Nonmarital Childbearing

The makeup of the American family has been changing over the past several decades. The traditional family was considered a nuclear family: a mother, a father, and their offspring living under the same roof. The nuclear family did not become a phenomenon until the 17th or 18th century and did not become prevalent until the early movement toward industrialism and capitalism.

The nuclear family gained more momentum after World War II. After women returned from working jobs for men who were overseas, the American family focused on forming one family unit under one roof, where men were the breadwinners and women raised their children. Fast forward 60 years, and America now has more diverse representations of the family. Where just a few decades ago most children ...