Is The Canadian Family Dying?
Uploaded by tyson_626 on Feb 23, 2005
Is The Family Dying?
Is the Canadian family dying? Divorce rates across the country are on the rise, fewer long-term relationships result in marriage, and fewer children are sitting around the dinner table each night with their parents. These trends suggest that the traditional family is slipping from its roots, and in essence, dying. But what is a Canadian family? Many different definitions of family may be used in our modern day society, which include extended families, stepfamilies, blended families, and the nuclear family. Perhaps the Canadian family is not dying, but rather it is changing.
The demographic face of Canadian society has changed. Fifty years ago, the typical Canadian family unit was much larger, as our grandparents had more children. Most women dedicated their time to raising the children while the men were the breadwinners of the family. The era of World War Two introduced more women to working in factories, and taking on a new life outside of the home. This drastically changed the cycle of the Canadian family, as women began to be more career orientated. This lead to the future of the independent women, a new trend in which women began focusing on secondary education and careers, before starting a family. In 1991, 65% of women aged 20-24 were single, compared with 51% in 1981. More and more, women are putting families on hold, until they are personally financially stable. This revolution led to households with fewer children, due to the later marriage. In 1986, the average number of children per marriage was 1.2, as opposed to 3.2 in the 1930's. Women are still having families, but this is not always their first priority.
The divorce rate in Canada is on the rise, and has become much more acceptable over the years. Divorce laws in Canada have been changed to make divorce much more obtainable and equitable for all Canadian citizens. The divorce rate in Canada had tripled from 1951 up until 1987. Although divorce is the gateway to the ending of what is considered a nuclear family, many other types of families are introduced through divorce.
Divorce is not always the ending of a family, but in many cases, it is the start of a new one. Stepfamilies,...