This last week we talked about factors were involved in the baby boom and then the decline of birth rates in the 60's and 70's. Some that we came up with in class were:

-WWII had just ended
-Vaccines and medical advances were taking place so there was a higher survival rate.

Then in the late 60's and early 70's there was a decrease in birthrates because:

-Women were joining the work force
-There was more reliable and inexpensive birth control.
-Individuation was more pronounced.
-Divorce laws were relaxed.

Who is effected and how by not having children?:

There are many people who are effected by others not having children. All those who are surrounding them. It makes it difficult to have things in common with those around them. They really effect their own lives, because they miss out on great opportunities to learn and grow and in a sense grow up and not act so much as a child themselves. When you have the responsibility of children your views on the world change, your interest and you passions. Everything you do now revolves around these little children who you have created.

Family is the unit of growth and development.

The family is the fundamental unit of society. (The Family: A Proclamation to the World.)

Trends in the world today.

In class this week we talked about some of the different trends that exist in the world today. Some of which include:

Cohabitation                         (Increasing)

Delayed Marriage                 (Ages 26/28)

Living Alone                         (Increasing)

Employed Mothers               (Increasing)

Divorce                                (Increased but then leveled out)

Births to Unwed Women      (Increasing)

Birth Rates                           (Decreasing)

We discussed some of the pros and cons of some of these and it was very interesting to see how some people feel on different topics. We tried to classify these trends into categories according to our own personal opinion, the three categories are as follows, Critical, Significant, or No Big Deal. A lot of our own views come from where we grew up and the experiences that we have had through our journey in this life. When you have an emotional connection to one of these trends you have a very passionate opinion. We also discussed how you can have conflict without arguing, you can have both of these without having a failed marriage, it is just how you handle these situations when you are placed in them.  

First Day of Class

This blog is for my FAML 160 class here at BYU-I. Today we had a great discussion about analyzing data that we receive when researching a certain topic, or even information that we receive through word of mouth from friends, family, or what we hear on the television. You should be aware of the sampling size and representation. One thing that I thought was very important is to watch for people who are bias to certain aspects of the research because that will skew the results. When you receive the information it is very wise to be skeptical and look for flaws instead of blindly following, especially when these are decisions that influence your family.