Final answer:
The recent trend in U.S. household formation shows a shift from traditional married families with children towards a variety of family structures, including unmarried and same-sex couples, single parents, and extended families living together, which influences social perceptions and contributes to income inequality.
Step-by-step explanation:
A prominent recent trend in U.S. household formation is the diversification of family structures, differing significantly from past decades. Traditionally, the 'typical' family comprised married parents with their unmarried children. Today, there has been a noticeable increase in various forms of families, including unmarried couples, same-sex couples, single-parent households, and extended family members living together, such as grandparents, cousins, and adult children. These changes have also contributed to shifts in income distribution and the rise in income inequality, as single-parent families commonly fall at the lower end of the income scale, while dual-career couples tend to be at the higher end.
Consideration for the evolving concepts of marriage and family is reflected in the increasing acceptance of cohabitation, singlehood, and same-sex partnerships, which influence widespread perceptions of what constitutes a family unit. Additionally, 15 million mothers and 3.5 million fathers are raising children alone, which illustrates the growth in single-parent families, and increasingly, singles and cohabitating couples are choosing to become parents through surrogacy and adoption.