Families in Crisis: Divorce and Cohabitation

The family structure is continuously evolving and the definition given to “family” has changed in response creating various family structures that are now found in the American society. The effects of these changes are widespread and impact both society as well as in the family unit as a whole. This paper deals with a few variations of the family unit and the effects they are having on today’s families. The two family structures that will be addressed in depth are divorce and cohabitation. For each of these structures, a discussion of the particular definition, prevalence of the family structure in society, and the effects experienced as a result of living in the specific family arrangements will be addressed