ABSTRACT
Social changes have become endemic. Nonetheless, they need to be placed in context. They are part of a larger evolutionary picture. Ours may be thought of as the consolidation phase of a middle-class revolution. The modern era began with the introduction of the steam engine. Among the interaction effects was the evolution of the middle-class family. Social consolidation is concerned with cultural, structural, and institutional integration. It affects how people think, what they value, the ways they feel, the tools they use, the interpersonal bonds they create, the hierarchies in which they participate, the business transactions in which they engage, and the roles they play. The middle-class tipping point can be conveniently associated with the GI Bill. The growth of the middle class was accelerated by the emergence of the corporation. Families have always been with us; nonetheless they differ in their configuration.
