Culture of the United States

This article very generally discusses the customs and culture of the United States; for the "culture" of the United States, see arts and entertainment in the United States.

Family arrangements

Nuclear family living patterns

Beginning in the early 20th century, the two-parent family known as the nuclear family was the predominant American family type. Children live with their parents until they go away to a college or university, or until they acquire their own jobs and decide to move out into their own apartment

Related Topics:
20th century - Nuclear family - Family

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or home. Children are expected to be out of the house by their mid 20s. While in some cultures (Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean) it is acceptable for an adult to remain in the parental household, a person over 25 living with their parents is viewed negatively by most Americans. This may come from the long tradition of individualism. Unconsciously, many Americans don't consider a person a "true adult" until he or she moves out of the parental nest. The strong capitalist tradition may also be a subtle factor (more economic input for landlords). There are some exceptions to this custom, especially among Italian and Hispanic-Americans, and in the extremely expensive regions of New York City, California, and Honolulu, where rents of $800 to over $1000 per month are the norm.

Related Topics:
New York City - California - Honolulu

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In the early to mid-20th century, the father typically was the sole wage earner and the mother was the children's principal caregiver. Today, often both parents hold jobs. Dual-earner families are the predominant type for families with children in the US. Increasingly, one of the parents has a non-standard shift (that is, a shift that does not start in the morning and end in the late afternoon). In these families, one of the parents manages the children while the other works.

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Before they start school, adequate day care of children is necessary for dual-earner families; many private companies and home-based day care centers fulfill this need. Increasingly, corporate sponsorship of day care is occurring, as well as government assistance to parents requiring day care.

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Single-parent living patterns

Single-parent households are households consisting of a single adult (most often a woman) and one or more children. These types of households have been increasing in number and, today, the majority of black households are single parent households. For whites, Hispanics, and other races, the predominant family household is still the two-parent family. Although the United States has a larger number of single-parent households than it did in the past, countries such as England have a higher percentage of single-parent households than the United States.

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In the single-parent household, one parent typically raises the children with little to no help from the other. This parent is the sole breadwinner of the family and thus these households are particularly vulnerable economically. They have higher rates of poverty, and children of these households are more likely to have educational problems.

Related Topics:
Breadwinner - Poverty

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