The Idea of Family Life Has Changed
Radically In the Last 50 or So Years
The concept of a family has changed radically in the last 50 years, as it is no longer regarded as it used to be. I strongly believe that the idea of a family has been altered irreversibly, due to numerous factors.
To begin with, there has been a decline of Christian values in society. The nuclear family is not any more formed of “a man and a woman married for life”. Today, there are more and more homosexual partnerships or marriages with adopting children as an option, as well as polygamist marriages. Moreover, it has become socially acceptable to have children, to cohabit or to have more than one sexual partner, all these outside of marriage. This decline of societies’ morals has turned marriage into a social and political institution, instead of a religious one, as it would be traditionally.
Furthermore, the advance in technology, the unlimited number of jobs and the job prospects available now have brought with them a considerable change in mentality. Nowadays, one does not plan to raise a family before developing a flourishing careen, but vice versa. People have amplified their self-centred behavior and have learned to put themselves above anything or anyone, which can be both a good and a bad thing, depending on the circumstances. As a result of this dramatic turn, more and more individuals choose to marry in their thirties or even in their forties, which means that there are fewer chances to have children of their own; they are often forced to adopt or resign to the situation.
In contrast, there are still many people who remained committed to the same concept of nuclear family. For them, family represents the most trustworthy institution of all and will not change its structure any time soon.
To sum up, owing to a number of reasons, from religious to technological, I firmly believe that the idea of family life has suffered a radical change over the last 50...