Public Opinion on the Family - Status Of The Family

Just before the dawn of the twenty-first century, interviewers for the Roper Institute asked Americans whether life for their family had improved since 1950. Regardless of age, gender, race, religion, or educational level, about two-thirds (63%) said that life was better at the close of the century than it had been in the past. In the public perception, women, persons with disabilities, and African-Americans had seen the greatest improvement over the previous fifty years. On the other end of the scale, 65% of respondents said farmers were in worse condition than they were in 1950, given that three out of five family farms had disappeared. The demographic group of greatest concern for the family, however, was that of children. More than half (56%) of respondents felt life had become worse for teenagers, and 44% thought it was worse for children.

"The vast majority of Americans believed that preservation of the family was critical to the future survival of the United States," according to a 2000 survey by Wirthlin Worldwide. (See Figure 7.1.) When asked to characterize the state of the American family, however, just 7% said it was "very strong and growing." Nearly one-third (32%) said the family was "weak and losing ground." While sounding pessimistic, the survey revealed an improved perception of the strength of the family compared to a 1995 survey in which 44% categorized the family as "weak." (See Figure 7.2.)

When asked to identify the causes of the decline of the family, two of the most frequent responses focused on parents' failure to teach their children discipline and respect (12%) and moral values (11%). The greater work demands on parents also ranked as one of the most serious problems for families (11%). Other factors cited included divorce (9%), economic and financial pressures (8%), decline in religious faith and church attendance (7%), mothers working outside the home (6%), and the availability

FIGURE 7.1

FIGURE 7.2

of drugs (6%). (See Figure 7.3.) According to Wirthlin Worldwide, survey respondents in recent years named "a decline in moral values" as the most important problem facing the nation.

Strengthening the Family a Priority

Americans surveyed about priorities for political leaders named "strengthening the family" twice as important as job opportunities and three times as important as the environment. (See Figure 7.4.) Hispanic and African-American respondents, who traditionally have had strong extended families but higher unemployment and lower pay than whites, placed more importance on political leaders working to increase job opportunities than strengthening the family, according to the Wirthlin Worldwide survey. (See Table 7.1.) Concern about jobs was also a stronger focus for respondents living in the Northeast (45%) than in other areas of the country.

Among possible initiatives to strengthen the family, support for voluntary action by businesses led the way. A strong majority (87%) of persons surveyed believed business could strengthen marriages and parental attention to families by providing flexible work schedules. Recognizing the power of the media on young people's attitudes, respondents gave strong support (80%) to commending the media when efforts were made to portray positive influences of marriage. More than three-fourths (78%) of respondents supported legislation requiring counseling for couples with children before a divorce could be granted. (See Figure 7.5.)

TABLE 7.1

Issue priorities by ethnic groups, July 2000
Which is more important…?	TOT	White	Black	Hispanic	Other
SOURCE: "Issue Priority Varies among Ethnic Groups," in The Wirthlin Report: Americans Rank Strengthening Families as High Priority, vol. 10, no. 4, August 2000, http://www.wirthlin.com/pdf/TWR0008.pdf (accessed July 22, 2004)
Strengthening families	64%	70%	46%	30%	68%
Increasing job opportunities	35%	29%	53%	70%	31%
Strengthening families	77%	76%	90%	64%	79%
Creating a cleaner environment	22%	23%	10%	36%	18%