Changes in Family and Community over the Past Fifty Years

During the past 50 years the dynamics of the family unit have changed considerably (Wedding & Stuber, p. 21). First, the average family size has decreased, with just over two children being the median norm. Secondly, due to divorce and less young people partaking in marriage, the two-parent family is no longer prominent. Lastly, many extended families are displaced because one or more family members' jobs require them to move to other cities, states, or countries.

Both sets of my grandparents moved to the United States with their parents as young children, making me a second generation American. They grew up in areas of the city where most all of the immigrants from European countries lived and had businesses. The social network was vast and everyone seemed to know one another and share in community activities and celebrations as a unit. Weddings were considered a significant event and it wasn't unusual to attend a wedding with a completely filled church and 300 to 500 people in attendance at the reception. The receptions consisted of full course meals, live music, and dancing; a joyous time of celebration with friends and relatives that generally went on until late into the evening and early morning hours.

The impact of these social networks was significant in my life and I must say that I really miss that sense of community. The number of aunts, uncles, and cousins alone would constitute filling an entire church. On the maternal side; my mother was one of five siblings. On the paternal side; my father was one of nine children. I myself, was born into a family of five children. All of my aunts and uncles had large families, so you can imagine the shear numbers of cousins and second cousins. Into my adulthood, with the advances in technology and an the expanding job market many of the younger people were moving away from their extended families and their birthplaces. Such was the case with me. Within my lifetime I have not only witnessed, yet have experienced many changes within the nuclear and extended family, neighborhood, and workplace.