Study comparing 1976, 1986, & 2007:
Self-Respect increased Sense of Security decreased
Society more selfconfidant and indivator
Traditional Beliefs
Opposition to pre-marital sex Opposition to same-sex marriage Belief in traditional home-based roles for women Belief in Christian-based values Opposition to some elements of feminism Opposition to abortion while actively supporting abstinence education Belief in adoption as an alternative to abortion Belief in programs and public policies that shield children from exploitation Opposition to separation of church and state Belief in father as head-of-household
Traditionally
The man is the breadwinner. The woman is the caretaker of the home and children. Raising their biological children and teaching them the American Values: Freedom, Hard Work, Competitive.
The Change
The traditional family has been changing over the last century (1900), but especially since the 1950s. The Republican Party has adopted that they represent “traditional” family values since the 1980s. Democrats are more broad in their definition of the family and focus more working family values.
So…they have changed…?
1998 Study: 52% of women and 42% of men --"loving, taking care of, and supporting each other" 38% of women and 35% of men --"knowing right from wrong and having good values" 2% of women and 1% men -"traditional family" The survey noted that 93% of all women thought that society should value all types of families
Democrats
They don’t define the family in the traditional sense, or use it to promote conservative morality. They promote: Alternative family structures (Same-Sex Couples, SingleParent Housholds, Adoption of children by gay couples) Acces to contraception and abortion Living wage Sex eduction Social Programs Financial Aid for familes
Republicans
They use it to attract the socialy conservative, tying it in with the
nuclear family and (most of the time) Christian values. These values include: opposition to sex outside of marriage Traditional gender roles No Gay Marriage Anti-Abortion Conservative legislation and education policies
Interesting Findings
Population studies have found that in 2004 and 2008, liberal-voting ("blue") states have lower rates of divorce and teenage pregnancy than conservative-voting ("red") states. June Carbone, author of Red Families vs. Blue Families, opines that the driving factor is that people in liberal states tend to wait longer before getting married. A 2002 government survey found that 95% of adult Americans had had premarital sex. The median age of first premarital sex has dropped in that time (1950s) from 20.4 to 17.6.
Both Agree:
Loving and supporting family unit the one Good morales and strong attributes in their children
Concluseion
There are differences between the “traditiona” and “modern” values and definition of the American family. Yet they still uphold the core American Values, e.g. self-expression, independence, hard-work, competitive, self-reliance….
American Family Values
American Society and Culture May 2015 Tianhua College
What Does It Mean?
When asked about their family values, most people find it difficult to define. In today’s age, the very definition of family varies. The “values” are the beliefs and morales that are important to that family.
Contemporary Beliefs
Support for the universal living wage model to improve livelihood Belief in acceptance of non-traditional families that may include same-sex and polygamous long-term relationships, as well as single-parent families Belief in a woman's right to abortion Belief in Planned Parenthood programs that offer contraception Belief in government-funded financial aid to families Support for sex education in public schools Belief in practicing and teaching tolerance, patience and understanding for alternative lifestyles Belief in universal healthcare and family-friendly employment laws (maternity leave, personal leave, emergency family leave) Support for freedom of religion