Position Paper

Position Paper :Marriage has been thefundamental social arrangement throughout much of American history, providingstructure and meaning in people’s lives. It has marked entry into adulthood – the point at which children gaineconomic independence from their parents, leave the family home to forge theirown families, and engage in sexual activity. Traditional gender roles have provided scripts that guided and organizedhow work, both inside and outside the home, would be divided and how childrenare raised.  Recent trends over the last60 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 offamilies.  Are those changes workingagainst families or are they signs of increased diversity and a need to thinkmore broadly about what family life means?For this assignmentyou will need to reflect on these issues and take a stand on one side of theargument: are families in decline or are they resilient? Your position papersmust be two to three pages in length using 12-point Times New Roman font withdouble-spaced lines and standard one-inch margins on all sides.  The articles associated with this assignmentwill be distributed.  This paper mustalso include at least 4 references from the text to support your position. All written materialsmust use correct APA style and include the following:Title pageRunning headPage numbersHeadings (optional)Workscited page (you need only reference the textbook)Articles:*Coontz, S.(2005).  The American family: Newresearch about an old institution challenges the conventional wisdom that thefamily today is worse off than in the past. In K.R. Gilbert (Ed.), Annualeditions: The family (pp. 2-6). Dubuque, IA: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.*LeBey, B.(2005).  American families are driftingapart: 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).  Dubuqure, IA: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.  TEXT: Knox, D. &Schacht, C. (12th edition).  Choicesin Relationships: An Introduction to Marriage and the Family.  California: Wadsworth Publishing.