Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
It is not the institution it once was because like all things in society, everything changes. The reason two parent families have historically been successful is because society has developed in such a way that promotes their health and stability. If that is in the process of changing—and I think there is good evidence to suggest that it is—then marriage will adapt and change with it. There is nothing intrinsically special about marriage, because it has developed to fulfill specific functions. As those functions change, so too will the institution of marriage to meet them.
People are having children out of wedlock because it is becoming much more progressively sustainable to do so. It was once unheard of because societies were not designed to offer support for "non-traditional" families. As alternative lifestyles and family organisation continue to change, our society will change right along with them. It doesn't have anything to do with "meddling". It is all much more a matter of perspective.
I seriously doubt that anyone anywhere honestly considers the family "obsolete". However, there are certainly many who would challenge what we currently consider the traditional definition of "family", but this is nothing new. In modern Western culture polygamous unions are obsolete, as are patriarchies, as are multi-generational extended family clans. I suspect that the current, monogamous, heterosexually defined parameters that have for the past several hundred years constituted a "family" will also one day be similarly obsolete. This is not a tragedy. This is cultural evolution.
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We will see what happens but I don't think that these changes in the family structure are a completely natural "evolution" like you're implying, but engineered in a way through laws, pop culture etc.
I see the nuclear family as the most sustainable system to date. It's mostly self-relliant and promotes a stronger cultural fabric. I view todays western cultures as sick and degrading in many ways, instead of "progressive" and healthy.
When you get away from the nuclear family, you need a massive welfare state propping up pandemic levels of broken families and single motherhood. Is this what you imply when you say we can now offer ($) support for "non traditional" families through taxation? Well, the world is in debt now.