The nuclear family is staging a comeback. Between 1991 and 1996, the percentage of American children living with both their biological parents jumped from 51 percent to 56 percent, according to a report released today by the US Census Bureau. The finding, which surprised many researchers, suggests that family relations in the United States may be entering a new era of stability after two decades of tumultuous change. Increases in family stability are always good news. Rather than a return to the Ozzie and Harriet days of the 1950s, the new report suggests that changes in family structure are leveling off.
Researchers attribute the reemergence of nuclear families to many factors.
In 1970, roughly 1 out of 10 births involved unmarried mothers. Although the rate surged to 1 out of 3 in 1994, it has since stayed virtually level. But family experts caution that the rebound of nuclear families, while real, could be exaggerated by other factors. The economy, for example, may have played a role. Between 1991 and 1996, families' average financial situations improved significantly.