What Factors Shaped The Modern Family Analysis

Three important factors that shaped the modern family are the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and World War II. The Industrial Revolution had a major impact in the United States. Immigration began to boom and new jobs came about. As Benokraitis (2015) stated about the Industrial Revolution, it “shifted home manufacturing to large-scale factory production” (pg.69). During this revolution, the family had to change. The man had to be the one to make financial ends meet and the mother was the one to care for the children and the home environment. This was for families that were in the upper or middle class. However, according to Benokraitis (2015), “Immigrants, poor single women and mothers, and low-income family members had to work

The Great Depression took a toll on families. The Great Depression begun with the crash of the stock market which in turn led to a high increase of unemployment (Benokraitis (2015) pg,74). Many families lost property and land due to not having enough money to pay. For example, according to Benokraitis (2015), “Many people who farmed land owned by others could not pay their rent either in cash or in a share of the crops” (pg.74). However, according to Benokraitis (2015), “The most devastating impact of the Great Depression was felt by the working-class and poor families” (pg. 74). Families had to change to be able to deal with the hardship of the depression. As McElvaine, 1993 stated (as cited by Benokraitis), “When working-class mothers found

During this time, women made the biggest change. Men would be drafted to go to war and left many jobs behind. Women stepped up and began working in the jobs that were not common before. According to Benokraitits (2015), “They welded, dug ditches, and operated forklifts. For the first time, black women were recruited into high-paying jobs, making some of the greatest economic gains of all women during that period” (pg.76). With family life during World War II, many marriages ended. As stated by Benokraitis (2015), “Divorce rates had been increasing slowly since the turn of the century, but they reached a new high a year after the end of World War II” (pg. 77). Since women started working in the factories and jobs related to that, they had a new sense of independence and confidence so many decided to leave marriages that they were not happy in (Benokraitis (2015) pg.77). Not only did this era affect husbands and wives, but it also affected children. According to Benokraitis (2015), “Perhaps one of the greater difficulties that many families faced was their children’s reaction to fathers whom they barely knew or had never even seen” (pg. 77). This era gave new insights on a changing family