Jada Tummings-Mompoint 2
Jada Tummings-Mompoint
Dr. John Aveni
Communication Skills ’99 Section 1
Paper 3 Final Draft
29 October 2018
Coontz’ addressed problems can be found in Dyk’s presentation and the fields of research that thoroughly explains each problem provides for a solution. In the article, “The American Family”, by Stephanie Coontz, talks about what is important in a family and how families deal with their own problems. In the article, “Complexity of Family Life among the Low-Income and Working Poor”, by Patricia Hyjer Dyk, tells the reader that families were forced into their problems by their living conditions, economic influences on rural family life, and out-of-date work policies. Effective parenting was difficult to achieve, America’s work policies were fifty years out-of-date causing mothers to be more concerned about childcare because options were limited to working mothers. Both articles express the ways of how families have particular problems and aren’t handled according to the particular situations. Dyk’s scholarly research supports Coontz’ observations of the 21st century family problems and the solutions that are recommended to solve them.
Coontz argues what is important in families and how families are forced into their problems, when stating, “Many political leaders feel they have to decide whether to help parents stay home longer with their kids or invest in better childcare, preschool, and afterschool programs, when most industrialized nations have long since learned it’s possible to do both” (Coontz, 100). Dyk supports the statement by Coontz’ idea of family care, “Low-income and working-poor families are different from middle and upper-income families in part because of expensive to and experience of substantial stressors” (Dyk, 175). Coontz and Dyk have similar arguments in their pieces about family life. The families in Coontz’ time and the families in Dyk’s time, behavior has drifted between the two. Families were less active their children and partner’s life as observed in Dyk’s piece. Where as in Coontz’ piece, families were more involved and contributed to their families. During the time that both Dyk and Coontz wrote their articles, they were exposed to different behavioral patterns. Coontz’ time had majority of childcare not sufficient enough for the kids. Many of these issues were ignored because political leaders decided whether or not to help low-income families.
Throughout her article, Coontz expresses the problematic situations that take place in modern day households, along with families from years ago. And more importantly how families should be coping with these problematic situations. In the words of Coontz, “America’s work policies are fifty years out-of-date, designed for a time when most moms weren’t in the workforce” (Coontz, 100). What Stephanie is implying is that people, especially in modern time, have a harder time caring for their children because of unbeneficial work policies. Dyk wri...
