European countries in adopting policies in response to the changing functions of family proposals for extended paid parental leave, federally subsidized childcare and generous child tax credits have risen to the top of the political agenda.