Globalization and the Changing Family

Economic and financial globalization has created profound opportunity for advancements within our society. Technical developments such as cell phones, computers, VoIP, and social networking have made it possible to communicate instantly with people thousands of miles away, which was unimaginable in the early 20th century. It has a direct impact on the way we do business, developing cultures, trade and travel. Globalization improved the job market, healthcare and improved global expansion. However, the negative effect of globalization includes over consumption of resources, economic and political imbalances making the rich richer and the poor poorer. Is there a direct correlation between globalization and the changing family? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the simple definition of a family is “the basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children”.(Web) However, the modern day meaning of a family is far more complex, and controversial. As our textbook has shown, the contemporary family can be defined as two or more people living in the same household who share the same values and beliefs. Today’s contemporary family extends well beyond the traditional nuclear family to include step-families, blended families, single parent families, adoptive families and foster families, just to name a few. While families still share common characteristics, there is no denying that every family is different. We as a society have grown more and more accustomed to change; we have easily accepted the dramatic change that globalization has had on family and life styles. While change can be positive, it is worrisome to see many of the values and traditions fade as a result.
We have seen the rate of marriages decline over the years. “Data from the Census Bureau show that married couples, for the first time, now make up less than half (45%) of all households.”(Web) An even more bothersome fact is, “about 40 to 50 percent of married