The family in a changing society.

The American family presents an external picture of diversity and instability. When viewed in the context of the social change from rural to urban conditions of life, a trend is revealed to the companionship type of family, adapted to urbanization and exemplifying the American ideals of democracy, freedom, and self-expression. The seeming instability of the family is largely a symptom of this transition which may be regarded as a vast social experiment in which adaptability becomes more significant for success in marriage and family living than a rigid stability. This experiment provides a favorable condition for studies on marriage and the family and for the utilization of their findings by their public.