The model of the American family has changed significantly throughout the centuries. We see a typical American family as what is portrayed on television and films but the reality is that the average American family has been through several troubled situations that have put our society at risk. For example, survival rates for families were very low in the beginning of the 1900s. Many children were troubled and sought to the streets to survive and their survival rate alone was very low. Not only were children greatly affected by the struggles that that they faced in the streets alone, but it all originated from the troubles at home. Marriages were very loosely controlled and there were all forms of abused extending from domestic, drugs, verbal. Looking from the inside of the American family, there was not much to succeed from. There was no form of support from parents to children or from spouses to each other.
Many outside influences also led many families to blame the cause of the breakdown of their own families. Influences from the outside such as STDs, poverty, drugs caused many marriages to gradually crumble down stemming from unhappiness, spousal rape, addiction, abuse of each other. These influences caused many people to believe that things have not gotten any better today. However, in reality marriages today, while many do end in divorce, the rate of which causes the divorce is significantly less abusive and less harmful than the divorces from stressful situations. In today’s families, there is more success rate of surviving and not having to turn to the streets to maintain oneself. While divorce is still more of an option for a separation, divorces are less impactful to families in aspects of financially, emotionally damaging, and do not lead to the complete destruction of spouse and children connections. In today’s setting, American families have significantly improved even if many people are convinced it has not. While there are issues within families, there has been significant improvement for the benefit of all members of families. The issues we face today as families have come a long way for the better and success of everyone involved.
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