ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how parenthood is changing in western societies. It deals with the macrolevel of demographic trends on a selected number of dimensions: marriage, divorce, remarriage, fertility, longevity, and household composition. The chapter also examines developments in the medical treatment of birthing, and its potential impact on young adults as they undergo the transition to parenthood. It reviews gender differences in parenting as reflected in recent research on traditional and nontraditional family arrangements, with special attention on the effect of significant male investment in parenting on the child. The chapter also discusses the implications of the analysis for the larger global issues of population growth, family development, and individual choice. Westerners are now shifting from concern for their children's futures to a self-orientation that gives priority to individual desires rather than to the needs of spouses or children.
