Rural Families in Transition
Abstract
This chapter documents the transformation of rural families through an examination of two of the most important changes in American family life—changes in family structure and changes in women’s employment and family breadwinning—from 1970 to 2009, using Current Population Survey (CPS) data. Particular attention is paid to variations between families living in rural areas, central cities, and suburban places. We identify trends in marriage and divorce, the rise in single motherhood, and decreased fertility. Additionally, we examine the rising diversity of families resulting from increased educational attainment and greater female labor force participation. Finally, we discuss the implications of these changes in family structure and family employment patterns for income inequality and poverty. Over time, we find that rural families increasingly resemble urban families, but important differences remain.
Department
Sociology
Publication Date
2012
Publisher
Springer
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1007/978-94-007-1842-5_17
Document Type
Book Chapter
Recommended Citation
Smith, K. E., Mattingly, M., "Rural Families in Transition." International Handbook of Rural Demography. Laslo J. Kulcsar and Katherine J. Curtis White. Dordrecht: Springer, 2012. pp 239-254. Print.