Critical Thinking Essay Description

Critical Thinking Essay: Family Change: Decline or Resilience? Pick one.

Marriage has been the fundamental social arrangement throughout much of American history, providing structure and meaning in people’s lives. It has marked entry into adulthood – the point at which children gain economic independence from their parents, leave the family home to forge their own families, and engage in sexual activity. Traditional gender roles have provided scripts that guided and organized how work, both inside and outside the home, would be divided and how children are raised. Recent trends over the last 60 years have seen major shifts in the way marriage and family life are conceptualized, leaving many wondering what those changes will mean for the future of families. Are those changes working against families, or are they signs of increased diversity and a need to think more broadly about what family life means?

For this assignment you will need to reflect on these issues and take a stand on one side of the argument: are families in decline or are they resilient? Your position papers must be two to three pages in length using 12-point Times New Roman font with double-spaced lines and standard one-inch margins on all sides. The articles associated with this assignment are listed below and can be found through Cook Library. This paper must also include at least 4 references from the textbook to support your position – those references should be included in the body of your paper and on a reference page. 

All written materials must use correct APA style and include the following:

Title page

Running head

Page numbers

Headings (optional)

In-text citations of fact-based information from the textbook and from the assigned articles

References page

 Articles to read down below about the two different stands on the argument:

*Coontz, S. (2005). The American family: New research about an old institution challenges the conventional wisdom that the family today is worse off than in the past. In K. R. Gilbert (Ed.), Annual editions: The family (pp. 2-6). Dubuque, IA: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.

*LeBey, B. (2005). American families are drifting apart: The sexual revolution, women’s liberation, relaxation of divorce laws, and greater mobility are fracturing the traditional family structure. In K. R. Gilbert (Ed.), Annual editions: The family (pp. 7-9). Dubuque, IA: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.