1. Were you surprised by the history of Mother's Day? Why or why not?
**2. Who/what seems to influence attitudes about whether women should work?
3. Is consumerism and the dedication to work it requires a problem for families? If not, why not? If so, why?
**1. The author states, ". . .both marriage and childrearing occupy a smaller proportion of adults' lives than they did at any time in American history. They define less of a person's social identity, exert less influence on people's life-course decisions, and are less universal, exclusive, and predictable than ever before." (p. 185-186). Is this good or bad for families?
2. There seems to be a contradiction in Americans' treatment of sex. What is this contradiction and how does it affect sexual behavior?
3. Why is that "Teenagers with the fewest options, not the most, are those likely to get pregnant" (p. 204)?
4. What are the present statistics on teenage pregnancy (is it increasing etc.)?
1. What are the effects on children of maternal employment and what other variables influence these effects?
2. Your friend, Chris, has just had a child. Knowing that you took this class, Chris asks you for tips on being a good parent. What do you say?
3. If you were a policy maker, what kinds of pro-family programs would you advocate?
1. According to Coontz, what is/are the primary problems for African American families?
2. What are the present statistics on graduation and income for white and black men and women?
3. What are the present statistics on poverty and family structure?
What does Coontz seem to believe is needed to cope with the crisis she discusses? Is this crisis still present today? What can you do?