Final answer:
Marriages in the United States have changed notably by people choosing to marry later in life, the rise in single parenting and cohabitation, and less conventional family structures becoming more common.option a is correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Over the past several decades, marriage in the United States has undergone significant changes. One of the most notable trends is that people are getting married later in their lives, indicated by the increasing median age of first marriage for both men and women. This shift can be attributed to a variety of factors, including societal acceptance of single parenting and cohabitation, as well as individuals prioritizing education and career advancement over early marriage.
Additionally, the concept of the nuclear family is evolving, with a rise in single-parent and same-sex parent households, cohabitating partners, and non-traditional family structures that include extended family members. These changes reflect broader societal shifts in attitudes toward marriage, family, and personal fulfillment.
The decline in the number of households headed by married couples, from 66 percent in 1960 to 45 percent in 2010, signifies that the idea of marriage as the culture's foundation is changing. Alongside this decrease in traditional marriage, we see an increase in families formed through surrogacy, adoption, or extended family living arrangements.
Furthermore, challenges such as divorce and domestic violence continue to affect familial stability, with an emphasis on the adverse impacts these issues have on children.
Given this information, we can conclude that the correct answer to the question about how marriages in the United States have changed over the past several decades is option a: people are getting married later in their lives. Options b, c, and d do not align with the current trends and data that demonstrate a shift in when and how people are entering into marriage or creating family units.