Changing Family Structures in America [Project Description]Posted in Articles, Census/Demographics, Media Archive, Social Science, United States on 2011-01-09 01:06Z by Steven |
Changing Family Structures in America [Project Description]
US 2010: Discover America in a New Century
2010
Zhenchao Qian, Professor of Sociology
Ohio State University
The US 2010 research project examines changes in American societ in the recent past. Directed by sociologist John Logan, US 2010 is funded by the Russell Sage Foundation and Brown University.
Qian will create a descriptive portrait of changes in family structure, with a special emphasis on gender and racial/ethnic differences and geographic variations. Using the 2010 and earlier censuses and the 2005-2010 American Community Surveys (ACS), his research will highlight several trends.
Marriage rates have declined over the years. The weakened connection between marriage and childbearing, the growing popularity of nonmarital cohabitation, the stable high divorce rates, and the declining remarriage rates have all contributed to the decline in marriage rates…
Interracial marriage reflects racial and cultural diversity in American families. Recent increases in interracial marriage have narrowed the “social distance” between racial groups; Qian will demonstrate trends in intermarriage with whites for blacks, Asian Americans, American Indians and Hispanics. ..
“With increasing shares of minority populations, Americans can no longer be viewed in simple black and white or even single-race terms,” Qian said. “Intermarriage connects married couples, families, friends, and social networks of different racial/ethnic groups; the growing population of mixed-race individuals from intermarriage further blurs racial boundaries and adds another dimension of diversity in American families.”
Read the entire project description here.