Answer to Question 1
D
Answer to Question 2
The traditional standard model for the American family is mother-father-and children. The
status of women and children in particular has changed through time, with women of
different status groups varying considerably in prestige and standing. Children, through the
years, have variously been viewed as simple property to work in supporting the family, to
revered little adults who were privileged and granted almost equal status with other adult
family members. The shift from an agrarian economy in America to an urban/industrial
society is attributed to have changed family structure and the roles of family members.
With children removed from the home to acquire education, their status and role within the
family has become more autonomous.
Social trends also affect the status of women and children. The rise of feminism opened
new conceptions of personal freedom for women, and single motherhood became a more
acceptable alternative family form. Many women had strong maternal desires, but found
the traditional family form and/or roles unsatisfactory and single motherhood was an
alternative. These women also found and developed new support groups to enable single
motherhood, and reported satisfaction with the alternative.
The Mulleta family of Ethiopia, described in the opening vignette.