chapter 7
PUBLIC OPINION ON THE FAMILY

Families provide a loving environment where children can flourish; and they help ensure that cultural traditions and timeless values are passed on to future generations.… Strong families play a critical role in developing the character of our Nation. They teach children important standards of conduct such as accepting responsibility, respecting others, and distinguishing the difference between right and wrong. By helping America's youth to grow into mature, thoughtful, and caring citizens, families help make our communities and our Nation safer and more civilized.

President George W. Bush, Proclamation of National Family Week 2002

STATUS OF THE FAMILY

Just before the dawn of the twenty-first century, interviewers for the Roper Institute asked Americans whether life for their family had improved since 1950. Regardless of age, gender, race, religion, or educational level, about two-thirds (63%) said that life was better at the close of the century than it had been in the past. In the public perception, women, persons with disabilities, and African-Americans had seen the greatest improvement over the previous fifty years. On the other end of the scale, 65% of respondents said farmers were in worse condition than they were in 1950, given that three out of five family farms had disappeared. The demographic group of greatest concern for the family, however, was that of children. More than half (56%) of respondents felt life had become worse for teenagers, and 44% thought it was worse for children.

"The vast majority of Americans believed that preservation of the family was critical to the future survival of the United States," according to a 2000 survey by Wirthlin Worldwide. (See Figure 7.1.) When asked to characterize the state of the American family, however, just 7% said it was "very strong and growing." Nearly one-third (32%) said the family was "weak and losing ground." While sounding pessimistic, the survey revealed an improved perception of the strength of the family compared to a 1995 survey in which 44% categorized the family as "weak." (See Figure 7.2.)

When asked to identify the causes of the decline of the family, two of the most frequent responses focused on parents' failure to teach their children discipline and respect (12%) and moral values (11%). The greater work demands on parents also ranked as one of the most serious problems for families (11%). Other factors cited included divorce (9%), economic and financial pressures (8%), decline in religious faith and church attendance (7%), mothers working outside the home (6%), and the availability

FIGURE 7.1

FIGURE 7.2

of drugs (6%). (See Figure 7.3.) According to Wirthlin Worldwide, survey respondents in recent years named "a decline in moral values" as the most important problem facing the nation.

Strengthening the Family a Priority

Americans surveyed about priorities for political leaders named "strengthening the family" twice as important as job opportunities and three times as important as the environment. (See Figure 7.4.) Hispanic and African-American respondents, who traditionally have had strong extended families but higher unemployment and lower pay than whites, placed more importance on political leaders working to increase job opportunities than strengthening the family, according to the Wirthlin Worldwide survey. (See Table 7.1.) Concern about jobs was also a stronger focus for respondents living in the Northeast (45%) than in other areas of the country.

Among possible initiatives to strengthen the family, support for voluntary action by businesses led the way. A strong majority (87%) of persons surveyed believed business could strengthen marriages and parental attention to families by providing flexible work schedules. Recognizing the power of the media on young people's attitudes, respondents gave strong support (80%) to commending the media when efforts were made to portray positive influences of marriage. More than three-fourths (78%) of respondents supported legislation requiring counseling for couples with children before a divorce could be granted. (See Figure 7.5.)

TABLE 7.1

FAMILY DIVERSITY

Questions about family values have generally included issues concerning the current diversity of family structures. A 1998 survey by Lou Harris and Associates asked women, "Do you think that society should value only certain types of families, like those with two parents, or should society value all types of families?" More than nine out of ten respondents (93%) thought that society should value all types of families. Only 5% indicated that society should value only certain types of families, such as those with two parents.

In the same survey 52% of women and 42% of men thought family values meant "loving, taking care of, and supporting each other." The term family values was described as "knowing right from wrong and having good values" by 38% of women and 35% of men. Only 2% of women and 1% of men defined family values in terms of the traditional nuclear family.

By the year 2003, families had indeed become diverse. In addition to the shrinking number of nuclear families, there were blended families that combined children from past marriages with offspring of the current marriage, cohabiting couples with children, multigenerational families, families headed by gay or lesbian couples, single-parent families, and various combinations of related and unrelated individuals who considered themselves a family.

Differing Opinions on Gay and Lesbian Marriage

In a November 2003 survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 59% of Americans opposed allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally, and 51% opposed legal agreements that provided gay and lesbian couples many of the legal rights of marriage. (See Table 7.2.) People between ages twenty and thirty-five hovered just short of a 50% split in supporting or opposing gay and lesbian marriage. After age thirty-five, however, opposition to gay and lesbian marriage increased with age to a peak of nearly 90% among seventy-year-olds. (See Figure 7.6.)

FIGURE 7.3

FIGURE 7.4

Opposition to the gay and lesbian marriage issue was strongest in the South (67%) and in rural areas (69%). Support was strongest in the East (42%) and suburban areas (38%). (See Table 7.3.) The most cited reasons for opposition were moral and religious. Sixteen percent said the definition of marriage involved a man and a woman. (See Table 7.4.)

While 80% of Americans surveyed said society should put no restrictions on sex between consenting adults, more than half (56%) of those surveyed believed that allowing gay and lesbian marriages would undermine the traditional American family. Fifty-four percent agreed that gay and lesbian couples could be just as good parents as heterosexuals. (See Table 7.5.) A great difference of opinion about gays and lesbians as parents occurred by age groups. By a margin of 47% to 37%, people over age sixty-five believed that gay and lesbian couples could not be as good parents as other couples. Among the under-thirty age group, 69% believed gay and lesbian couples could parent just as well as heterosexual couples. Seniors were far less likely to know someone who was gay or lesbian. Fully half of seniors could not think of the name of a single gay or lesbian person, either in their own lives or a celebrity.

Actually knowing someone who was gay or lesbian had a strong influence on individual's attitudes toward gay and lesbian marriage. Thirty-nine percent of people who favored legalizing gay marriage knew someone who was gay or lesbian compared to 21% who did not. The impact was strongest in the eighteen to twenty-nine age group where

FIGURE 7.5

49% of those who favored gay and lesbian marriage knew an individual who was gay or lesbian. (See Figure 7.7.)

RELIGION AND THE AMERICAN FAMILY

Periodically, the Gallup organization interviewed Americans on the role of religion in their lives. In 2000 the poll found that 68% of Americans claimed to be members of a church or synagogue, a percentage that had changed little over the past sixty years. About one-third of Americans claimed they went to church or synagogue at least once a week, and 11% said they went almost every week. Another 11% never attended religious services. A majority of Americans believed that "religion can answer all or most of today's problems," while 17% thought it was "old-fashioned."

The debate continued over nature or nurture as the cause for homosexuality. A 2003 Pew Research Center report titled Opinion of Homosexuals compares 1985 and 2003 attitudes about the cause of homosexuality. In 1985 20% of people surveyed said homosexuality was something people were born with and 22% said it was a result of the way people were raised. In 2003 30% believed it was a birth factor and 14% attributed homosexuality to upbringing. A consistent 42% believed "some people just prefer to live that way." (See Table 7.6.) Seventy-three percent of Evangelical Christians, who attended religious services often and said religion was very important in

TABLE 7.2

their lives, believed that homosexuality could be changed. Sixty-six percent of the secular community believed that homosexuality could not be changed. (Table 7.7.)

Evangelical churches spent the most time addressing public issues. Abortion and prayer in schools were the most frequent topics (72% each). The Roman Catholic Church focused the most attention on abortion (85%). Mainline churches spent less time discussing public issues. (See Table 7.8.)

In a series of surveys, the Pew Research Center monitored public opinion on abortion. In 1987, 41% of people surveyed favored and 51% opposed making abortions more difficult to obtain. By 2004 just 36% favored and 58% opposed making abortions difficult to obtain. (See Table 7.9.) In 2003 and 2004, 33% of women compared to 26% of men opposed greater restrictions on abortion. (See Table 7.10.)

FAMILY LIFE IN THE TECHNOLOGY AGE

The Influence of Television

The Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2003 reports that more American households had at least one television set (98.2%) than had a telephone (94.6%) in 2001. Cable television was new in 1970, reaching just 6.7% of homes, and video cassette recorders, or VCRs, were unknown. By 2003 the average home had 2.4 television sets, and 86.2% of homes had a VCR; 68% of homes had cable TV. (See Table 7.11.)

The 2003 American Time Use Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that the average American spent more time watching television (2.57 hours per day) than any other activity except sleeping and working. The people with the least amount of time available for television viewing were women with bachelor's degree or

FIGURE 7.6

TABLE 7.3

higher, women who were employed full-time, and women who had children under age six. They watched less than two hours of television per day. Men with bachelor's degrees or higher, who had children under age six, or were employed full-time watched less than two and one-quarter hours of television. Adults who spent the most time in front of the television, averaging four hours per day, were men with less than high school educations, men without jobs, and men over age sixty-five. (See Table 7.12.)

TABLE 7.4

As network censorship of language and program content relaxed in the 1980s and 1990s, parents became increasingly concerned about the influence of television on children's attitudes and behavior. According to a survey by the National PTA (the National Congress of Parents and Teachers), parents of small children (age three to seven) were most worried about their children's exposure to sexual content and profanity on television. Parents of boys had almost equal fears about the effects of violence,

TABLE 7.5

TABLE 7.6

while parents of girls were even more concerned about programs with frightening content. For parents of children in the thirteen to eighteen range, sexual content remained the top concern with both boys and girls, and parents expressed anxiety about programs that promoted risk-taking behaviors.

Concerned parents wanted to be warned in advance about program content. And they wanted enough information

FIGURE 7.7

TABLE 7.7

so they could decide which shows were appropriate for their children. By 1997 the television industry developed program ratings guides modeled after those used by the movie industry.

The TV Parental Guidelines included seven categories, with three specific to programs designed for children.

TABLE 7.8

TABLE 7.9

• TV–Y All Children. Whether animated or live action, the themes and elements in this program are specifically designed for a very young audience, including children from ages two to six. This program is not expected to frighten younger children.
• TV–Y7 Directed to Older Children. This program is designed for children aged seven and above. It may be more appropriate for children who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make-believe and reality. Themes and elements in this program may include mild fantasy or comedic violence, or may frighten children under the age of seven. Therefore, parents may wish to consider the suitability of this program for their very young children.

TABLE 7.10

TABLE 7.11

• TV–Y7–FV Directed to Older Children–Fantasy Violence. This program includes fantasy violence that may be more intense or more combative than other programs in the TV–Y7 category.
• TV–G General Audiences. Although this rating does not signify a program designed specifically for children, most parents may let younger children watch this program unattended. It contains little or no violence, no strong language, and little or no sexual dialogue or situations.
• TV–PG Parental Guidance Suggested. This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children, including one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), infrequent coarse language (L), or some suggestive dialogue (D).
• TV–14 Parents Strongly Cautioned. This program contains some material that parents would find unsuitable for children under fourteen years of age, including one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D).

TABLE 7.12

• TV–MA Mature Audience Only. This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under seventeen. It contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), explicit sexual activity (S), or crude indecent language (L).

A further aid to parents was the V-chip, which allowed parents to block programs they did not want their children to watch. Broadcast and cable networks encoded the ratings information into their television signals to be "read" by V-chip-equipped television sets that parents had programmed. As of January 1, 2000, all television sets manufactured with screens thirteen inches or larger in size contained V-chip technology. Television commercials, however, were not rated.

According to an April 2004 National PTA report, Navigating the Children's Media Landscape, parents had to make day-to-day choices among the media available to their children, including television, radio, newspapers, computers, Internet, computerized toys, video games, film, CDs, DVDs, phones, and PDAs (personal digital assistants). "With the various forms of media that children are exposed to each day, it can be difficult for parents to protect a child from inappropriate content without denying them the excellent learning opportunities that media can offer," said Linda Hodge, president of the National PTA (Parent Teacher Association). The report revealed that 36% of young children had televisions in their bedrooms and children were spending more time in front of "screens" than outside playing. The National PTA noted that more than one in four four- to six-year-olds used a computer daily. Of children with Internet access, 32% of six- to eight-year-olds and 44% of thirteen- to seventeen-year-olds with Internet access had or planned to build their own personal Websites.

Cellular Phones Put Families in Touch

Cell phones provided go-everywhere portable access that allowed working parents and their children to keep in touch anywhere and anytime. The New York Times on November 18, 2002, reported that 56% of American households had wireless telephone service. Many teachers reported that "every kid seems to have a cell phone in his/her pocket or backpack." Tragedies like the 1999 Columbine High School shootings in Colorado gave evidence of the proliferation of cell phones, as frightened students called their parents from inside the school and parents called their children as soon as they heard the news reports. Media coverage of the role of cell phones in that incident perhaps spurred more parents to equip their children with cell phones. Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, news media reported victims' last calls on cell phones. A Wirthlin Worldwide survey reported that calls increased between family members and friends as Americans were touched by the need to make contact with everyone who was important to them.

Internet Access More Controversial

The Internet was perhaps a more controversial source of communication. On an average day, fifty-five million Americans logged on to the Internet. E-mail, the most common Internet activity, was used by 91% of all homes with Internet access. Research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project indicated that Internet users tended to have increased contact with family members by e-mail. Almost one-third (31%) of e-mail users reported that they had renewed contact with a family member they did not keep up with very often before Internet access.

The Internet appeared to foster extended family communication. Some 16% of Americans said they or another family member had a family Web page with pictures or information about the clan. Almost one-third (29%) said they had used the Internet to do family history research. A fourth of those who e-mailed relatives said they had learned more about their family since they began e-mailing family members.

The Internet plays a pivotal role in the lives of American teenagers, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. About 73% of youth ages twelve through seventeen used the Internet. Many (48%) said the Internet improved their relationships with friends, and 32% believed it helps them make new friends. However, 64% said the Internet took away time they might otherwise have spent with their families. More than half (55%) of parents of these online teens said the Internet was a good thing for their children, while 6% believed the Internet was a bad influence. A full 95% of parents of online teens believed it was important for children to learn to use the Internet in order to be successful.

EDUCATION

A 2001 Roper Center report, To the Test, includes a Gallup survey that asked what national issues were most important for the president and congress to address. Education topped the list, with 93% of respondents listing it as very important or extremely important. As recently as 1993, education ranked fifth on the survey list after health care, the economy, employment, and the federal budget deficit.

More than two-thirds of respondents stated that change was needed in public schools. When respondents were asked to identify the problems in schools, lack of parental involvement topped the list (78%). Undisciplined and disruptive students (73%), drugs and alcohol (69%), violence (64%), and overcrowded classrooms (61%) were identified as concerns by more than half of respondents. While 25% of respondents in another survey cited by the Roper study thought students should gain an academic background in high school, nearly half (48%) expected high school to instill discipline, morals, character, and responsibility.

YOUNG AMERICANS ON MARRIAGE AND FAMILY ISSUES

A survey of entering college freshmen conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California—Los Angeles has long provided a glimpse of the opinions of the next generation. Support for legal abortion increased slightly from the freshmen entering in the fall 2000 to those entering in the fall of 2003 (53.9% to 54.5%). Opinions of male and female students were very similar on this issue. Support for abolishing the death penalty also grew slightly, from 2000 to 2003 (31.2% to 32.6%). In 2003 males and females were split 28.8% to 35.8% on the issue of abolishing the death penalty.

Raising a family was considered essential or very important to 75.8% of 2003 freshmen, with females rating this higher than males by just two percentage points. Being well off financially was the next most important objective for 75.4% of male freshmen and 72.5% of females.

OPINIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE

Despite predictions of natural disasters, terrorism, and environmental calamities, Americans at the turn of the twenty-first century expressed confidence that life would continue to get better. A 2000 survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press reveals that more than four-fifths of Americans were optimistic about the welfare of themselves and their families. Their predictions for the next fifty years included good and bad. Eight in ten people believed there would be a cure for cancer and for AIDS. Nine in ten expected a major earthquake in California, 64% feared terrorists would attack the United States, and 41% believed there would be a nuclear war. More than three-fourths believed the nation would elect a woman and an African-American as president.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, had a lasting impact on the nation and on American families. Certainly the families of the 2,948 individuals (official count as of October 29, 2003) who lost their lives in the four airplanes, the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon suffered permanent change. According to a September 2002 feature titled "9/11 By the Numbers" in NewYorkMetro.com (the official website of New York magazine and Metro TV), more than sixteen hundred people lost a spouse or partner and over three thousand children lost a parent as a result of the terrorist attacks. Researchers suggested that the events caused Americans to renew their focus on family.

In a November 2001 special edition of the Wirthlin Report—America Responds, Part Three, Wirthlin Worldwide noted that American's sense of security had been violated by the attacks. The report states, "The real change to American life may lie in the deeper, long-lasting effects…on day-to-day activities of the average citizen…includ[ing] family life." According to a Wirthlin survey, spending time with family and friends had taken on new significance. Planning for the holidays and for vacations was less appealing for many. (See Figure 7.8.) Wirthlin described the changed habits of Americans as "burrowing"—turning to home, family, and friends for stability and security.

Another Wirthlin report, Seeking Stability in 2003, found that the impact of the September 11 events was "still reverberating." Forty-eight percent of Americans felt they would have to make lifestyle changes in the next five years due to terrorist activity, compared to 61% shortly after the attacks. (See Figure 7.9.) The same report noted that Americans wanted to put their financial houses in order. In a Wirthlin survey people were asked what they would do if they won $2,000. Rather than buying some longed-for possession, 41% said they would pay off debts and 32% would save or invest the windfall. (See Figure 7.10.) Wirthlin projected that the trend of turning more attention to home, family, and friends could be expected to continue. Survey data suggested particularly that parents would increasingly measure themselves by the relationships they had with their children rather than by material possessions.

In August 2003 the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press repeated a survey conducted in early September 2001. According to the resulting report, "the threat of terrorism is now part of the fabric of American life," its pollsters found. Three-quarters of Americans

FIGURE 7.8

found the world to be a more dangerous place than it had been ten years earlier. (See Table 7.13.) The majority of Americans continued to worry about another terrorist

FIGURE 7.9

attack. (See Figure 7.11.) When Cold War tensions still kept the world on edge in 1987 and 1988, about six in ten Americans said they often worried about a nuclear war. In August 2003 a little more than half worried about nuclear war and just 40% worried about the chances of nuclear attack by terrorists. (See Table 7.14.)

FIGURE 7.10

TABLE 7.13

TABLE 7.14

FIGURE 7.11