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6 families that work SPRING 2005 THE FELLOWS’ FORUM GLOBALIZING THE MODERN FAMILY IDEAL Families in the U.S. have undergone dra- consensual marriage preceded by courtship, Working for cash in Egypt has been linked with matic change. In the past three decades, the youthful autonomy, and a high valuation women’s approval of having a say in decisions average size of households declined among of women. related to children, and watching television whites and African Americans and increased Thornton has argued that these beliefs have has been associated with women’s approval among Hispanic Americans. The percentage been disseminated in European colonialism; of influencing other family-related matters. of households headed by married couples in schools in non-Western societies; in the Thornton has argued that a person’s accep- training of non-Westerners at institutions in tance or rejection of developmental ideals can declined from 78 percent to 53 percent in Northwestern Europe and its diasporas; in influence an array of human behaviors, includ- the period from 1950 to 1998 and declined channels of communication, transportation, ing choices about work and family life. Among from 93 percent to 73 percent among fami- and mass media; in national, international, urban and semiurban male residents in Nigeria, lies with children. Among married working and nongovernmental family-planning pro- for example, those believing that men should couples with children, the share of dual- grams; in revolutionary social movements and be dominant in family decisions had an average earning couples rose from 59 percent to 68 the international women’s movement(s). The of 0.26 more children than those believing that percent in the period from 1986 to 1998, endorsement of developmental idealism by key women should be dominant in such decisions. while the share of families with only a work- actors (such as the United Nations) has moti- In Kentucky, “traditional-modern” value ori- ing husband declined and the share of at- vated the founding of other mediums through entations also have mediated the relationship home dads increased. which these ideals have been communicated. between a husband’s occupation and educa- Notable changes in family life around Education also has been a mechanism by tion and the proportion of planned pregnan- the world include rising ages at marriage, which individuals—especially women—have cies. Across varied contexts, parental values increasing autonomy in the selection of encountered and accepted modern family about sons versus daughters have influenced a spouse, smaller completed family sizes, ideals. Western education has been associated parental investments in them, and these invest- declining rates of intergenerational coresi- ments have been associated dence, and increasing education and labor- with various indicators of force participation among women. Various “Education . has been child well-being. In Kenya, maternal perceptions that groups have interpreted these changes as a mechanism by which evidence of “progress” and “decline” in the the labor market favors men quality of family life. individuals—especially have been negatively associ- Questions about the root causes of chang- women—have encountered ated with levels of schooling ing family life around the world have pre- enrollment for girls. occupied prominent family scholars of our and accepted modern The record suggests that time. One theory holds that certain ideals family ideals.” remote corners of the world about modern family life have dominated the are connected through an historical record and have been pervasive and array of institutions and powerful forces of family change. Sociologist mediums of communica- Arland Thornton argues that “developmental Kathryn M. Yount tion. If abilities to transmit ideals” have influenced deeply the views and normative models of family behaviors of people around the world. The with the fact that teenage males in Nigeria life remain unequal, selected models may four propositions of developmental ideal- seem to favor gender equality. Women’s continue to dominate global discourses about ism are that: (1) modern society is good and secular education has been associated with the family. A question of consequence is attainable; (2) the modern family is good their approval of activities signaling women’s whether acceptance of dominant ideals about and attainable; (3) the modern family is a autonomy in Bangladesh, Egypt, and Taiwan; modern family life influences family change cause and an effect of modern society; and with having higher professional aspirations around the world. And finally, understand- (4) individuals are free and equal, and social for sons and daughters in Mexico; and with ing how ordinary people reconcile “local” relationships are based on consent. favoring gender equality in public and private and “foreign” ideals about family may expose Modern societies have been called devel- life in the U.S. and Sweden. Parental educa- the logic behind profound changes and conti- oped because they are characterized by high tion has been associated with the preference nuities in family life around the world. levels of industrialization, urbanization, edu- that adolescents select their own spouse in cation, wealth, and gender equality in public urban China and Shiraz City, Iran. Occupation, Kathryn M. Yount life. Modern families have been called non- exposure to the media, and access to family- Professor of sociology and global health traditional because they are characterized by planning programs also have been associated MARIAL core faculty member individualism, nuclear living arrangements, with the acceptance of modern family ideals. .

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