Carrington College Boise Changes in Household Types Discussion Questions

The purpose of this Explore and Analyze assignment is to:

1. Understand how sociologists interpret data and learn how to make empirical statements.
2. Become familiar with past and present census data about family structures and living arrangements in the United States.
3. To discuss how structures of families have changed since the 1970s

The most recent United States Census Bureau data (2020) has not been released yet, so the data for this assignment is from a report using 2012 data from:

• The Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC)
• The Current Population Survey (CPS)
• The American Community Survey (ACS)

Reference:

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, Vespa, J., Lewis, J. M., & Kreider, R. M., America’s families and living arrangements, 2012: population characteristics (n.d.). https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-570.pdf. 

Assignment:

• Answer question 1 below.
• Be sure to answer in paragraph format and use full sentences.
• Use any references to the course text and/or Module 5 readings to further support your response.

1. Referring to specific data on the chart below (Item 1a: Figure 1) describe two ways that household types changed between 1970 and 2012 and why you think these changes occurred.