An Exploration of Perceptions of Alternative Family Structures among University Students

The changing structure and diversity of American families has become an increasingly important theme among professionals in their roles as researchers, educators, and practitioners. As Eiduson and Alexander (1978) noted some 15 years ago, a variety of forms, other than two-parent nuclear family, have become unmistakably and visibly a part of American scene. These diverse or alternate structures range from a notion of (that is, nuclear family) to such structures as single-parent families, stepfamilies, extended families, and same-gender families (Billingsley, 1968; Ford, Harris, & Turner, 1991; Furstenberg, 1984; Wilson, 1989). This study explored perceptions of family among college students enrolled in classes in either education or human environmental sciences, including studies. The questions under investigation included: (a) To what extent do college students perceive different collections of individuals as families? (b) Which features in various scenarios or examples are related to respondents' definitions of a family? and (c) Do gender differences exist in these perceptions? The answers to these questions, provided by university students, many of whom will work with families, carry important implications for education and preparation of tomorrow's professionals. WHAT IS A FAMILY? THE UBIQUITOUS DEFINITION PROBLEM Prior to 1980s, majority media projected portrayed in Father Knows Best as a sort of national norm. The term traditional has often been misinterpreted to refer to structure rather than values. It tends to be operationalized as referring to heterosexual, nuclear families rather than to alternative structures, including single-parent, stepparent, homosexual, and cohabiting families (Fine, 1992). But changing economic, political, and social conditions have undermined this consensus. As Bernardes (1993), Cheal (1991, 1993), Allen and Baber (1992), and others have stated, post-modern families are more common and more diverse than ever before. The United States Bureau of Census (1989) defines households in two ways, both of which depend on relationship of each member to householder. Households are defined and categorized as either families or non-families. A is defined as a group of two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption and residing together. About 70% of U.S. households are families, according to Census' definition. These structures are categorized as follows: married couples, female-headed households (no spouse present), and male-headed households (no spouse present). Households that differ from Census' definition of are defined as non-families. These non-nuclear, post-modern, or alternative structures comprise 30% of U.S. households and are categorized as single-person households (24.6%) and other non-families (4.6%) that include structures of unlimited possible arrangements (Waldrop & Exter, 1992), such as cohabiting couples without children and same-gender families. STUDIES ON DEFINITIONS AND PERCEPTIONS OF FAMILY Piaget (1928) reported that children between ages of 7 and 13 progress through three stages in process of defining their family. In stage 1, a includes all people living with a child. In stage 2, idea of biological relationships gains increasing importance when defining a family; this association reflects Census definition of family. In final stage, however, a child's definition or perception of includes those persons perceived as performing parenting functions, regardless of their place of residence. This assumption departs from Census definition of family, and is reflective of several post-modern alternative forms. Some 40 years later, Schneider (1968) surveyed children between ages of 6 and 18 to ascertain their perceptions of the American family. …