The impact of societal change on family structures, functions and resources
has become evident through, the acceptance of, same sex marriages/couples,
sole parent, extended, foster, nuclear and defacto families, physical,
economic, emotional, social, cultural, moral, spiritual, religious and adaptive
lifestyles.
Statistics from around the world are showing the changing views and
perspectives on various roles in the family.
It wasn't long ago in Australia, that births outside of marriage were
considered to be unacceptable. In those days the young woman was sent off
to the country to have her child and give it up for adoption, as to not damage
her family's reputation. Nowadays many women are having children out of
marriage. Whether it is through the convenience of not being married or an
unplanned pregnancy it has become frequently more common and accepted
throughout Australia. This also brings in to the equation the growing number
of mother's in the workplace.
Marriage
Marriage Day
Mother and Baby portraitPreviously after a woman had a child she did
not return to work, but as the number of single mothers in the community
has become more acceptable so has the view that women can return to the
workforce after they have a child. Through the assistance of government
pensions, workplace run childcare and daycare centres, single mothers have
the option of full government support or returning to work, with some
assistance from the government. Apart from single mothers, there is the
issue of single father's. This could occur through the death of the mother or
the mother being unsuitable to her role. Support and acceptance are now
widely offered to either single parent.
Australians are also showing a trend to marrying later and having fewer
children, often preferring to focus on their careers rather then settling down.
Previously men and women were expected to have a...