Instructions:As discussed in Chapters 4 & 5, today’s families are affected by macro level forces such as the economy, immigration, and aging.  Discuss how oneof the following three macro forces below has shaped your family.

1. Globalization and the transformation from a modern to post-modern economy over the past thirty years, as well as the recent economic crisis have significantly affected American families.  The outsourcing of jobs, a decline in unionized jobs, job insecurity, housing woes, and financial debt, have contributed to downward social mobility, making it more difficult for families to achieve the middle class American dream. Discuss how larger shifts in the economy have affected your family’s economic situation

.2. The United States is a nation of immigrants, however we know that the melting pot image portrayed by the media is not always the experience that all immigrants haveonce they enter this country. Did you or your family recently immigrate to this country? If so, what has the effect of immigration been on family dynamics (ex. changes in communication between the generations, roles taken on in the family, socio-economic status of the family, some family members having undocumented status, etc.)? What acts of human agency has your family used to cope with life in a different society?

3. The population of the United States has experienced a pronounced change in its age structure.  Longer life expectancy has led to a larger percentage of our population falling into the 65 and older category. This has led to a shift in family structure and changes in living arrangements, financial responsibilities, healthcare needs, and role transitions. In particular this has led to what the text describes asthe sandwich family structure (a three generation household where middle age parents are simultaneously caring fortheirown parents and their own children simultaneously. Discuss how this shift in the population has affected the dynamics of your family, and how family members have coped.