Final answer:
Despite advances in birth control and legal abortion following the sexual revolution, single motherhood and abortion rates do not decline as expected due to complex social factors, including cultural attitudes, women's labor force participation, reproductive rights, and family structure diversity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The surprising trends in single mother families and abortion rates, despite a wide range of birth control methods available, reflect complex socio-economic and cultural-shifts post-sexual revolution. Margaret Sanger's American Birth Control League in 1921 initiated a movement towards giving women greater control over their reproduction, influenced by the changing socio-economic landscape, with women entering the workforce and demanding equality. This trend toward reproductive autonomy continued, but discussions about abortion remained taboo until much later.
Cultural attitudes towards premarital sex, cohabitation, and family structures have drastically shifted since then. By the 1970s, a more open attitude to premarital sex emerged, and the controversial Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, further shaping opinions and practices around family and reproduction. Yet, conflicting views on these issues persist due to deep moral, religious, and political divisions.
Moreover, social issues like climate change and global dysfunction impact individuals' decisions about bringing children into the world. As family life varies significantly now, with increases in unmarried, cohabitating, and same-sex couples raising children, traditional family structures are less prevalent.
Women's reproductive rights, advances in household technology, and a shift in what it means to be a family —all factors shaping these trends—challenge simple expectations about declining birth and abortion rates.