One main factor that accounts for changes in the American family structure is the trend of changing gender roles and women's increased participation in the workforce. In the past, traditional gender roles prescribed that men were the primary breadwinners, while women took on the role of homemakers and caregivers. However, in recent decades, there has been a significant increase in women's educational attainment and their entry into the workforce. This has led to changes in family dynamics, with both parents often working outside the home and sharing household responsibilities and child-rearing duties more equally. The shift in gender roles has also resulted in a rise in dual-income households and a decrease in the prevalence of the traditional nuclear family, which consisted of a male breadwinner and a female homemaker.
