The American Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The American Family - Essay Example The woman became a working being who viewed the nuclear family as an oppressive institution. The development of modern technology, contraceptives and abortion allowed women to have active sexual lives without worrying about pregnancy and childbearing. Boden (2005) testifies that more women have joined the working class and single parenthood is on the rise. As a result, parents have little free time with their children, which is unhealthy. Earlier on, the men worked while women stayed at home as full time house wives, and marriage focused more on companionship and reproduction rather than romance and sex (Popenoe, 2003). Popenoe (2003) further argues that there is a call to revive the American nuclear family by emphasizing the importance of monogamy. This can be achieved through countering the sexual revolution, promoting marriage and renewing a cultural focus on children. On the contrary, Coontz (2003) believes that many American families are better off today than in the past where women were not allowed to work, infant mortality was high and few children graduated from school. Today, both men and women have more choices than in the past. For instance, since the woman spends more hours at work than in the house, families have fewer children. This means that children get individualized attention from the parents. This was not so in the past. Moreover, people not only have the freedom to marry from the same or opposite sex or even remain unmarried, but also no one is under pressure to stay in an unhappy marriage. Men are no longer the main breadwinners in their families unless by choice. Furthermore, according to Coontz (2003), parents have learnt to balance between family needs and industrialization. After a thorough study of the two articles, the modern structure of the nuclear family is more appealing. Although marriage is indispensable, it is no longer the foundation of a good family. A healthy family is made up of a parent or parents and

Is a college education worth the time and money Essay

Is a college education worth the time and money - Essay Example The experience gained from this type of learning addresses every dimension of the total individual. Firstly, a college education attends to the spiritual dimension of the individual for it is at this juncture that an individual comes face to face with his/her inner self. One is forced to brutally confront oneself and acknowledge one’s strengths, weaknesses and even failures as one has to learn to cope with meeting deadlines, completing a plethora of assignments and making presentations that may be harshly criticized. In addition, it is because of this great demand of external output that the student must turn to his/her inner being and decide whether to maintain the morale values which may have been embedded from early childhood or whether to abandon them and give in to self. This opportunity to interact with one’s inner self in a real way certainly compensates for any time or money that may have been spent to attain it. Secondly, college education positively affects one’s social being. The student has the opportunity to meet with others of his/her age and experience the type of fellowship that is borne out of sharing pains and joys, sufferings, successes and failures. The network that is formed here can only add value to the student’s life for it may be the means through which the student meets persons that may assist in future job hunting or promotions. What is more, students gain the required skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to obtain a good paying job which enhances the opportunity for them to receive promotion at their job. Mathews in his 2007 article on Multiplying Benefits of College for Everybody gave a fine example of the latitude which is granted by the college graduate. He states, â€Å"If a Hamilton College graduate with a degree in English literature decides she would prefer to become a fry cook or a midwife or a farmer, she can develop those skills relatively quickly as