The essay "The American Family", written by Stephanie Coontz, takes a historical perspective to examine the contrast between common beliefs about the past and the reality of that time. Furthermore, Coontz analyzes and challenges the conventional view that families today face worse problems than in the past.
According to Coontz, families today face a multitude of problems, arising out of fears about inattentive parenting, teen violence, child abuse, conflicted marriages, and antisocial values. Many families believe that the 20th century represents the worst time ever, and therefore conclude that it is harder nowadays to maintain a healthy functional family.
The reason for such believes developed out of comparing the