Joseph A. Montagna
The American family has undergone a number of changes over the past forty years, or so. Following World War II certain changes in the nature of work set off a trend of increased participation by women in the work force. The Women’s Movement changed attitudes about the roles of women in society, opening new opportunities for women of all ages. The Women’s Movement also created a rethinking of child-rearing practices in America, i.e. men taking on a greater role, day care centers. Further, changes in values and attitudes which allowed for a diversity of life styles and family patterns have also had a profound effect on American family life, i.e. cohabitation, single parent families, divorce.
The American family
has
changed, as has American society. Two fundamental aspects of families and the youngsters in them have not changed, however. First, the family is an extremely important force regarding the development of the adolescent and, second, regardless of the structure of the family (single parent, working mother, etc.), having warm family relationships is one of the most powerful predictors of healthy psychosocial growth in adolescents. Generally, a family with warm relationships, a balance between restrictiveness and autonomy, and a keen sense of the needs and competencies of the adolescent is likely to produce young adults who are more self directed and socially adept than those adolescents who were raised by authoritarian or permissive parenting.
The family is a system which, like all systems, must change as the circumstances change. As the needs of family members change, the family system changes to maintain equilibrium. As the child grows and reaches new levels, the expectations and roles for that family member will, or should, also change. The family responds to these changes in the child in such a way as to recognize these changes and adapt to them.
